Sergey N. Kirpotin

Heterotrophic bacterio‐plankton in thawed lakes of the northern part of Western Siberia controls the CO2 flux to the atmosphere

This work reports on results of bacterio‐plankton characterisation in thaw lakes of the northern part of Western Siberia via measurement the number of various groups of heterotrophic bacteria and the intensity of primary production/respiration in the water column. The eutrophic systems at the beginning of lake formation (permafrost thawing) are being replaced by essentially oligotrophic systems at the final, mature stage of the lake development (khasyrey). The CO2 flux from the lake surface to the atmosphere associated with microbial degradation of organic matter (107 ± 50 t C/km2/y) is at least one order of magnitude higher than the riverine organic carbon flux. The future climate evolution in this region, consisting in rising ground temperature and precipitation increase will bring about further acceleration of dissolved organic matter degradation in the water column and amplification of CO2 release to the atmosphere.

Western Siberia wetlands as indicator and regulator of climate change on the global scale

Western Siberia is a unique bog region. Siberian peatlands have been a major sink of atmospheric carbon since the last deglaciation and, on the other hand, in some epochs – like the present – they are the most powerful source of methane emission. About 104 Mha of Russian peatlands are located in Western Siberia, which consists almost completely of pristine peatland ecosystems. This paper considers the role of the Western Siberian peatlands in a global carbon balance and their possible influence on the formation of Earth’s climate.

West Siberian palsa peatlands: distribution, typology, cyclic development, present day climate-driven changes, seasonal hydrology and impact on CO2 cycle

Palsa peatlands occupy extensive areas in Western Siberia which is one of the most paludified flat lowlands of the world. Climatic changes in Western Siberia are more dramatic compared with other northern regions, and changes in palsa landscapes are more notable due to the severe continental climate here. The distribution, peculiarities and climate-indication capacities of West Siberian palsas are poorly known outside Russia. Thus, Western Siberia is one of the most interesting vast natural polygons for studying climate-driven changes in the landscapes. This paper aims to fill the gap in knowledge on West Siberian palsas and their capacity as a climate regulator. We present issues in distribution, typology and cyclic development of palsa peatlands and their actual climate-driven changes. We also analyse the role of palsas in the atmospheric cycle of CO2, and the hydrology of the palsa regions.

Abrupt changes of thermokarst lakes in Western Siberia: impacts of climatic warming on permafrost melting

Peatlands situated in a permafrost zone and consisting of thin layers of frozen peat, especially palsas in the sub‐arctic region of Western Siberia, are a very sensitive indicator of climatic changes, such that any changes of climate in the direction of warming lead to increased activity in a thermokarst process over extensive areas. Thermokarst lakes as an invariable element of the palsa mire complex are the most convenient object for distant monitoring of the global warming influence on the state of the permafrost rocks.

One of the possible mechanisms of thermokarst lakes drainage in West‐Siberian North

During the 2008 expedition carried out within the framework of the Russian–French network project CAR‐WET‐SIB, one of the possible mechanisms of drainage of thermokarst lakes in the north of Western Siberia was revealed. The discovered natural process is significantly amplified by climate warming and gains special urgency in this regard.

The modern hydrological regime of the northern part of Western Siberia from in situ and satellite observations

We studied the hydrological regime of the rivers Poluy, Nadym, Pur and Taz in the Northern part of Western Siberia. Compared to their large neighbours – Ob′ and Yenisey – these four rivers are characterised by more homogeneous natural conditions. This makes them a reliable indicator of climate variability in the Arctic part of Western Siberia. First we present seasonal and interannual variability of river discharge from historical observations. Next we analyse river runoff in the context of climate parameters and assess modern contribution of various sources to the total volume of river water. The volume of meltwater during the spring flood is compared with estimates of snow in situ, and from NCEP and SSM/I. Finally, we estimate the extent and variability of flooded and wet zones from satellite radar altimetry observations.

