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The paper proposes an approach to the numerical stochastic modeling of the time series of the wind chill index and equivalent effective temperature at weather stations located in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The approach is based on the use of a specially designed stochastic weather generator. It is shown that the approach allows developing the models of the time series of bioclimatic indices that very accurately reproduce various statistical properties of real processes related, in particular, to their daily variations and specific features of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the region's diverse peoples and unique environments, Arctic political analyses frequently remain focused on the traditional level of the state and inter‐state relations. While states undoubtedly play a significant role in Arctic governance arrangements, this paper seeks to direct attention to the agency of the many people and actors performing politics in the region. A more 'peopled' analysis includes renewed attention to professionals – e.g., state personnel, politicians, and diplomats – as well as non‐state actors involved in Arctic politics through different avenues and with different levels of agency. This paper focuses on the so‐called Barents Cooperation, a peace‐building initiative set up in the wake of the Cold War between Nordic states and Russia in the Barents Euro‐Arctic border region. It draws on interviews with professionals involved in the daily running of the Barents Cooperation, including its funding of 'grassroots' and people‐to‐people activities, to ask what can lessons can be learnt about Arctic political participation beyond the state. Based on their reflections, key challenges, successes, and future opportunities are highlighted, and the paper argues for strengthening both the analytical attention to and the practical agency of a wider range of political actors. Geopolitical analyses frequently remain focused on the traditional level of the state and inter‐state relations. While states undoubtedly play a significant role in Arctic governance arrangements, this paper seeks to direct attention to the agency of the many people and actors performing politics in the region, focusing on the political initiative The Barents Cooperation. The paper argues for strengthening both the analytical attention to and the practical agency of a wider range of political actors in geopolitical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic is rapidly warming posing a significant threat to underlying permafrost. Permafrost degradation has already resulted in extensive damage to the Arctic's built infrastructure, putting communities and industries at risk. Projected climate warming will further reduce the capacity of permafrost to support infrastructure, thereby requiring a rethinking of construction and development of permafrost regions in the future. This paper focuses on three Arctic regions with a substantial presence of population and infrastructure on permafrost: USA (Alaska), Canada, and Russia. The three regions' permafrost construction practices are examined in order to identify best practices and major gaps. We identify a lack of standardized, codified construction guidelines; an absence of permafrost-geotechnical monitoring in communities; barriers to integrating climate scenarios into future planning; limited data sharing; and low numbers of permafrost professionals as major constraints limiting the region's resilience in the face of climate change. Refining building practices and standards, implementing operational permafrost monitoring systems, developing downscaled climate projections, and integrating local knowledge will minimize the impacts of permafrost degradation under rapidly warming climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stochastic weather generator is proposed in the paper. The model is designed for the numerical simulation of joint time series of surface air temperature, wind speed, and relative air humidity with a three-hour resolution at weather stations located in the Russian Arctic. The proposed weather generator allows taking into account the non-Gaussian form of one-dimensional distributions of meteorological parameters and the diurnal variations inherent to real series. The results of verifying the proposed model are presented, and the prospects of its further application are briefly described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of state capitalism is attracting growing attention in economic geography and political economy. We contribute to the debate by exploring the authoritarian state capitalism variant whereby the state moves beyond a predominantly regulatory role and appears as the dominant actor. We take Russia to be a prominent example of authoritarian state capitalism because the central state has subjugated economy, created organisational structures and designed development strategies to serve the interests of the kleptocrat, inverting the conventional meaning of 'state capture'. The paper illustrates the centrality of the state by exploring two state-sponsored megaprojects: (i) the upgrade of the Northern Sea Route and (ii) the construction of innovation clusters (Skolkovo). In the first case, the state directs resources to the Northern Sea Route to secure Russia's