Researchers at the Russian Arctic National Park conducted a comparative analysis of archival photographs taken on the Franz Josef Land archipelago and their modern equivalents. As EcoTourism Expert came to know, when comparing images with the difference of 117 years, it is clear that the glaciers on Brady Island have changed their configuration.
According to the historian, the head of the department of preserving the historical and cultural heritage of the Russian Arctic national park, Yevgeny Yermolov, when comparing historical photographs with modern ones, it is noticeable that the capacity of the outlet glacier stream has noticeably decreased over the past century.
In addition, scientists from the Russian Arctic national park made a comparison between the topographic map of Franz Josef Land and modern satellite imagery.
According to Ivan Mizin, deputy director of the Russian Arctic National Park for scientific work, when comparing photographs of the 30s with topographic surveys made by Soviet hydrographs in the late 50s with the difference of just 20 years, it is clear that «the area of glaciers decreased».
On the maps of the middle 20th century, the glacier retreated significantly, forming a deep bay. And in a satellite image of 2018, the area of the glacier decreased even more. Compared to the topographic map, it retreated about one kilometer inland,» he said. We are talking about Lednikovaya Bay on the island of McClintock.
A comparison of the topographic map and the satellite image is also confirmed by the decrease in the area of the outlet glacier on the island of Brady, which was photographed by Anthony Fiala in 1901. It can be seen that the glacier retreated several hundred meters.
Mizin added that changes in island landscapes demonstrate a process of widespread warming in the archipelago. “The 56 islands of Franz Josef Land are covered in glaciers. And almost on each of them there is a marked decrease in the area of glaciation. This is most clearly seen in places where glaciers enter the sea. The coastline of the islands has noticeably changed where the ice cover disappeared,” he stressed.
Franz Josef Land was discovered in 1873 and has since been visited by numerous expeditions. Since 1929, permanent settlements of people appeared on the archipelago. Polar explorers sought to capture the landscapes of the northern archipelago and themselves against their background.
In 2019, a comprehensive expedition of the Northern Fleet discovered several new islands in the territory of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. According to scientists, they appeared on the surface due to the retreat of glaciers.
Blogs
