НАУКИ О ЗЕМЛЕ. ГЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ НАУКИ

The respective environments in two ancient rivers were studied using geochemical methods with paleogeographic reconstructions of fossil material represented by shells of freshwater bivalve mollusks. The studied outcrops are located in the basins of the Dniester and Prut rivers. Materials were collected from two Pliocene (Brînza, Giurgiuleşti) outcrops and the ages of the second group of localities (Sucleia, Slobozia Mare, Gura Bîcului) are from Middle to Late Pleistocene. The determination of the taxonomic position was carried out using standard malacological methods. Geochemical data were used for the environmental reconstruction and included stable isotope ratio and trace element compositions in subfossil freshwater bivalve shell (Bivalvia: Unionoida). Key indicators of paleoenvironments show changes in water temperature. Changes in the taxonomic composition of bivalve mollusk assemblages also occurred. In the present study, increasing the water temperature caused a change of stenobiont species of bivalve mollusks to eurybiont species. Eutrophication of watercourses, caused by anthropogenic pollution and climate change in the direction of warming, has led to the replacement of pearl mussels of the family Margaritiferidae by more eurybiont species of the family Unionidae in the benthic communities of European oligotrophic rivers. These processes are similar to those deduced for the Neogene-Quaternary watercourses of the Prut and Dniester basins, but they proceed at a much faster pace. They are processes of eutrophication of watercourses – the main factor leading to the catastrophically rapid modern reduction of the ranges of pearl mussel.

This work has been carried out using methods of numerical modeling to detect weakened zones in the basement of the region in regard to the construction and economic human activities. For this purpose, we have constructed quantitative models of the stressed-deformed state of the Earth’s crust in the region considering its evolution. Determined for the first time are the structures that accumulated a tectonic-magmatic activity and produced mobile-permeable zones in the Precambrian mainly. For the first time, we have found an interrelation between localities of deep fractures (activation areas) and the stressed-deformed state of the Earth’s crust caused by the impact of regional tangential stresses. Most of mineral deposits are located within the identified weakened zones of the geological basement. Economic activity of the population is concentrated there, which affects the ecological situation in the region. In addition, most of the territory where the mobile- permeable areas are detected in the basement is overlapped by known seismogenic zones of the region. Consequently, seismic events with an increased level of magnitude are more often generated in these areas due to the detente of interblock stresses in the geological environment. The provided research indicates the necessity of studying the general geological structure of the region and identifying setting areas of ancient deep deformation structures in design and construction of the major industrial, road, hydraulic engineering and other objects.

The respective environments in two ancient rivers were studied using geochemical methods with paleogeographic reconstructions of fossil material represented by shells of freshwater bivalve mollusks. The studied outcrops are located in the basins of the Dniester and Prut rivers. Materials were collected from two Pliocene (Brînza, Giurgiuleşti) outcrops and the ages of the second group of localities (Sucleia, Slobozia Mare, Gura Bîcului) are from Middle to Late Pleistocene. The determination of the taxonomic position was carried out using standard malacological methods. Geochemical data were used for the environmental reconstruction and included stable isotope ratio and trace element compositions in subfossil freshwater bivalve shell (Bivalvia: Unionoida). Key indicators of paleoenvironments show changes in water temperature. Changes in the taxonomic composition of bivalve mollusk assemblages also occurred. In the present study, increasing the water temperature caused a change of stenobiont species of bivalve mollusks to eurybiont species. Eutrophication of watercourses, caused by anthropogenic pollution and climate change in the direction of warming, has led to the replacement of pearl mussels of the family Margaritiferidae by more eurybiont species of the family Unionidae in the benthic communities of European oligotrophic rivers. These processes are similar to those deduced for the Neogene-Quaternary watercourses of the Prut and Dniester basins, but they proceed at a much faster pace. They are processes of eutrophication of watercourses – the main factor leading to the catastrophically rapid modern reduction of the ranges of pearl mussel. Citation: Lyubas AA, Kabakov MB, Kriauciunas VV, Obada TF, Nicoara IN, Tomilova AA (2019) Freshwater mollusks from Neogene-Quaternary Dniester and Prut riverine deposits as indicator paleoenvironments: chemical composition of shells and its palaeoecological interpretation. Arctic Environmental Research 19(1): 35–42. https://doi.org/10.3897/issn2541-8416.2019.19.1.35

This work has been carried out using methods of numerical modeling to detect weakened zones in the basement of the region in regard to the construction and economic human activities. For this purpose, we have constructed quantitative models of the stressed-deformed state of the Earth’s crust in the region considering its evolution. Determined for the first time are the structures that accumulated a tectonic-magmatic activity and produced mobile-permeable zones in the Precambrian mainly. For the first time, we have found an interrelation between localities of deep fractures (activation areas) and the stressed-deformed state of the Earth’s crust caused by the impact of regional tangential stresses. Most of mineral deposits are located within the identified weakened zones of the geological basement. Economic activity of the population is concentrated there, which affects the ecological situation in the region. In addition, most of the territory where the mobile- permeable areas are detected in the basement is overlapped by known seismogenic zones of the region. Consequently, seismic events with an increased level of magnitude are more often generated in these areas due to the detente of interblock stresses in the geological environment. The provided research indicates the necessity of studying the general geological structure of the region and identifying setting areas of ancient deep deformation structures in design and construction of the major industrial, road, hydraulic engineering and other objects. Citation: Filatova VT (2019) Formation of defused stress areas in the Earth's crust of the Kola region and associated environmental risks in capital construction. Arctic Environmental Research 19(1): 20–34. https://doi.org/10.3897/issn2541-8416.2019.19.1.20

Ensuring stability of subgrade soil under engineering structures is a critical task at oil field development projects in the Arctic. It is largely determined by the state of the permafrost influenced by natural and man-induced changes to the temperature regime. The issue of permafrost stability forecasting is still underexplored, this entailing a number of challenges for construction and trouble-free operation of facilities in the Far North. The Ardalin Oil and Gas Field (AOGF) is the only project in the Nenets Autonomous District (NAD) where results of extensive temperature measurements carried out in special thermometric wells have been accumulated over a lengthy period of over 20 years. This article contains the findings of thermometric monitoring of the top layer of soil with an average depth interval of 20 metres. Changes in the permafrost temperature regime, in both the presence and absence of sand (soil) filling, over the study period are described in the article. Natural physical and climatic disturbances that rule out the possibility of maintaining a continuous permafrost temperature are identified. In addition, the key sources of man-induced impact on the top layer of permafrost at the location of the AOGF production infrastructure facilities are analysed. This analysis resulted in recommendations that might be of help during design and construction of engineering works in the European North of Russia and serve to minimise thermal impact on frozen ground. Preserving the permafrost layer in its original natural state will help ensure stability of the subgrade of buildings and structures, thereby reducing the chances of any accidents.