Climate Change in the Arctic: An Indian Perspective (Maritime Climate Change)

The Arctic, in the polar region, the northernmost part of Earth, is the hotspot for climate change assessments and the sensitive barometer of global climate variability. This book includes the scientific observations in the Arctic region’s climate and the results obtained by scientists at the Indian Arctic station Himadri over the past decade. Designed and structured to incorporate multi-dimensional climate change research output, it is a significant contribution toward understanding, among other issues, the role of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, as well as the increase of carbon monoxide during ozone reduction in the Arctic. Features include: Highlights the achievements of climate change research in the Arctic region Includes case studies of scientists in the Arctic and their significant achievements through the Indian research base Himadri Provides a thorough review of palaeoclimate change studies, the impact of climate change on biotic components and the impact of climate change on abiotic components Provides specific details on the study of ozone depletion phenomenon over the Arctic region Covers a wide range of research contributions Details sea ice variability in the context of global warming over the Arctic region Connects seismogenesis with the climate change in the Arctic region This book will be an important read for researchers, students and all interested professionals. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Editor Contributors Abbreviation List Chapter 1 Climate Change Assessment over the Arctic Region: Initiatives through Indian Polar Programme 1.1 Feedback Mechanism and Arctic Amplification 1.2 India and the Arctic 1.3 Black Carbon 1.4 Assessment of Black Carbon Aerosols and Solar Radiation over Himadri, Ny-Ålesund 1.5 Production of Carbon Monoxide from Ice Packs 1.6 Climate Change and Arctic Glaciers 1.7 Geomorphology and Sedimentology of Diversified Morphological Zones of Glaciated Terrain of the Ny-Ålesund 1.8 Quartz Grain Microtexture and Magnetic Susceptibility Assessment of the Ny-Ålesund Region 1.9 Remote Sensing Observations and Model Reanalysis 1.10 Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Variability of Snowmelt across Svalbard 1.11 Assessment of Mass Balance of the Arctic Glaciers 1.12 Scientific Exploration of Kongsfjorden 1.13 Deployment of Underwater Moored Observatory in the Kongsfjorden Fjord 1.14 Exploring Teleconnection between Arctic Climate and Tropical Indian Monsoon References Chapter 2 Arctic Weather and Climate Patterns 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Geography 2.3 Patterns in Arctic Weather and Climate 2.3.1 Cyclones and Anticyclones 3.2.2 Polar Lows 2.3.3 Semipermanent Highs and Lows 2.3.4 Arctic Oscillation 2.3.5 Weather Pattern 2.3.5.1 Temperature 2.3.5.2 Wind 2.3.5.3 Relative Humidity 2.3.5.4 Precipitation 2.3.6 Climatic Pattern 2.3.6.1 Surface Temperature (Figure 2.6) 2.3.6.2 Vector Wind (Figure 2.7) 2.3.6.3 Precipitation Outgoing Long wave Radiation (OLR) 2.3.6.4 Relative Humidity (Figure 2.9) 2.3.7 Recent Observations and Trends 2.3.7.1 Surface Temperature (2009–2018) 2.3.7.2 Surface Wind Speed 2.3.7.3 Relative Humidity 2.3.8 Effects of Arctic Weather and Climate 2.3.8.1 Climate Effects 2.3.8.2 Weather Effects 2.3.8.3 Arctic Ice and Indian Monsoon 2.3.9 Climate Change Impacts on the Arctic 2.4 Indian Arctic Programme 2.5 Summary and Conclusions References Chapter 3 Investigation of GPS-Derived Total Electron Content (TEC) and Scintillation Index for Indian Arctic and Antarctic Stations 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Amplitude Scintillation 3.3 Himadri, Ny-Ålesund, Arctic Region 3.4 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 4 Multi-Year Measurements of Black Carbon Aerosols and Solar Radiation over Himadri, Ny-Ålesund: Effects on Arctic Climate 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Measurements of Surface BC Aerosol 4.3 Instrument, Data Acquisition and Analysis Methodology 4.3.1 Aethalometer Measurement of Black Carbon 4.3.2 Spectrometer Measurements 4.4 Results and Discussion 4.4.1 Diurnal Variation of BC Aerosols 4.4.2 Association between Synchronous BC Mass Concentration and AOD [sub(380 nm)] 4.4.3 Comparison between Uncorrected and Corrected BC Values 4.4.4 Cyclic Variation in Long-Term BC Aerosol Mass Concentration 4.4.5 Trends in Black Carbon Aerosols 4.4.6 Frequency Distribution of BC Mass Concentration Bins 4.4.7 Air Mass Trajectory Analysis 4.5 Differential and Slat Optical Densities of Atmospheric Constituents 4.6 Summary and Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 5 Geomorphology and Landscape Evolution of Ny-Ålesund Region and Its Implication for Tectonics, Svalbard, Arctic 