AERC Newsletter

National Institute of Polar Research

AERC NEWSLETTER

Arctic Environment Research Center

July, 2003

VOL. 8Kamchatka

Oobloyah Bay, Ellesmere Island
Fiscal 2003 Research Plans
Japanese Arctic Research Directory in 2002
Visiting Professors
Research Reports

AERC Newsletter

Fiscal 2003 Research Plans◆ Study of Climatic and Environmental Changes in the Arctic
by Yoshiyuki FUJII2) Holding of workshops: Workshops are being held
to report on progress on each research topic,
exchange research results, coordinate research andpromote progress in continuing research. The
discussions emphasize the nature of climatic andenvironmental changes in the Arctic and research toclarify the mechanism of changes.
3) External evaluation committee: An external
evaluation committee is planned during theWorkshop at which evaluations of progress throughthe 4th year of the program and advice on how toproceed in the future are given.
4) Coordination committee meetings: The
coordination committee meets twice per year tocheck the progress of each of the research groups
and make sure that the research is conducted in a
way that will produce results during the planned
time frame.
5) Dissemination of information: Newsletters No. 5
will be issued during the summer. And theprogram's home page has been updated to provide
information on activities and research results to
date.

1) Research on the mechanism of environmental
change in the Arctic region: Research on themechanism of environmental change in the Arctic isbeing conducted by groups planning research on theatmosphere, ocean, glaciology and terrestrial ecology.
The coordination group aims comprehensive studyof the mechanism of environmental change in the
Arctic, treating also the boundaries between
disciplines. Carbon dioxide, which contributes toclimatic warming, spans several of these researchareas. The atmosphere group is studying its
transport and transformation processes. The
glaciology group is studying its past variations. The
terrestrial ecology group is studying the role ofplants in carbon dioxide variations. The
oceanography group is studying exchanges between
ocean and atmosphere. The coordination group ispursuing integrated research on the carbon
circulation in the Arctic. Research topics include therelation between climate and sea ice area; the studyof records of environmental index substances in ice
cores; and evidence in Arctic data of large-scaleatmospheric fluctuations including the North
Atlantic Oscillation.

◆ Dynamic Coupling of the Middle Atmosphere and Thermosphere in the Arctic
by Takehiko ASO
investigation of the effect of the electric field on the
The middle and lower atmosphere are coupleddrift of meteor trail and on the neutral velocity field
together to the thermosphere via precipitation of
itself during geomagnetic disturbances. In addition,
aurora particles, joule heating, electric field andan important part of the plan during the current
upward propagating wave disturbances from thefiscal year is clarification of the latitudinal variation
lower atmosphere. Observations from variousof the principal modes of atmospheric tides at highradars including EISCAT, and airglow and aurora
latitude. Further, meteor radar is being newly
observations, are combined to clarify this coupling,
installed at Tromsø to complement the EISCAT
focussing on overall atmospheric wave motions overradar and MF radar and to realize intercomparison
the whole atmosphere from the thermosphere to thein the aurora zone.
lower atmosphere. In particular, research in the3) Optical observations of airglow and aurora:
following 4 categories is being pursued.
Research on excitation and emission processes in1) Radar observations in the Arctic: Research,
the atmosphere, by simultaneous EISCAT heating
associated with the EISCAT radar is being
and radar observations and ALIS opticalconducted on polar magnetosphere dynamics, inobservation, is being continued. The relation
particular on coupling between plasma and neutral
between particle precipitation and ion line is further
atmosphere. These include studies on atmosphericinvestigated by simultaneous aurora spectrographwaves coming from below ionospheric dynamics
and ESR observations.
with the Super DARN radar, PSME with SSR
4) Comprehensive data analysis and numerical(SOUSY radar) and analysis of atmospheric wave
modeling: Based mainly on the observational andmotions using those observations.
analysis results obtained in this research, and also2) Meteor radar observations: Together withcombining them with global observational data, thecontinuous observations, cooperative global andresults are being compared with GCM numerical
local observations with ESR (EISCAT Svalbard
modeling in view of atmospheric coupling in terms ofRadar) and SSR are carried out during periods ofwave motions.
geomagnetic
disturbances.
This
permits2