control of the Arctic. In the second case, the state attempts to replicate the perceived developmental success stories of the West by fostering technology clusters. Each illustrative case offers an instructive insight into Russia's authoritarian state capitalism characterised by tensions between its own political and economic repertoires and a contentious relationship with the Western-dominated liberal capitalist world order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides the results of a study on fungal species diversity in the active and permafrost layers of peatlands within frozen peatbogs in the flatland areas of the cryolitozone, European Northeast of Russia (forest-tundra zone, southern and northern tundra subzones). Fungal taxonomic list includes eighty-three species from seventeen genera and two forms of Mycelia sterilia. The phylum Mucoromycota is represented by fifteen species (18% of total isolate number), and these species exhibit the following distribution by genus: Mucor (four), Mortierella (seven), Umbelopsis (three), Podila (one). Ascomycota is represented by sixty-eight species from thirteen genera. The genus Penicillium dominates the species saturation (thirty-seven species, 44%). Soil microfungal complex is represented by rare species (51%), random species (32%), frequent species (15%), and dominant species (2%). In peat soils, dominant species are Penicillium canescens (72%) and non-pigmented (albino) Mycelia sterilia (61%); abundant species are Talaromyces funiculosus (41%), Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (36%), albino Mycelia sterilia (29%), Umbelopsis vinacea (25%), Mortierella alpina (17%), Penicillium decumbens (21%), P. spinulosum (20%), and P. canescens (17%). In active layers of peat soils, abundant species are Penicillium thomii (14%), Mycelia sterilia (13%), Penicillium spinulosum (13%), Penicillium simplicissimum (13%) in forest-tundra; Talaromyces funiculosus (21%), albino Mycelia sterilia (15%), Umbelopsis vinacea (14%) in southern tundra; Penicillium decumbens (23%), P. canescens (17%), P. thomii (13%) in northern tundra. In permafrost peat layers, abundant species are Penicillium spinulosum (17%), Talaromyces funiculosus (34%), and Umbelopsis vinacea (15%) in forest-tundra; Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (30%) and Mortierella alpina (28%) in southern tundra; Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (80%) in northern tundra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China and Russia have different interests in the Arctic but are forced to look for possible ways of cooperation in energy projects in the current external conditions. This changes the priorities of both countries and, accordingly, transforms the risks. Objectives of the research: to build an algorithm for identifying anthropogenic environmental risks in the context of two major players economic activities in the Arctic region: the Russian Federation and China. In the paper, we formulated an algorithm of environmental risk identification. We identified environmental hazards from the main parameter—the type of economic activity for the extraction of energy resources, premises, and factors for the occurrence of environmental hazards and compiled criteria for risk selection. Methods used: complex analysis (mixed method research): empirical and comparative methods, methods of expert assessments, the method of inductive statistics (inferential statistics) to compare the perception of risk at the level of different groups. Results: the algorithm has been formed for determining risks in the changed external conditions. Major anthropogenic environmental risks are identified from the perspective of the main players in the Arctic—Russia and China, which can help to make the necessary decisions on time and partially prevent environmental degradation. This makes it possible to identify the risks associated with conducting economic activities for the extraction of energy resources in the Arctic region. Therefore, this study contributes to a more accurate identification of anthropogenic environmental risks in the Arctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China and Russia discover common ground in exploring the Arctic, the changing spatial dynamics create the possibility for new styles of governance in the area of combating corruption. This paper will ask whether the configuration of collaborative projects between Russian and Chinese partners will open up avenues for a shared governance of anti-corruption or whether, perhaps alternatively, there is the possibility of a non-state and post-sovereign governance model emerging. As there is little empirical evidence yet, this paper will focus on the case of "Arktik LNG-2" as the most substantial Russian-Chinese project in the Arctic to date. It argues that the set-up of this project expresses neither a shared governance nor a post-sovereign governance approach to anti-corruption. On the state-to-state level, there is no sign of China engaging with Russia. On the non-state level, there are no stakeholders that would articulate demands for anti-corruption. Instead, it is through corporate compliance policies that anti-corruption rules become applicable. But these rules are not "private" in the conventional sense. They represent a sub-state policy in the case of Russia and Party rule in the case of the Chinese counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sino–Russian Arctic energy cooperation is a successful example based on the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. In order to analyze the impact of Sino–Russian oil and gas resources cooperation in the Arctic on China's energy security, this paper selects 11 influencing factors such as energy self-sufficiency rate and uses the energy security index method to evaluate the three dimensions of energy supply, demand, and environmental security. The assessment results show that China's energy security is mainly affected by the over concentration of energy import sources. At the same time, energy demand and environmental security will also have an important impact on China's energy security. However, relative to energy demand, environmental security factors such as the proportion of clean energy consumption and channel safety factor have a greater impact on China's energy security. After China and Russia strengthen cooperation in oil and gas resources in the Arctic, China's energy security index is expected to increase from 0.4419 in 2020 to 0.5412 in 2025. Therefore, China can use technology, funds, scientific research, and other support to carry out all-round cooperation with Russia in the Arctic waterway, oil and gas exploration and development, and Arctic scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GHG emissions of Arctic LNG transportation are estimated. • Emissions related environmental costs are accounted. • Unit cost of LNG transportation via Northern Sea Route is estimated. • LNG may be the most efficient fuel in total cost saving and emission reduction. • Policy suggestions for energy use on Arctic routes have been recommended. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) might be a promising route for LNG transportation from the LNG plants in Russia's Yamal Peninsula to Northeast Asia countries with significant savings in sailing distance and time compared to traditional Suez Canal Route (SCR). However, surging transportation activities along NSR might harm the environment with the greenhouse gas (GHG) and atmospheric pollutant emissions. Little research has been done to investigate the environmental and techno-economic potential of transporting LNG via NSR. Furthermore, this paper analyses the relevance of an Arc4 ice-class vessel, not currently used for this route. This paper targets to address the question that how much GHGs and atmospheric pollutants does a carrier emit and how is the feasibility of different fuel types for the summer and winter transportation considering environmental impacts. An environmental and techno-economic model quantifying the emissions and total costs have been developed and 3 scenarios of using different fuel types (HFO, MDO, LNG) are proposed to investigate the environmental and economic performances in summer and winter respectively. Our results reveal that the unit cost of transporting LNG via NSR is around 90 U.S. $ cents/GJ in summer and 120 $ cents/GJ in winter considering environmental cost. The findings also show that in the short run when regardless of environmental cost, HFO is still the preferable option for ships by its competitive cost. While when considering the environmental cost, LNG has better economic and environmental performance than other fuel types. So, for the long run, LNG might be encouraged to be the main fuel used in Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until quite recently, Arctic diesel fuel was produced in accordance with GOST R 55475 with a cold filter plugging point down to –52°C using a depressant-dispersing additive. However, in the Arctic, the temperature drops to –60°C and below, and the use of depressant-dispersing additives provokes product stratification with a sharp deterioration in the properties of the lower layer. This limited the application of Arctic diesel fuel in the Arctic. For such conditions, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation developed its own standards for Arctic diesel fuel without the use of depressant-dispersing additives, and suggesting values not higher than –65°C for the cloud point, pour point and cold filter plugging point. An obstacle for obtaining a product with such properties is the difficulty of simultaneously providing the required cetane number and the low temperature properties. This paper presents a method for obtaining Arctic diesel fuel with the desired properties based on deeply isomerized diesel fractions. To implement the project, the existing units at Slavneft-YANOS PJSC were analyzed, and a chain of units was assembled for primary oil refining, hydrotreating 80 atm and isodewaxing. In the course of a number of experiments new causes of the onset of cold filter plugging point were discovered, which were explained by an increase in the diesel fuel viscosity at extremely low temperatures. To reduce the viscosity of the product, hydrocracked kerosene was added to the formula. In May 2020, permits were received from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, and in October 2021, for the first time in the Russian Federation and in the world, the first industrial batch of 3,000 tons was successfully produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is an overview of the participation of the northern indigenous peoples in the public management of the Arctic