Wittbrodt, Kerstin (2011) Sommerliche Schwebstoffkonzentration vor den arktischen Küsten Sibiriens am Beispiel der Laptev-See. (Bachelor thesis), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, 57 pp.

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Abstract

The Laptev-Sea Shelf is one of the great Siberian shelf seas and is rather important for Siberian river-run off to the Arctic, as well as in its function as "ice-factory". This study therefore mainly deals with the special characteristics of that region and especially with the analysis of suspended particulate matter concentration on the Laptev Sea Shelf. This concentration is crucial for the primary production in that region. The sedimentological data used for this theses was collected during the German-Russian TRANSDRIFT XVII expedition to the Laptev Sea that took place in September 2010. Besides indirect measurements with an optical backscatter sensor, 225 water samples werte taken at 35 stations. With the help of these water samples a correlation was created to convert the data of the indirect measurements into real suspended particulate matter concentration. Due to high influence of river-run off in this region there was a great interest for surface concentrations and changes within a north-south corss-section. The analysis mainly focuses on Lena delta river-run off and its distribution throughout the Laptev Sea Shelf.
Based on these plotted surface concentration data, the development of river water lenses on the Laptev Sea Shelf as well as their higher suspended particulate matter concentrations could be illustrated. The river water lenses were shown for the two main Lena delta branches as well as one tributary branch. The cross-section further on revealed changes in river water distribution in north-south direction and showed distinct boundaries between shelf water masses and less saline river water. This north-south cross-section also showed the positions and the directions of nepheloid layers, characterized by higher suspended particulate matter concentration. These ground-level layers are also developed by descending particles in the water column, but mainly by resuspension of shelf material caused by water currents close to the seafloor. A rather strong nepheloid layer, which was caused by strong resuspension and was developed through conjunction of different water masses, could be detected especially in the boundary zone of the river water and the shelf water area.

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