In the recent years, the presence of icebergs in the seas of Russian Arctic has received increased scientific attention. Offshore development of carbohydrates deposits at the shelf will need to address the problem of icebergs as they seriously threaten offshore hydrotechnical structures. From 2003, AARI together with Institute of Geography of Russian Academy of Science perform annually studies on icebergs and icebergs-producing glaciers in the Barents Sea area for development of Shtokman gas condensate field. Field observation and work experience were documented in the project called "Formation, dynamics and decay of icebergs in the western sector of Russian Arctic" that was part of International Polar Year (IPY) program of 2007–2008. Up to the current moment, two marine expeditions (2007 and 2008) were carried out onboard research vessel "Mikhail Somov" to study icebergs calving regions which are: Franz Josef Land, coasts of Novaya Zemlya from the Barents Sea side and the Kara Sea side and the region of Severnaya Zemlya. During the expeditions aerial photo survey and airborne radar sounding of the iceberg-producing glaciers and the largest icebergs were taken along with measurements of vertical distribution of the ice temperature through the annual active layer of icebergs and glaciers, and measurements of albedo and observations on reduce of the short-wave solar radiation in the upper 3-meters layer of some glaciers and icebergs. This report contains the main results of the surveys and some preliminary analysis.
Comprehensive study of icebergs and glaciers in the northeastern Barents Sea and in the Kara Sea were carried out in 2007-2008. The project is called "Formation, dynamics and decay of icebergs in the western sector of Russian Arctic" and was included into Russian National Scientific Program of the International Polar Year activities in 2007/2008.
