An about 200-m long sandstone dyke cutting through the shales of the Janusfjellet Formation (Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous) has been discovered at Janusfjellet Central Spitsbergen. The palynomorph assemblage and the character of sandstone from the dyke are indicative of the Firkanten Formation of Paleocene age.
This article aims to analyse the influence of weather types on meteorological
conditions in Petuniabukta (Svalbard) during July and August of 2016. The paper analyses
the daily courses of air temperature and humidity at four measurement points located on
the west bank of Petuniabukta near Adam Mickiewicz University Polar Station during
two different types of weather conditions: (i) cloudy and windy, (ii) calm and clear.
These weather types, distinguished on the basis of wind speed and cloudiness, allowed
for the creation of composite maps of the synoptic situation (SLP and geopotential
height of 500 hPa distribution) and its anomalies. In the study area, the air temperature
range in windy and cloudy weather conditions was larger (-10°C to 15°C) than that in
sunny and calm weather (0°C to 15°C), which contrasts the range of humidity values.
The diurnal cycle of meteorological elements in sunny and calm days is strongly related
to the sun elevation angle. In the above-mentioned weather types, the air temperature
was higher by several degrees (median 5°C to 8°C) than on windy and cloudy days
(median about 0°C to 6°C) at each measurement point. On days with sunny and calm
weather, a smaller vertical temperature gradient of air is observed (for sunny and calm
days 0.63°C and for windy weather 0.8°C).
In the bottom fauna of the Van Keulen fiord 53 taxa of invertebrates (51 species) were recorded. Four different bottom types were sampled and the distribution of invertebrates in these bottom types is discussed. The most important components in the benthos of the fiord were Polvchaeta. Crustacea. Bivalvia and Gastropoda (79.2%). From the zoogeographical point of view the Van Keulen fiord should be included into the transient zone, situated at the border of the boreal and arctic zones.
Archaeological investigations were carried out on Sörkappland, the results together with literature data permitted to draw the past distribution of walruses at South Spitsbergen. Recent observations of walruses and marine biological survey indicate good perspectives for the recolonisation of investigated area by walrus population from East Svalbard region.