territories in Russia. Different forms of participation are described, and most attention is paid to the co-management of the governments and the indigenous peoples when their mutual aim is protecting the Arctic and its natural landscapes in the period of extensive industrial development. The principle objective of the paper is to analyze the international and national legal regulations and to show some effective legal mechanisms through which participation can be developed in Russia. The authors study definitions of participation, the main international principles of participation and give a deep analysis of the legislation of the Russian Federation, which provides the framework for indigenous participation. Much attention is paid to the legislation of the federative regions of Russia which are inhabited by the northern indigenous peoples. Mostly the authors study the example of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, the Arctic area of Russia with the biggest gas reserves, inhabited by the Nenets. The first conclusion made in the paper is that the Arctic countries must not only prioritize the exploitation of rich Arctic resources, but also be aware that the Arctic is primarily the home and the area of the traditional lifestyle and occupations of the northern indigenous peoples who have lived there for a long time. The northern indigenous peoples are interested in cooperation with the governments according to their traditional values and knowledge; they want to be involved in the decision-making process and management of their territories and resources. The second conclusion is that a patchwork of federal laws regulating indigenous issues in Russia does not grant any special rights that let the northern indigenous peoples participate in the decision-making process concerning the lands and resources in the Arctic areas. The federal government mostly implements the concept of paternalism but not the concept of participation. The federative regions in their regulations provide considerably more opportunities for participation. However, the regions are quite restricted by the federal legislation. The regulations are fragmentary on both the federal and the regional levels, there is no system of public authorities providing for consultation, cooperation, agreements and other forms of indigenous participation. Moreover, in Russia there is very little experience in the realization of the participation of the Arctic territories and resources. The third, and most important, conclusion is that participation in the management of the Arctic territories should become a new element of the Russian Arctic policy. From this perspective it is necessary to ratify and sign two international documents - Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention No. 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - and to incorporate the basic principles of participation into the Russian federal legislation. Also it is vital to establish a specialized federal body on indigenous issues with a special focus on the northern indigenous peoples. Lastly, the legal and administrative capabilities of regions and local authorities should be increased, and the regional and local bodies should be vested with the power to involve indigenous peoples in the management of the northern territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic ice has been observed to be decreasing both in terms of extent and thickness since the 1950s in all seasons due to global warming. The retreat of the Arctic sea ice creates unprecedented opportunities to maritime shipping industry and opens the door for exploring new navigable shipping routes across the Arctic Ocean. The Northern Sea Route is of particular interest as it has the most favorable ice conditions among all transarctic routes and the Russia government has been actively encouraging international use of the sea route. This paper aims to quantitatively assess the impact of opening of the Northern Sea Route on the Suez Canal Route by means of discrete choice model. Industrial preferences and choices under different situations are gathered by a state preference survey. Logit models are then built based on choice data from the survey. Based on modeling results, scenario analyses are conducted to predict company’s choices under difference cases and thus some policy insights are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the nature of Moscow’s military strategies in the Arctic. It is argued that the roles of military power have radically changed since the Cold War era. According to Russian strategic thinking, instead of being a coercive instrument in a global confrontation between two superpowers and capitalist and socialist systems, now military power has new functions, such as to ascertain Russia's sovereignty over its (not their) exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the region, protect Moscow’s economic interests in the North, prevent illegal migration and potential terrorist attacks against critical industrial and infrastructural objects, fulfil some dual-use functions (such as search and rescue operations, monitoring air and maritime spaces, providing navigation safety, mitigating natural and man-made catastrophes), help academic community in developing Arctic research, and carry some symbolic functions. These new roles, however, do not preclude military power