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Study Area 5.3 Methodology 5.4 Results 5.4.1 Glacial Environment 5.4.2 Lacustrine Environment 5.4.3 Glacio-Fluvial Environment 5.4.4 Fluvial Environment 5.4.5 Deltaic, Coastal and Marine Environment 5.5 Discussion 5.6 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 6 Biogenic Silica Indicator of Paleoproductivity in Lacustrine Sediments of Svalbard, Arctic 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Biogeochemical Cycle of Silica 6.3 Materials and Methodology 6.3.1 Study Area and Sample Collection 6.3.2 Sample Analysis 6.3.3 Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) 6.4 Source and Distribution of Biogenic Silica (bSi) in Arctic Lakes 6.5 Factors Controlling the Distribution of Biogenic Silica in Lakes 6.5.1 Grain Size 6.5.2 Biogeochemical Proxies (TOC, TN and TP) 6.5.3 Detrital Al and Al/SiO Ratio 2 6.5.4 Availability of Carbonate-Rich Sediments 6.6 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 7 Role of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Mercury in the Arctic Environment and Indirect Impact on Climate Change 7.1 Introduction 7.1.1 Pollutants in the Arctic 7.1.2 Atmosphere 7.1.3 External Effects of Halogens on Mercury and POP 7.2 Discussion 7.2.1 Persistent Organic Pollutants 7.2.2 Long-Range Atmospheric Transportation (LRAT) 7.2.3 POPs in the Environment 7.2.4 POPs in Ice 7.2.5 POPs in Lakes 7.3 Methodology 7.3.1 Sampling Points 7.3.2 Air Sampling 7.3.2.1 Active Air Sampling 7.3.2.2 Passive Air Sampling 7.3.3 Water Sampling 7.3.4 Snow and Ice Sampling 7.3.5 Pretreatments 7.3.6 Spiking 7.3.7 Extraction 7.3.8 Concentration 7.3.9 Column Clean-Up 7.3.9.1 Post-Clean-Up Spiking 7.3.10 Storage of Samples 7.4 Quantification of POPs 7.4.1 Results 7.5 Other Methods and Studies 7.5.1 Results 7.6 Ice POPs 7.6.1 Results 7.7 Water POPs 7.7.1 Results 7.8 Statistical Studies on POP’s 7.9 Persistent Inorganic Pollutant – Mercury 7.10 Long-Range Transportation of Mercury 7.11 Mercury in the Atmosphere 7.12 Marine Sources of Mercury 7.13 Mercury in Oceanic Sediment Cores 7.14 Mercury in Sea Ice 7.15 Terrestrial Sources of Mercury 7.15.1 Mercury in Lakes 7.16 Mercury in Snow 7.17 Mercury in Mountains 7.18 Methodology 7.18.1 Sampling Points 7.18.2 Mercury Speciation Methods 7.18.2.1 Sample Collection 7.18.2.2 Pre-Treatment and Pre-Cleaning 7.18.2.3 Extraction 7.18.2.4 Spiking and Recoveries 7.18.3 Storage and Transport 7.19 Quantification 7.20 Statistical Analysis and Modelling 7.20.1 Results 7.21 Mechanism of Action of Mercury in Humans 7.22 Microplastics: A Looming Concern 7.23 Bromine and Iodine 7.24 Black Carbon 7.25 Discussion 7.25.1 Direct Impact 7.25.2 Indirect Impact 7.26 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 8 Fate and Transport of Mercury in the Arctic Environmental Matrices under Varying Climatic Conditions 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Mercury in the Arctic 8.1.2 Sources and Transport of Mercury 8.1.3 Fate of Mercury 8.2 Materials and Methods 8.2.1 Study Area and Sample Collection 8.2.2 Sample Analysis 8.2.3 Quality Assurance 8.3 Results 8.3.1 Total Mercury and Methyl Mercury 8.3.2 Fractionation of Mercury 8.4 Discussion 8.5 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 9 Increasing Presence of Non-Polar Isolates in the Tundra and Fjord Environment – A Pointer towards Warming Trends in the Arctic 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Scope of This Chapter 9.3 Study Area and Collection of Samples 9.4 Our Approach to Studies on Bacterial Diversity 9.5 Culturing, Isolation and Identification of the Bacteria 9.6 Detection of Mesophilic Health Significant Bacteria into the Arctic Environment 9.7 Survival of Mesophilic Bacteria in the Arctic Fjords 9.8 Observations and Discussion 9.9 Retrievable Bacterial Load in the Fjord Water and Sediment Samples 9.10 Bacterial Flora of the Kongsfjorden Water 9.11 Mesophilic Bacteria in the Arctic Environment 9.12 Survival of Escherichia coli in the Fjord Environment 9.13 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 10 Zooplankton of the Past, Present and Future: Arctic Marine Ecosystem 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Methodology 10.3 Studies on Arctic Zooplankton 10.3.1 Past Research 10.3.2 Present Scenario 10.3.3 Future Research Issues 10.4 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 11 Spectroscopic Characterizations of Humic Acids Isolated from Diverse Arctic Environments 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Materials and Methods 11.2.1 Study Area 11.2.2 Sample Collection 11.2.3 Assessment of Biochemical Composition 11.2.4 Isolation of Humic Acid 11.3 Results and Discussions 11.3.1 Biochemical Composition of Sedimentary Organic Matter 11.3.2 Characterisation of Humic Acids Isolated from the Sedimentary