Vol.8◆ Variations of Atmospheric Constituents and Their Climatic Impact in the Arctic
by Takashi YAMANOUCHI
The purposes of this research are to clarify
startstrengthened
observationsofthethe variability of greenhouse gases, aerosols,interactions between aerosols and clouds. In
ozone and clouds in the Arctic troposphere andparticular, we are considering doing observations
stratosphere and the source, sink, transport andwith tethered balloons using sensors that measuretransformation processes that cause thataerosols and cloud particles to verify the verticalvariability; and to evaluate the effect on climate
distributions.
via radiation, comparing with the Antarctic. The(3) We are proceeding with advanced analysis ofobservations are centered on the base atjoint Japan - Germany simultaneous aircraft andNy-Ålesund, in the Svalbard archipelago, at the
ground observations of Arctic troposphericentrance to and exit from the Arctic Ocean andaerosols and their radiation effect carried out intypical of the marine Arctic. These substances inthe springs of the 2000 and 2001 fiscal years
the atmosphere are being continuously observed(ASTAR 2000), and aircraft observations taken on
to clarify their variability; and, at the same time,a path crossing the Arctic Ocean in the spring ofuse balloons and aircraft to obtain vertical2002 (AAMP 02). We are also proceeding with
distributions so as to obtain observations ofanalysis of the circulation field by comparing
3-dimensional distributions over a wide area.
vertical cross-sections above the Arctic Ocean
Through analysis of these observations together
obtained from dropsonde observations with
with satellite and meteorological objective
meteorological objective analysis data, andanalysis data, and evaluation using models, weinvestigating the relation between variability ofhope to clarify the transport and transformation
the distributions of greenhouse gases and otherprocesses that cause the observed variability, andsubstances with transport processes. We are also
the effect on climate. The principal activities
verifying satellite observations using aerosol
during the 2003-2004 fiscal year are the following.
observation results and, at the same time,(1) Regarding greenhouse gases, observations on
incorporating the results into an Arctic climate
the ground at Ny-Ålesund have been continued,
model (HIRHAM) to evaluate the radiative forcing
leading to an accumulation of highly accurate
and the effect on climate.
observational results, so as to fulfill our(4) In the plan for the 2004 fiscal year, Japanesemonitoring obligations. These are being analyzed,
and German group are to install more aircraft
together with observations of air-sea exchange of
instruments involving modification of the aircraft
carbon dioxide to clarify the material cycle,
and increase the sophistication of the
including transport mechanisms, sources andobservational methods used in their coodinatedsinks.
aircraft and ground observations (ASTAR 04).
(2) Regarding aerosols and clouds, we are
Next time we will use 2 aircraft, with the aim ofcontinuing in-situ observations on the ground at
observing not only tropospheric aerosols but also
Ny-Ålesund and remote sensing observations, andthe interactions between aerosols and clouds.
at the same time are preparing instruments to◆ Research on Global and Local Environmental Variabilities Using Ice Cores Drilled Around the Arctic
by Kumiko GOTO-AZUMAThe polar regions play important roles in thevariability in the Arctic region it is necessary to
global climate system as cold sources, together
clarify the climatic and environmental variations
with the tropical region which acts as a heatthat occurred in the past in a number of locations
source. In the process of heat transport whicharound the Arctic. In the present researchtakes place between the cold sources in the polar
program, efforts are being made to reproduce pastregions and the low latitude heat source, the polar
climatic and environmental variations throughout
regions act as convergence regions in thethe Arctic by drilling ice cores at many points andatmospheric and oceanic general circulations, andanalyzing them; and, at the same time, to clarify
materials from a variety of sources gather there
the present status of the Arctic cryosphere, mainly
and are deposited on glaciers and ice sheets,
through observations. As one link in this researchwhere they are preserved. The substances
program, the following research is being
contained in ice cores form time series; theconducted during the current fiscal year.
composition ratios and amounts of the substances
1. As one link in the ICAPP (International
are indices of climatic and environmental
Circum-Arctic Paleoclimate Program) being
variability on a global scale. In addition,
conducted under the auspices of IASC, last year
expansion and contraction of the polar icecaps has
an ice core was drilled at King Col on Mountgreatly affected their roles as cold sources. There
Logan, Canada to reproduce the past climate andare great differences from one region to another inenvironment in the Pacific sector of the Arctic.
climatic and environmental variability. To clarify
This core is being analyzed during the current
the mechanisms of climatic and environmental
fiscal year. Meanwhile, to obtain information on
3

AERC Newsletter
glacier flow and amount of snow accumulation,measurements with a strain net and snow stakes
installed last year will be repeated, and a borehole
survey will be conducted.
2. Under the ICAPP project, it is planned to drill
ice cores in Alaska, where until now there havebeen practically no ice core records of past climaticand environmental variations. During the current
fiscal year, as preparation for that drilling,observations of snow melt conditions, snow
accumulation observations, ice radar observations,etc. will be carried out on the McCall Glacier.
Meteorological instruments will also be installed.

