Radiation-Geochemical Characteristics of Cryoconite Sediments on the Witte Glacier (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago)

The article presents the results of studying specific organomineral formations—cryoconite sediments—samples of which were taken on the surface of the Witte Glacier (Medvezhiy Bay, Novaya Zemlya) on cruise 76 of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh . The specific activities of 137 Cs, 241 Am, 207 Bi, 210 Pb, and 7 Be were measured in 14 samples. Analysis of the materials suggests that cryoconite contains radioactive contamination deposited in the glacier in the period from September 1957 to December 1962 as a result of atmospheric nuclear explosions at the Sukhoy Nos test site, located 100 km from the glacier. Extremely high Bi, Ag, Sb, Mo, Pb, Sn contents and a strong correlation with anthropogenic radionuclides may indicate the technogenic emission of these elements during the destructive impact of nuclear explosions on bedrock, the metallogenic specialization of which corresponds to rich polymetallic mineralization.