SPITZBERGENER ZEITUNG - AWI

SPITZBERGENER ZEITUNG - 8 - MÄRZ - JUNI 2005
on with the Norwegian Institute for Air Research
(N.I.L.U.) (i.e. Torunn Berg and Katrine
Aspmo) we try to better understand these atmospheric
transformations and that the deposition
of toxic onto snow surfaces. Collection of
snow samples allow us to understand how the
snow pack is enriched with time.
Pierre-Alexis Gauchard collecting snow using
ultra-clean techniques in order to avoid any
contamination during sampling (Christophe
Ferari)
The hut where during three years mercury in
the air was measured (Christophe Ferrari)
Christophe Ferrari, Olivier Magand, Xavier
Fain and Pierre-Alexis Gauchard came to
NyÅlesund in April-May 2005 to investigate
the fate of atmospheric mercury during polar
spring by measuring mercury in the atmosphere,
mercury in surface snow samples and mercury
re-emission fluxes form the snow to the
atmosphere. After three years of study, it appears
that the atmospheric spring depletion of
mercury in the atmosphere could then be the
result of local/regional chemistry around Svalbard
but some of the depletions recorded can
also be due to long range transport of air masses.
Snow is not enriched in Mercury in the
same way every year meaning that contamination
can then be slightly different from one
year to another.
Snow pits dug on the Kongsvegn glacier in
2003, 2004 and 2005 will allow us to reconstruct
if mercury contamination is more
higher during spring than during the rest of the
year. Two more years of measurement will be
done so as to have a better view of the possible
contamination of Spitzberg by mercury.
Christophe Ferrari - Olivier Magand - Pierre
Alexis Gauchard - Xavier Faïn
Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement-
38402 Saint Martin d'Hères cedex- Tel: +
(33) 4 76 82 42 39 Fax: + (33) 4 76 82 42 01 e-mail:
ferrari@lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr
Opening of the Arctic Marine Laboratory
Kjell Magne Bondevik, the Norwegian Prime
Minister, leant the diving knife from Kjersti
Dale, the scientific adviser of KingsBay, in
order to cut the algae in front of the Arctic Marine
Laboratory. This was the final moment the
whole village had been working to for months.
The new Arctic Marine Laboratory (Kjersti
Dale)
The purpose of the Arctic Marine Laboratory is
to offer scientists a modern facility for research
in the fields of marine ecology, physiology,
biochemistry, oceanography, marine geology
and ice physics. 33 million Norwegian Kroner