3. In continuation of work done last year, we areparticipating in North GRIP (North GReenland
Ice core Project) where we are drilling an ice corenear the pressure-melting point close to the
bedrock. In addition, also in continuation of work
done last year, we are analyzing a deep ice corefrom the North GRIP site. By comparing theresults obtained with results from analysis of the
deep ice core drilled at Dome Fuji, Antarctica, weare able to compare glacial cycles in both polar
regions and study the mechanism of large-scale
climatic variability.

◆ Research on Arctic Ocean Dynamics and Ecosystem Variability

by Mitsuo FUKUCHI
locations of these 20 moorings, and someoceanographic observations will also be taken atother locations. From fall through winter, whensea ice is forming, sea ice information obtained
from satellite images will be used for reference,and the oceanographical observation program will
be designed to match the observed sea ice
distribution. During the large scale observations
this year about 10 researchers from Japan will
participate, and some graduate students will also
participate as cooperative researchers. This will
be continued throughout the year, using a
research icebreaker. It is hoped that very
important information will be obtained on thepolar ecosystem, particularly on the production
andconsumptionofphytoplankton
andzooplankton from winter through spring.
In addition, we also plan to participate inother international research, to the extent
possible, in the Greenland Sea, the Barents Sea,
the ocean around Svalbard, and the Chukchi Sea.
We also plan to participate in international
meetings relevant to the planning and executionof this international cooperative research. Further,
we will gather information about the Antarctic
Ocean which is indispensable to to understand the
movements in the Arctic Ocean and changes in its
ecosystem, and to evaluate the relation to global
scale environmental changes.

The oceanic area covered by the
Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES),
an international cooperative project, extends fromthe Cape Bathurst Polynya, which forms inAmundsen Bay in the southeastern Beaufort Sea,
to the continental shelf offshore of the Mackenzie
Delta and the basin to the north of it. The purposeof our research is to clarify the structure andfunctions of the ecosystems in this region and thecirculation of biogeochemical substances. At thesame time, we are attempting to clarify the
relationship of secular changes in these factors tolong-term changes in the sea ice environment.
These observational results will become important
knowledge for evaluating long term global scale
environmental changes.
During the current fiscal year, it is planned to
conduct a full scale observational cruise under the
CASES project on an international cooperativebasis under the leadership of Laval University ofCanada. This cruise will be divided into 9 legs
during which full scale observations will be taken
for a full year, from September 2003 through theend of August 2004. Eight moorings that were put
in place last year will be recovered and new
instruments moored to replace them; up to a
maximum of 20 moorings are to be put in place
during the current fiscal year. The stations thatare taken by the ship will be centered on the◆ Research on Environmental Change in the Arctic Tundra

by Hiroshi KANDA
Canadian Arctic for the purpose of comparison
with fluctuations in the ecosystem at glacierforeland in Svalbard. During the current fiscal
year we conduct a second year of surveys around
Oobloyah Bay on Ellesmere Island. In addition tolast year's geomorphological survey, we conduct
concentrated observations of the eco-physiologicalcharacteristics of vegetation as follows:
1. We
analyze aerial photographs anddetermined what kinds of flora and fauna arepresent in the survey area.
2. To detect the changes taking place in vegetation
during the primary succession process in a glacial

In the 2003-2004 fiscal year, as in theprevious year, we research the carbon cycle atmany points on moraines in different stages ofvegetation succession formed by glacial retreat
near Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. We also construct a
compartment model based on measurements inregions having different amounts of pure primary
productivity in the ecosystem. In addition, toevaluate the effect on formation of colonies ofPythium spp. which are known as soil-borne plantparasite on Sanionia uncinata, we continue
outdoor experiments using chambers.
Meanwhile, we also conduct researches in the4Vol. 8the moraines with different ages. In particular, wesurvey colonies of mosses, lichens, saxifrages(Saxifraga), Dryas, willows (Salix) and Luzula on
the moraines.
4. As one of the analyses of plant reproduction, we
conduct sampling to study the floweringcharacteristics of Dryas octopetala and phenology
analysis of Polygonum viviparum and Casiope
tetragona.