from fulfilling its traditional functions, such as territorial defence, power projection, deterrence, and containment. Russia’s military modernisation programmes are described. The authors arrive at a conclusion that these programmes do not provoke an arms race or undermine the regional cooperation. To prevent negative security trends, a system of arms control and confidence- and security-building measures should be developed in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper covers issues of Russia's national security in the Arctic as viewed from the military perspective. It examines the trends in the development of a reliable defense system for this country. It postulates the importance of greater defense capacity in the Russian Arctic, as nATO relentlessly builds up its military forces next to Russian borders, and the US military infrastructure continues to develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most significant climate change impacts on arctic urban landscapes is the warming and degradation of permafrost, which negatively affects the structural integrity of infrastructure. We estimate potential changes in stability of Russian urban infrastructure built on permafrost in response to the projected climatic changes provided by six preselected General Circulation Models (GCMs) participated in the most recent Climate Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5). The analysis was conducted for the entire extent of the Russian permafrost-affected area. According to our analysis a significant (at least 25%) climate-induced reduction in the urban infrastructure stability throughout the Russian permafrost region should be expected by the mid-21st century. However, the high uncertainty, resulting from the GCM-produced climate projections, prohibits definitive conclusion about the rate and magnitude of potential climate impacts on permafrost infrastructure. Results presented in this paper can serve as guidelines for developing adequate adaptation and mitigation strategy for Russian northern cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combined internal overvoltage occurs as a result of the disturbances and failures development in the distribution electrical grids. • In power supply schemes for remote low-power consumers on long-distance lines, quasi-stationary voltage increases are possible due to the capacitive effect of long lines. • Quasi-stationary overvoltages can pose a danger to all substation equipment insulation, including power transformers, voltage transformers, non-linear surge arresters, etc. • Long-term currents exceeding the rated currents of power transformers can lead to power transformers thermal damage or the appearance of insulation defects. • In the event of a violation of the longitudinal symmetry of phase voltages, priority switching is not switching off the load, but disconnecting the network element on which the combined violation occurred. One of the main conditions for the non-development of quasi-stationary overvoltages is the operational work of personnel and the well-established operation of the relay protection. For consumers more than 100km away, this is not always possible to provide. This paper presents simulation-based studies on the 110 kV substations located in the Euro-Arctic region of Russia. Longitudinal and transversal disturbances in the high voltage grid are studied. The influence of the harsh climatic conditions on the rate of occurrence of accidents is shown. The 110-kV section of the Kola power system was considered and the features of this section were analyzed. The simulation model of the investigated section was created in the ATP-EMTP software and a wire break of the overhead transmission line followed by a single phase-to-ground faults of the same phase was simulated. The influence of combined overvoltage on substations electrical equipment is considered. The simulation results show that overvoltages in power grids with one-way power supply can pose a significant threat to insulation of any substation equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground storage facilities dug in permafrost, or ice cellars, are a natural means of preserving food in conditions of transport isolation and total energy dependence on imported fuel. In the context of rapidly changing natural conditions, such storage facilities become unstable due to warming and degradation of permafrost. Monitoring and modeling the thermal regime of permafrost soils around ice cellars will help assess the impact of predicted climatic changes and the effectiveness of engineering solutions to sustain these facilities. In this paper, we made an attempt to simulate and predict the thermal regime of permafrost around an ice cellar, located in the community of Lorino, NE Russia. We found out that by 2050 the depth of seasonal thawing of the soil above the storage facility will increase from 1.12–1.74 m to 1.19–2.53 m, while the mean annual ground temperature will increase by only 0.5 °C, regardless of the climatic scenario. Results of the predictive simulation demonstrate significant but not critical changes of the thermal state of permafrost around the ice cellar. In fact, incorrect maintenance of the facility may have higher impact to its stability than climate changes. Some recommendations on preventive measures on increasing the ice cellar stability