TITLE:
Environmental Monitoring of Total Hydrocarbon Contents in Fjords of Svalbard, Grönfjord
AUTHORS:
Alina Aleksandrova, Nika Aleksandrova, Andrei Demeshkin
KEYWORDS:
Spitsbergen, Hydrocarbons, Sediments, Environmental Monitoring, Sampling Surveys, Contaminants
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.15 No.12,
December
18,
2025
ABSTRACT: Hydrocarbon levels in Grönfjord (the Greenland Sea, Svalbard) were assessed in this study. The field works were held in the marine expeditions of the North-Western Branch of Research and Production Association “Typhoon” (NW FSBI RPA “Typhoon”) onboard RV “Barentsburg” in summer periods 2012-2022. Simultaneous measurements of hydrological and hydrochemical characteristics of the water column were done. The results showed pronounced interannual variations of total hydrocarbon contents. It is supposed that local natural sources contribute to some elevated total hydrocarbon content levels both in the water column and in the bottom sediments of the fjord. Some local elevated petroleum hydrocarbons concentrations, detected in the surface water layer and locally in sediments, imply existing industrial activity affecting the waters of the Grönfjord.