retreat area, we establish research sites andsurvey the biological diversity of mosses, lichensand microorganisms, in relation to the glacial
topography, the growth environment and the soil
environment. In particular, we research surveys of
the water relation and production of Hylocomium
splendens for comparison with Svalbard.
3. We survey the microbiological biomass, soil
respiration
characteristics
andtheeco-physiological characteristics of vegetation on

Japanese Arctic Research Directory in 2002
Edited by the Japan National Committee for Polar Research, Science Council of Japan
Published by the National Institute of Polar Research (October 2002)
As one of the efforts to understand global scale environmental changes, many universities andresearch institutions in Japan are undertaking surveys and scientific observational programs in the
Arctic. This publication summarizes scientific field works in the Arctic based on a questionnaire
survey. This year's publication is the 3rd volume in the series. Starting this year some changes arebeing made in the questionnaire survey method and in the way the information received is published.
For convenience, information is now being made available on the Web. A summary of the information
available can be browsed at http://www-arctic.nipr.ac.jp .
Starting this year, in addition to observations in natural science fields we also provide
information on a field survey in a humanities field. Information is provided on a total of 41 projects.
Comparing the information that was provided during the last 3 years, there is some fluctuation in
the number of observational projects in each field. It is possible to discern a trend in theobservational projects being carried out in the Arctic.
We thank the people who provided this information for their cooperation, and at the same time
express the hope that the information provided in this booklet will contribute to the research
activities of readers and to Japan's Arctic research.
by Sakae Kudoh

Arctic observations in which NIPR participated directly(excerpted from the Japanese Arctic Research Directoryin 2002)
Oceanography
Observation of sinking particles in the Mackenzie Shelf
Bio-Science
Study of ecosystem at the deglaciated area in Ellesmere
Island,Canadian Arctic
Successional process on vegetation occurred in the deglacialarea, Spitzbergen, Svalbard
Biodiversity of snow mold fungi
Glaciology
North Greenland Ice Core projectIce core drilling on Mt. Logan, Yukon, Canada
Atmospheric Science
Observation of greenhouse gasses in the Arctic
Arctic Airborne Measurement Program
Upper Atmosphere Physics
Conjugate auroral observation in Iceland
Observations of large-scale waves in the polar middle
atmosphere and lower thermosphere by the EISCAT radarand collaborative radar and optical platforms
ALIS (Auroral Large Imaging System) aurora/airglow conjunction observation with EISCAT radar
and/or satellites
Observation of atmospheric dynamics in the polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere by the NSMR NIPR - Nippon/Norway Svalbard Meteor Radar
Auroral spectrograph
5

AERC Newsletter

Vi s i t i n g P r o f e s s o r（March - June, 2003）

Serguei M. ARKHIPOVInstitute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow(IGRAS)
I belong to theInstituteofGeography of theRussian Academy of
Sciences (Moscow,
Russia). Now I ama Senior Research
Scientist(since1994)
oftheDepartment
ofGlaciology of theInstitute, where I
started to work
being
just
an
undergratuatestudent (in 1978).
My education has
been a glaciologicalone, as well: in 1980, I graduated from theLomonosov Moscow State University, Department(Faculty) of Geography, Chair of Cryolithology andGlaciology. In 1986, in IGRAS, I defended my PhD
thesis
under
the
title
«Isotope-ChemicalComposition and Ice Structure of Polar Glaciers as
an Indicator of Ice Facies Conditions (Results ofSpitsbergen and Severnaya Zemlya Studies)».
Actually, this title describes the main field of myscientific interests and research: deep drilling ofglaciers and ice core investigation; hydrothermal
state, structure and isotopic-chemical parameters ofsnow, ice, and firn; multiparameter studies of theactive layer, deep and bottom sections of glaciers;
development of glaciological and climatogical databanks, glaciological object classification.
I have participated in more than 20 Russianand intenational expeditions and field projects,
mainly concerned with drilling of glaciers (Svalbard,
Severnaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Antarctic,
Caucasus, Tien Shan, Altai and other regions),
including Japanese-Russian expeditions to Svalbard(1995, Vestfonna) and Altai (Sofiysky glacier,2000/01). However, my first regional interest is theEurasian Arctic.
In 1975-1988, deep core drilling of glaciers of theEurasian Arctic was intensively developed,
primarily by scientists of the Institute of Geographyof the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Arctic
and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), withrobust participation of the Institute of Geology of theEstonian Academy of Sciences and Lomonosov
Moscow State University. Since 1987, the Japanese
Arctic Glaciological Expedition has done successful
work on Svalbald. Since 1997, international projects
have been carried out on Frantz Josef Land,
Svalbard, and Severnaya Zemlya.
As well as in Antarctic and Greenland, apreference to drill holes on glaciers already studied,and even directly at sites of a previous drilling, isnow evident in these placees. The reason is clear –fast progress in techniques of ice core analysis
makes it possible to enhance the quality andquantity of information obtained, especially of
palaeogeographic information. At the same time,interest was aroused in earlier data which arenecessary for estimation of the representativeness ofdata from deep levels of glaciers in the Eurasian
Arctic, and of natural condition change tendencies
for the last decades. Thereupon, the data bank
«Deep Drilling of Glaciers in Eurasian Arctic» hasbeen created in IGRAS with robust support by NIPR,
and now we are going to extend this work anddiscuss further plans for joint glaciological
expeditions to the Russian Arctic and Altai.
This is already my second visit to Japan and
NIPR. I feel very thankful to Director Watanabe
and Professor Fujii for the invitation. NIPR
provides everything necessary for fruitfulscientific work, particularly a very extensive
library, what is especially attractive for Russianscientists. I also have a possibility to feel andenjoy the Japanese way of life again, which, as it
seems to me, is very convenient for Russians, too.

