Topographic model of Greenland (elevation lines in PanMap and ASCII format)

In this paper, a new high-resolution elevation model of Greenland, including the ice sheet as well as the ice free regions, is presented. It is the first published full coverage model, computed with an average resolution of 2 km and providing an unprecedented degree of detail. The topography is modeled from a wide selection of data sources, including satellite radar altimetry from Geosat and ERS 1, airborne radar altimetry and airborne laser altimetry over the ice sheet, and photogrammetric and manual map scannings in the ice free region. The ice sheet model accuracy is evaluated by omitting airborne laser data from the analysis and treating them as ground truth observations. The mean accuracy of the ice sheet elevations is estimated to be 12-13 m, and it is found that on surfaces of a slope between 0.2° and 0.8°, corresponding to approximately 50% of the ice sheet, the model presents a 40% improvement over models based on satellite altimetry alone. On coastal bedrock, the model is compared with stereo triangulated reference points, and it is found that the model accuracy is of the order of 25-35 m in areas covered by stereo photogrammetry scannings and between 200 and 250 m elsewhere.

Air photography Samoylov Island

For the qualitative description of surface properties like vegetation cover or land-water-ratio of Samoylov Island as well as for the evaluation of fetch homogeneity considerations of the eddy covariance measurements and for the up-scaling of chamber flux measurements, a detailed surface classification of the island at the sub-polygonal scale is necessary. However, up to know only grey-scale Corona satellite images from the 1960s with a resolution of 2 x 2 m and recent multi-spectral LandSat images with a resolution of 30 x 30 m were available for this region. Both are not useable for the desired classification because of missing spectral information and inadequate resolution, respectively. During the Lena 2003 expedition, a survey of the island by air photography was carried out in order to obtain images for surface classification. The photographs were taken from a helicopter on 10.07.2002, using a Canon EOS100 reflex camera, a Soligor 19-23 mm lens and colour slide film. The height from which the photographs were taken was approximately 600 meters. Due to limited flight time, not all the area of the island could be photographed and some regions could only be photographed with a slanted view. As a result, the images are of a varying quality and resolution. In Potsdam, after processing the films were scanned using a Nikon LS-2000 scanner at maximal resolution setting. This resulted in a ground resolution of the scanned images of approximately 0.3x0.3 m. The images were subsequently geo-referenced using the ENVI software and a referenced Corona image dating from 18.07.1964 (Spott, 2003). Geo-referencing was only possible for the Holocene river terrace areas; the floodplain regions in the western part of the island could not be referenced due to the lack of ground reference points. In Figure 3.7-1, the aerial view of Samoylov Island composed of the geo-referenced images is shown. Further work is necessary for the classification and interpretation of the images. If possible, air photography surveys will be carried out during future expeditions in order to determine changes in surface pattern and composition.

(Table 2) Relative abundance of planktonic foraminifera species in Pliocene - Early Quaternary sediments from ODP Hole 111-677A

Planktonic foraminifera from Pliocene - Early Quaternary sediments of ODP Hole 111-677A were studied in detail. It was shown that the majority of detected zonal taxa are reliable biostratigraphic reference points. Between 30 and 210 m in the core zones of planktonic foraminifera from PL1b to Pt1 (according to the W.A. Berggren scale) were distinguished. Changes of planktonic foraminifera complexes from sediments of Hole 111-677A are closely associated with climate-controlled development of surface water masses of the Eastern Equatorial Pacific during 4.6-0.65 million years ago. Sharp decrease in equatorial-tropical species about 3.4 million years ago correlated with cessation of surface water exchange between tropical regions of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans due to formation of the Central American isthmus. The paleotemperature method of M.S Barash was used for reconstructing surface temperatures. Maximum temperatures were reconstructed in late Early Pliocene (26.4°C) and in Late Pliocene (26.6°C) and minimum ones - in the beginning of Early Pliocene (18.4°C), in the middle of Late Pliocene (19.6°C). Cold events occurred: 4.6-4.3, 2.8-2.5, and 1.7-1.2 million years ago, and warm: 4.3, 4.18-3.4, 2.5-2.3, and 1 million years ago. In general, the middle of Early Pliocene, the middle of late Pliocene and early Pleistocene are characterized by cold-water conditions, and the end of Early and the end of Late Pliocene - by warm-water conditions.

Part of the global seawater delta oxygen-18 database from reference Nikolayev 1976

Data on oxygen isotope composition of waters from the Sea of Azov.