Thermokarst lakes of Western Siberia: a complex biogeochemical multidisciplinary approach

Western Siberia’s thermokarst lakes are highly dynamic hydrochemical systems that receive chemical elements from the surrounding peat soil and exchange greenhouse gases with the atmosphere, delivering dissolved carbon and metals to adjacent hydrological systems. Climate warming is likely to intensify the magnitude of these processes, thus seriously affecting the biogeochemical fluxes both on land and in the coastal zone of the Arctic Ocean. In this work, we review biogeochemical and morphological features of thermokarst water bodies comprising frozen palsa depressions up to large, kilometre-size lakes and drained lakes. Based on a compilation of more than a hundred analyses of these water bodies, we discuss the average concentration of organic carbon, as well as the major and trace elements, and predict the development of their chemical composition, CO2 and CH4 exchange with the atmosphere and effect on the riverine fluxes from the land to the ocean under the climate-warming scenario. The accelerating permafrost thaw and rising water temperatures in this region will probably shorten the life cycle of the thermokarst thaw water bodies, increase the fluxes of both CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere, increase the concentration and delivery of dissolved organic carbon and related trace metals to the hydrological network and increase the potential bioavailability of micronutrients. Thus, the impact of permafrost thaw in Western Siberia on the global plantery processes, via the retroactive link between climate change and the thermokarst lakes’ geochemical activity, may be more significant than is currently expected.

Western Siberia in a changing climate

The present era of climate instability raises questions of landscape conservation and ecology generally, as well as socio-economic questions in northern regions of the world. This is especially true for the vast paludified areas of Western Siberia, which is one of the hot spots of global warming on our planet [1]. Climatic changes here are more dramatic than in other northern regions such as Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska. Changes both in permafrost-free and permafrost landscapes are more notable because of the severe continental climate [2]. In Siberia, the ‘space equal time’ equation is very important, as by moving in space, we can study time. Landscape and climate changes become obviously important. Since it is so enormous, Siberia can be called a ‘Universe’ in itself, and any project there has a universal scale. Because Siberia is a continental landmass, all changes here are more important than in any other northern part of the globe. Owing to the extensive oil and gas exploitation, Western Siberia has the most developed infrastructure of all the Arctic regions: roads, oil and gas pipelines, helipads, power lines, gas-compressor stations and cities and towns of oil and gas industry worker. Yet this infrastructure is undergoing significant damage from climate impacts, accompanied by permafrost degradation, and authorities in the region together with the largest oil and gas corporations have to spend huge amounts of money to keep it going [3,4]. This is a costly dilemma, because this well-developed infrastructure (good road network) provides unprecedented access to the region for researches and field experiments, making them significantly cheaper than in other northern regions, which exploit small aircraft or helicopters. Thus, Western Siberia is a key region and is also the most convenient site for studying both the fundamental questions of interaction of climate and landscape and considering the practical aspects of these changes and evaluation of these social impacts. The papers gathered in this monograph concern these matters. Today, already, Western Siberia faces powerful changes in the natural environment which other northern regions of the world will face in the near future. That is why the study of climate-driven changes of natural processes in Western Siberia has exceptional global importance. In the first paper, Semenova puts West Siberia in the context of the global nature conservation concerns. She argues for UNESCO World Heritage status to protect the unique wetlands of the south of West Siberia.

Public attitude to the development of nuclear power industry and ecological risks (the case of the Tomsk region)

This article summarises the attitude of the population to the perspectives of nuclear power development in the region where there is a nuclear energy company. Various groups of citizens understand potential threats and benefits controversially. The article identifies the factors accounting for the division of opinion about development of nuclear energy and ecological risks. Some groups can participate in rational discussion on the issues of nuclear energy development.

Environmental, economic and social risks of nuclear power engineering (the case of the southern part of the Ob-river basin)

The Siberian Chemical Combine, the largest nuclear plant not only in Russia but also in the world, which afforded ‘heat and electricity to our houses’, was built in 1954 in the south-east of Tomsk Oblast. Tomsk is in close proximity (10–12 km) to this plant located in the closed city of Severesk; hence the radiological situation in Tomsk may be estimated as potentially dangerous. The Russian Federation’s Ministry for Atomic Energy tries to continue developing the nuclear power industry in the region and suggests new projects including a plant for nuclear fuel production and development reactor BREST-OD-300, calling this an ‘innovative project’, a ‘breakthrough’. Where will this breakthrough lead us? Is the nuclear power industry really innovative and hi-tech? The paper focuses on the analysis of economic, ecological and social risks of the nuclear power industry; it also discusses whether it is worth developing in Siberia with its huge resource potential.