Visiting associatedProfessor 2003
Yasunobu MIYOSHI(Upper atmosphere)

Visiting Professor 2003
Takeo HONDOH(Glaciology)

6Vol. 8

Research

Reports

Glaciological observations on Mount Logan, Canada(report of expedition participation)

Sumito Matoba, National Institute of Polar Research(from January 2003 at the National Institute for Environmental Studies)
From late April to early June, 2002, as one link in the international Ice core Circum-Arctic Paleoclimate
Program (ICAPP)glaciological observations, principally the drilling of a shallow ice core, were conducted on
Mount Logan (5,959m) in the Yukon Territory, Canada. The purposes of these observations are to clarify the
secular variation of environmental pollution in the Circum-Arctic region in recent years, to clarify the climaticchange on a scale of several decades in the North Pacific region and to clarify the dynamical characteristics of an
alpine glacier in a cold climate. The observations were carried out by a group of 6 people led by AssistantProfessor Kumiko Goto-Azuma of the National Institute of Polar Research.
These observations were carried out at King Col on the middle slopes of Mount Logan, at 60°35'20"N,
140°36'15"W, 4,135m elevation. Since the drilling point was at high elevation, landing suddenly at the drilling
point by aircraft or helicopter would risk altitude illness, so it was necessary to gain elevation gradually while
acclimatizing.
On April 28 we landed in a Single Otter aircraft at 2,800m on the Quintino-Sella Glacier. We transported
the scientific equipment to the observation point by aircraft, then returned to the 2,800m point to acclimatize.
We climbed up and down the glacier several times to acclimatize on May 1 and 3, then on the 5th put on skis
and pulled sleds with our personal gear to King Trench at 3,200m. There was little snow that year so weencountered 2 crevasses en route and had to walk or jump across them. We judged that there would beavalanche danger on the route beyond King Trench, so on May 8 we moved to the observation point by helicopter.
There were no serious cases of altitude illness, but there were cases of people who felt lazy and did not move forhalf a day, or had trouble breathing and woke up during the night.
The drilling point was decided upon by using ice radar to measure
the ice thickness. The ice thickness at the drilling point that was
selected was measured to be 197 to 209m. Subsequently, we completed
preparations for drilling and ice core analysis, and from the 13thstarted drilling with a shallow mechanical drill. On the whole thedrilling proceeded normally, but at about 150m depth the drill refused
to advance into the ice for 3 days, and the mast that supported the drill
broke at a welded section at the base. We dealt with each of the
problems as they occurred, made the necessary repairs and continued
drilling. When the drilling was finished the drill was thoroughly
damaged from one end to the other. The drilling was stopped after 18days at 220.52m without reaching the bedrock because the cable ranout. The ice core that was obtained was of very good quality with few
cracks to a depth of 200m; beyond that depth there were many cracks.
In an analysis trench at the observation point, the 50cm core sections
were matched and their lengths measured and logged, andstratigraphic observations were carried out. Two layers believed to bevolcanic ash were discovered in the core. Half of each 50cm core section
from the top 30m was melted to form a water sample; the rest, together
with the whole 50cm sections from deeper than 30m, was transported
Photo 2: Drilling in progressback to Japan in the frozen state. Plans are to conduct physical andchemical measurements on each of the core sections, followed by
specialized analyses for the purposes of the present research.

