Geophysical processes and biosphere: article

Аnnotation: This work provides an overview of archive data of geocryological and hydrogeological conditions of western part of Nordenskiold Land on Spitsbergen archipelago. The historical data obtained in Soviet times during coal exploration are reviewed together with own recent data from 2016-2020 within the framework of the Russian Scientific Arctic Expedition on Spitsbergen (RAE-S). In geocryological terms, the region belongs to the zone of continuous permafrost. Near the coast, the thickness of rocks and sediments with negative temperatures is about 100 m and increases up to 540 m in the high mountains. The average annual ground temperature at zero-amplitude depth varies from -3.6 to -2.2 °C. Below those, the temperature curve in the upper part tends to bend toward positive temperatures, reflecting the climate warming cycle that continues today. In hydrogeological terms, the area belongs to the marginal zone of the West Spitsbergen cryoadartesian basin. Seawater intrusions near the coast form saline subpermafrost aquifers, including subzero aquifers, reflecting seawater (sodium-chloride) composition and hydraulic heads close to sea level. Due to the existence of warm-based glaciers further inland meltwater feeds fresh and brackish subpermafrost aquifers with hydraulic heads up to 100 m above sea level: sodium-bicarbonate dominated aquifers on the east coast of Grønfjorden and magnesium-sulfate-calcium dominated aquifers in gypsified deposits on the west coast.