par Suetova, Inna;Ushakova, Ludmila;Lemenkova, Polina
Référence Geography and Natural Resources, 4, page (138-142)
Publication Publié, 2005-12-31
Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : Methods of GIS mapping of environmental of the Barents and Pechora Seas under the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors have been devised. For integrated GIS project of the Russian Artic Seas several thematic layers have been created. These layers characterize the natural conditions of the Seas, the information on income of pollutants from different sources, possible ways of their transfer and deposition in bottom sediments. The analysis of the maps of geoecological situation of the Barents and Pechora Seas allows picking out the next geoecological regions: relatively safe, potentially dangerous and of high ecological stress. PREFACE Methods of GIS mapping of sea territories for the means of estimating their ecological condition formed under the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors are being developed. Scientists believe that this situation is due to several reasons: lack of firm evaluation criteria of sea pollution, imperfection of modern technologies and methods of ecological monitoring of the sea water areas. The analysis of the information on sea ecology that has been gathered up to now shows dissimilar data coverage of littoral and open water areas. Most of the information is provided for shelf areas of the water objects. Also there is a great diversity in the observation time and space. Retrieving methods of ecological information provide a diverse character of observations. As a result there is a sure lack of primary data and reliable information that is necessary for forming data banks and bases. Among the Arctic seas, Barents and Pechora Seas can be set apart due to the factual material accumulated by environmental departments and scientific groups. The Barents Sea is one of the world's largest fishing water areas and its share in the amount and diversity of bio resources remains the largest among European seas of Russia. But the potential danger for biota is the development of oil and gas deposits in the region. About 172 promising oil and gas structures have been revealed in the seas of the Western Arctic (Barents, Pechora and Kara Seas) and about 30 of them are prepared for deep research drilling. Joint operation of fishing areas, oil and gas retrieving complexes provide new goals for ecological monitoring of the sea water areas. Due to that fact a certain role of GIS mapping in helping to evaluate the ecological condition of the sea areas can be obtained. For the means of producing a series of analytical and complex maps of Barents and Pechora seas with the use of GIS technologies we have analyzed and worked with different data concerning natural and anthropogenic factors that determine ecological condition of the seas. Also we've developed a method of forming data base that includes maps of different scales, topics and numerous statistics (1, 3). During the production of analytical and complex maps of seas it is important to refer to the geoecological approach that attributes to sea as a complete hydrodynamic system, inseparably connected with the adjoining territory of the e catchment Thematic maps of the Atlas of the Oceans can show the natural specifics of Barents and Pechora Seas - interaction of hydrodynamic, hydrometeorological, hydrochemical and hydrobiological processes.