Photo 3: The observation camp

Photo 1: Climbing up the glacier
7

AERC Newsletter

Glacial Topography in the Vicinity of Oobloyah Bay, Ellesmere Island
Hirohiko Hasegawa,This Ellesmere Island survey was carried out
by 2 of us, Shin'ichi Sawaguchi of Niigata
University of International and Information
Studies, who does research on the topography ofglaciers and the land around glaciers to form thebasis for research on ecological system variability,
and myself. From Sawaguchi, who also
participated in a similar survey the previous year
(2001), I heard that the area that we would besurveying is a unique area within Ellesmere

Meiji University
Island and is particularly well suited to clarifying
the history of development of glacial topography.
However, for me this was my first experience ofArctic Canada, and, in addition, the amount oftime allowed for the survey was short, so it waswith some trepidation that I arrived. The area
surveyed is the area downstream from glaciertermini on the southern slope of the Krieger
Mountains, which tower above the inner end of
Oobloyah Bay (Figure 1). To the east and west of
the Krieger Mountains, outlet glaciers from theinland icecap flow southward; a glaciatedpenetrating valley, to be referred to here as
Oobloyah Valley, extends east and west, joining
the termini of the two glaciers. There are 6 alpine
glaciers on the southern slope of the Krieger
Mountains; our survey emphasized the 2nd
glacier from the west (to be referred to here as theNo. 2 Glacier, area 6 square kilometers), where
we located our Base Camp.
The first thing that I felt upon entering thisarea was that, although the Oobloyah Valley
might have been affected by the glaciers during
the Last Glacial period. the evidence of that
action was unclear. The walls of the glaciatedvalley are gradual in slope; practically the entire
area is covered by a weathered debris layer
formed by periglacial action after the ice melted.
This valley must certainly have been a dry valley
during the Last Glacial period. This initial
intuitive feeling hardened into a firm belief as thesurvey progressed.
At the terminus of the No. 2 Glacier we wereable to observe typical debris-rich basal ice, justlike one sees in textbooks (Photo 1= cover picture,bottom, Photo 2). Within the basal ice clear shear
structures and folded structures are developed. If
we had the time I would liked to have continued
observing these for several days, but
unfortunately we did not. After observing themfor a mere 2 hours, we moved on to survey thegroups of moraines distributed in front of theglaciers.
Ice-cored moraines from the Little Ice Age
are distributed around the present glacier termini.
Surrounding them, in turn, were a number ofterminal moraines and lateral moraines in thebottom of the valley along the right bank (looking
downstream) of the main river that runs throughthe Oobloyah Valley (we called it the "Kanda
Gawa" after a river that runs through Tokyo)(Photo 3). These groups of moraines are classified
into the oldest group, the old group and the younggroup. Whereas the oldest moraines have been
considerably subdued as a result of periglacial
action, and their forms are unclear, the old andyoung moraines have clear ridges and steep

Fig. 1: The survey area. The star shows thelocation of our Base Camp.

Photo 2: Debris-rich basal ice along the bottomof the right bank of the No. 2 Glacier.

8Vol. 8

Photo 3: The No. 2 Glacier and groups of moraines.
The moraines distributed so as to form an outline of the glacier are ice-core moraines fromthe Little Ice Age. Photographed from above the old period 2 terminal moraine.
O: Old period lateral moraines O1: old period 1; O2: old period 2
Y: New period lateral moraines.
BC: Base Camp.

lateral slopes. The young moraines consist of aseries of ridges immediately outside of andparallel to the Little Ice Age moraines; the oldmoraine groups consist of a number of prominent
lateral and terminal moraine groups. We decided
to use 2 relative dating methods to more clearly
distinguish the periods of formation of thesemoraines. One method was lichenometry, using
the diameter of Rhizocarpon geographicum s.l., theother was to use the thickness of the weatheringrind of sand stone gravels (Photo 4). As a result,
we were able to subclassify the old period into oldperiod 1 and old period 2; and we were also able tosubclassify the Little Ice Age moraines into 2
groups.
From analysis of aerial photographs, we wereable to confirm the presence of lateral moraines
on the left bank of Oobloyah Bay that correlate tothe oldest period and the old period. Since it was
during the Last Glacial period that Oobloyah Bay
was acted on by glaciers (King, 1981; England,1990), we believe that the oldest and intermediate
periods correspond to the last Ice Age or aprevious period. However, as of the present time
we have not obtained any data that indicate theabsolute age of the period of glacial advance.
Since we obtained samples for dating from anumber of points in the sediments left by
outflowing glacial melt water, we expect that as
the results from dating them become available it
will become possible to determine a relative age
scale. In the future, it will become necessary togather more samples for relative dating ofmoraines of overflow glaciers, to compare withperiods of advance of alpine glaciers.
Until now, in Arctic Canada, attention has
been focused on the history of advance and retreatof icecaps and relatively large overflow glaciers.