were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the forecasts made by IEA, BP, and Total in early 2021, the demand for hydrocarbons will continue for decades, and their share in the global energy balance will remain significant. Russia, as a key player in the energy market, is interested in maintaining and increasing hydrocarbon production, so further exploitation of the Arctic energy resources is an urgent issue. A large number of onshore oil and gas projects have been successfully implemented in the Arctic since the 1930s, while recently, special attention has been paid to the offshore energy resources and implementation of natural gas liquefaction projects. However, the implementation of oil and gas projects in the Arctic is characterized by a negative impact on the environment, which leads to a violation of the ecological balance in the Arctic, and affects the stability of its ecosystem, which is one of the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet. The main goal of the present study is to understand how the implementation of oil and gas projects in the Arctic affects the ecosystem, to assess the significance of this process, and to find out what the state and business could do to minimize it. In the article, the authors analyze energy trends, provide brief information about important oil and gas projects being implemented in the Arctic region of Russia, and investigate the challenges of the oil and gas projects' development and its negative impacts on the Arctic environment. The main contributions of this paper are the identification of all possible environmental risks and processes accompanying oil and gas production, and its qualitative analysis and recommendations for the state and business to reduce the negative impact of oil and gas projects on the Arctic ecosystem. The research methodology includes desk studies, risk management tools (such as risk analysis, registers, and maps), brainstorming, the expert method, systematization, comparative analysis, generalization, and grouping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the article is to find out the key factors of sustainable development of the Russian Arctic, which is strategically significant for Russia. The academic literature was reviewed to find out the time dynamics of the references to the economic models suitable for achieving the goals of sustainable development, and there has been hyperbolic growth in the attention paid to similar problems all around the world. The article compares three relatively new economic models in order to understand which of them is the most applicable to the promotion of sustainable development in the Russian Arctic: (a) bioeconomy, (b) green economy and (c) circular economy. The analysis of the relevant sources shows that the model of the circular economy is preferable for the Russian Arctic. Most of the article is dedicated to understanding the sources and mechanisms of the circular economy. The schematic description of vertical greenhouses and possibility of using vertical farms are presented in the paper as an example of organization of local food production according to the principles of the circular economy. The article considers a modeled project of creating a vertical farm in the Russian Arctic and a simulated indicator—profit of the vertical farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper documents in detail the morphology, epidermal features and cuticle ultrastructure of the leaves of the Mesozoic conifer genus Anabarella Abramova 1984. For the first time, the leaf epidermal and cuticle structures of the type species Anabarella kryshtofovichii Abramova from the Albian–Cenomanian (Cretaceous) of the Anabar river basin (East Siberia, Arctic Russia) were studied with the scanning electron (SEM) and the transmission electron (TEM) microscopes. Emended diagnosis for the genus Anabarella and the diagnosis for the species A. kryshtofovichii are provided, since only a description of this species was given in the original publication. Because the holotype has been lost, a lectotype is selected. The cuticular membrane of Anabarella leaves belongs to the type 1 of the cuticle classification of Holloway 1982: it is made up of the cuticle proper A (composed of an outer polylamellate A1 layer and an inner homogeneous A2 layer) and a cuticular fibrillate layer B1. The leaves of Anabarella kryshtofovichii differ from other fossil conifers by a very thick cuticle membrane consisting predominantly of a cuticle proper A; the cuticular layer B1 is less than 1% from the total thickness of cuticular membrane in the ordinary epidermal cells. The studied leaves have both xeromorphic (thick cuticle and sunken stomata) and mesomorphic (amphistomatic leaves, unprotected stomata) features. The mesomorphic features of the Anabarella leaves, as well as the deciduousness, were probably an adaptation to the humid conditions of the mid-Cretaceous Arctic climate with warm and dark winters. • Emended generic diagnosis for Anabarella is provided. • A lectotype of Anabarella kryshtofovichii (the type species) is designated. • The leaf cuticle structure of Anabarella kryshtofovichii is studied by SEM and TEM. • The thickness and features of the cuticle layers are described. • Comparison of the Anabarella leaf cuticular structure with other conifers is done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]