Organic Matter 11.3.2.1 Elemental Analysis 11.3.2.2 UV-Visible Spectroscopy 11.3.2.3 FTIR Spectroscopy 11.3.3 Metal Complexation of Humic Acids Isolated from Sedimentary Organic Matter 11.4 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Chapter 12 Arctic Phyto-Technology 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Micropropagation 12.2.1 Somatic Embryogenesis vs. Callogenesis 12.2.2 Some Examples 12.2.3 Commercial Micropropagation 12.3 Embryo Rescue and In Vitro Pollination and Fertilisation 12.4 Somatic Hybridisation 12.5 Shoot Meristem Culture for Pathogen Elimination 12.6 Androgenesis and Gynogenesis for Haploid Production 12.7 Endosperm Culture for Triploid Production 12.8 Induced Nucellar Polyembryony 12.9 Somaclonal Variation 12.10 Synthetic Seed Production 12.11 Germplasm Preservation and Conservation 12.12 Production of Active Principles 12.12.1 Constraints in Micropropagation 12.12.2 Browning of Cultured Tissue 12.12.3 Contamination 12.12.4 Variability in Culture (Somaclonal Variation) 12.12.5 Vitrification of Shoots 12.12.6 Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Status 12.12.7 Futuristic Applications 12.13 Summary References Chapter 13 Bio-Optical Characteristics in Relation to Phytoplankton Composition and Productivity in a Twin Arctic Fjord Ecosystem during Summer 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Materials and Methods 13.2.1 Study Area and Sampling 13.2.2 Hydrography and Nutrients 13.2.3 Light-Absorption Coefficients and Suspended Matter 13.2.4 Phytoplankton Pigments 13.3 Results and Discussion 13.3.1 Hydrography and Nutrients Variability 13.3.2 Light Attenuation in the Water Column 13.3.3 Factors Influencing Phytoplankton Biomass, Community Structure and Diversity 13.3.3.1 Phytoplankton Biomass and Phaeopigments 13.3.3.2 Phytoplankton Community Structure and Diversity Index 13.3.4 Phytoplankton Light Absorption and Associated Package Effect 13.4 Summary Acknowledgements References Chapter 14 Recent Advances in Seismo-Geophysical Studies for the Arctic Region under Climate Change Scenario 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Physiographical and Geological Setup of the Arctic Region 14.2.1 Permafrost and Upper Soil Formation 14.2.2 Groundwater Resources 14.3 Seismo-Geophysical Studies and Its Implications to Environmental Variation 14.3.1 Seismicity and Cryoseismic Events (Ice Quakes) in the Arctic Region 14.3.2 Crustal and Lithospheric Structure of the Arctic Region 14.3.2.1 Crustal Structure of Siberia 14.3.2.2 Crustal Thickness Mapping and Plate Reconstruction for the High Arctic 14.3.2.3 Crustal Structure of the Baikal Rift 14.3.3 Seismic Explosion Experiment and Numerical Modelling 14.3.4 Studies Using Electromagnetics and Biogeochemistry 14.4 Biophysical Remote Sensing of the Arctic Region 14.5 Epilogue Acknowledgements References Chapter 15 Decadal Arctic Sea Ice Variability and Its Implication in Climate Change 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Material and Methods 15.3 General Features of the Arctic 15.4 Results 15.4.1 Northern Hemisphere Trend 15.4.2 Regional Trend 15.4.3 Regional Sea Ice Extent by Month 15.4.4 Regional Drivers for Sea Ice Change 15.4.5 Remotely Linked Processes for Sea Ice Change 15.5 Discussion 15.6 Impacts of Plummeting Arctic Sea Ice 15.7 Conclusions Acknowledgements References Glossary Index The Arctic, the polar region, the northernmost part of Earth, is the hotspot for climate change assessments and the sensitive barometer of global climate variability. This book includes the scientific observations on the Arctic region climate and the results achieved by scientists at the Indian Arctic station Himadri over the last decade. Designed and structured to incorporate multi-dimensional climate change research output, the book is a significant contribution to understand among other issues, the role of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, as well as the increase of carbon monoxide during ozone reduction in the Arctic. It is an important work for researchers, students, and all interested professionals "The Arctic, the northernmost part of Earth, is the hotspot for climate change assessments and the sensitive barometer of global climate variability. This book includes scientific observations on the Arctic region climate and the results achieved by scientists at the Indian Arctic station Himadri over the last decade. Designed and structured to incorporate multi-dimensional climate change research, the book is a significant contribution to understand among other issues, the role of persistent organic pollutants and mercury, as well as the increase of carbon monoxide during ozone reduction in the Arctic. It is an important work for researchers, students, and all interested professionals"-- Provided by publisher