The alpine glaciers on the south slope of the
Krieger Mountains are small in scale and simple
in form; even during the Last Glacial period they
did not merge with other glaciers. Consequently,
in this area there is a possibility to discuss indetail the history of change in the glacial
environment from the last Ice Age to the present.
In the future, I am thinking of computing the
topographical snow-line height in each period of
glacial advance.
England, J. (1990): The late Quaternary historyof Greely Fiord and its tributaries,
west‑central Ellesmere Island. Can. J. Earth
Sci., 27, 255‑270.
King, L. (1981): Studies in glacial history of thearea between Oobloyah Bay and Esayoo Bay,northern Ellesmere Island, N. W. T., Canada. In

Results of the Heidelberg Ellesmere Island
Heidelberger
geographische
Exedition.
Arbeiten, 69, 233‑267.

Photo 4: A weathering rind seen in floater
above the oldest period terminal moraine.

9

AERC Newsletter

Characteristics of the Ny-Ålesund Terrestrial Ecosystem
as Seen from Vegetation
Satoru Kojima,

Tokyo Women's Christian University

The history of the terrestrial ecosystem
around Rabben base at Ny-Ålesund is young. This
area was covered by glaciers until recently; theglaciers that exist in the area today are stillreceding. Most of the land emerged from under ice
cover only within the last few hundred years.
After the glaciers receded, a variety of plants
advanced onto the newly bare land and formed
ecosystems. However, these ecosystems are still inan early stage of succession and are immature.
Important constituents include blue-green algae,
algae, lichens and mosses. There are relatively
few vascular plants, and on the whole thevegetation cover is low. Further, whereas plantcommunities are normally differentiated tocorrespond to the local landform characteristics,
at the present time there is little differentiation.
So a major characteristic of the ecosystem in thisarea is that it is "young".
The immaturity of the ecosystem is also
evident from the soil characteristics. The soil inthis area is as yet practically undifferentiated intolayers, perhaps in part because such development
is slow in the cold climate. With little
differentiation into layers, and immature soils(Regosol or Entisol) extend over a wide area.
Leaching has not progressed much in theseimmature soils so in general the pH is high. The
soil pH is an indicator of the amount of base in thesoil. Around Ny-Ålesund sedimentary rocks
having character similar to limestone occur over awide area so the parent material of the soil is richin lime and, reflecting that, the soil pH isnaturally high. Analysis showed the pH to be in
the range 5.3 to 7.9. Comparing this to the normal
pH of 4 to 5 of soil in a forest, and 3 to 4 of peat ina peat bog, it is clearly a high pH, reflecting ahighly basic soil composition. This then becomes
an important factor regulating the growth ofvegetation in the area. For example, vascularplants which occur widely in this area include
Saxifraga oppositifolia, Salix polaris and Polygonum
viviparum; these are basically plants which grow inhigh pH soil.
From the point of view of soil conditions,another important conditions is moisture. The
soils in this area vary greatly in their moisture
content, from very dry soils to hygric (very wet)soils. Since in general the soil has high pH, themoisture condition essentially determines thegrowth characteristics, and plant communities
differentiate in response to that. For example,
Draba nivalis grows in dry soil, whereas
communities consisting of Luzula confusa andCerastium regelii are formed in hygric soil. In soils of
average moisture content, communities of

Salix polaris

Polygonum viviparum

An ecosystem in an early stage of succession
formed on a field of gravel following glacial
retreat.

Saxifraga

10

oppositifolia,

Salixpolaris,PolygonumVol. 8that the vegetation cover by vascular plants will
increase. Perhaps at the same time the amount oforganic matter in the soil will increase. Whenorganic matter is deposited, organic acids areformed in the process of its decomposition,
accelerating the acidification of the soil. Leachingof bases from the soil also proceeds. Perhaps as aresult the soil pH will decrease. In addition, in
hygric soil perhaps peat will be deposited. The
species composition of plant communities will
perhaps change in response to this change in thechemical composition of the soil. Plants that canbe expected to increase and form communities
include Dryas octopetala and Cerastium arcticum indry soil; Cassiope tetragona and Salix polaris in soil of
average moisture content; Eriophorum scheuchzeri,
Carex stans and Saxifraga hirculus in hygric soil; sothat plant communities will become differentiatedin response to local conditions.
There is concern about climatic warming on a
global scale. Needless to say, the warming that ispredicted will show up most prominently in the
Arctic, and it is the Arctic terrestrial ecosystemthat will suffer the greatest impact. How will the
Arctic ecosystem respond when warming proceeds
rapidly? Clarifying this is of vital importance.
Warming will accelerate the production of matterby plants, while at the same time it will accelerate
microorganism activity to promote greater
decomposition of organic matter in the soil. What
will the net effect be on the carbon budget of theecosystem? How will it affect the movement ofbases in the soil? Will not warming upset theequilibrium among plant communities and trigger
changeover of species and change in species
composition? What will the effect on the breeding
ecology be? How will this affect animalcommunities? Clarification of these riddles is anunavoidable topic not only for purely academic
interest, but also to understand global
environmental problems. From this point of view,also, Arctic research will continue to become more
important in the future.

Kongsfjord, which extends eastward from theNy-Ålesund base.

viviparum, Cerastium arcticum, Luzula arctica, Oxyria
dygina and Carex misandra form. Thus, although theecosystem is still in the initial stage of succession,some differentiation of plant communities has
occurred in response to differences in soil moisture
content. However, at present communities of suchspecies as Cassiope tetragona, which are very
common in the Arctic, as well as of Eriophorum
scheuchzeri, Carex stans and Saxifraga hirculus, arepractically not found at all in this area. This also
indicates that the ecosystem is still in an
immature stage.
If the succession continues on its present
course, what kind of ecosystem will eventuallydevelop in this area? In general, in the Arctic theclimate is extremely cold, so successions proceedvery slowly and there is a question as to whether
climax is ever actually reached. Also, acharacteristic of succession in the Arctic is that
so-called pioneer plants which appear in the earlystage of succession often remain until the climax
period; not much change is seen from the pioneer
species to the climax species. So there is room forargument as to exactly what constitutes theclimax in the Arctic.
Even so, assuming that the succession does
continue on its present course, it is conceivable

Silene acaulis

Dryas octopetala
11

AERC Newsletter

Staff
Director,

Professor
Professor
Associate professor
Associate professor
Associate professor
Research associate
Research associate
Research associate
Concurrent professor
Concurrent professor
Concurrent professor
Concurrent professor
Concurrent associate professor
Visiting professor
Visiting professor
Visiting associate professor
Research assistant

Yoshiyuki FUJII
Takehiko ASO
Hajime ITO
Kaoru SATO
Sakae KUDOH
Shuki USHIO
Shiji MORIMOTO
Masaki TSUTSUMINatsuo SATO
Mitsuo FUKUCHI
Takashi YAMANOUCHI
Kiichi MORIWAKI
Kumiko GOTO-AZUMA
Serguei M. ARKHIPOVTakeo HONDOH
Yasunobu MIYOSHI
Miki YOSHIOKA(Glacial climatology)(Upper atmosphere physics)(Marine glaciology)(Atmospheric physics)(Aquatic ecology)(Polar oceanography)(Atmospheric physics)(Upper atmosphere physics)(Magnetospheric physics)(Marine ecology)(Atmospheric physics)(Physical geography)(Glacilogy)(Glacilogy)(Glacilogy)(Upper atmosphere physics)

EDITOR'S NOTE
The Arctic Environment Research Center of the National Institute of Polar Research,
Japan, has been distributing a newsletter (2 domestic editions in Japanese per year) to
provide Japanese Scientists with news of Japanese projects under way, news of importantresearch abroad and news of domestic and international conferences. This volume, AERC
NEWSLETTER, Vol. 8, incorporates our Arctic research plan in 2003, and numbers 16 and 17of the domestic bulletin, which includes news of potential interest and/or novelty tointernational readers. Contributions are welcome and should be addressed to:
AERC Newsletter Editor
Arctic Environment Research Center, National Institute of Polar Research
Address: Kaga 1-9-10, Itabashi, Tokyo, 173-8515, Japan
Phone: +81-3-3962-5094 Fax: +81-3-3962-5701

AERC Newsletter Vol. 8
Published in July, 2003
12