POWER ENGINEERING PROBLEMS OF THE FRONT-LINE AREAS OF CENTRAL OF RUSSIA IN 1941–1945

The article studies the main problems of the power engineering of the front-line areas of the centre of Russia during World War II. The details of the evacuation of power plant equipment from the centre of the country to the Urals and Siberia, the organisation in the front-line zone of uninterrupted supply of electricity to the army and industrial enterprises, and the power plants recovery on the territory liberated from the enemy are shown. The problems and diffi culties in the work of labour collectives, such as providing power plants with fuel and workforce are pointed out. The main ways to overcome them are analysed. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the fi rst time an attempt is made for comprehensive, multi aspect study of the work of the branch in 1941-1945. The most important factors contributing to the organisation of the uninterrupted operation of energy facilities are elicited. Among them is a patriotic upsurge; the advantage of planned, policy-based methods for managing the industry; tightening, in accordance with the martial laws, labour legislation; the employment of prisoners of the Gulag of the NKVD of the USSR in the construction of power plants; achievements of scientists, inventors and innovators of production. The range of issues requiring further scientifi c study is determined.

Influence of snowpack internal structure on snow metamorphism and melting intensity on Hansbreen, Svalbard

This paper presents a detailed study of melting processes conducted on Hansbreen – a tidewater glacier terminating in the Hornsund fjord, Spitsbergen. The fieldwork was carried out from April to July 2010. The study included observations of meltwater distribution within snow profiles in different locations and determination of its penetration time to the glacier ice surface. In addition, the variability of the snow temperature and heat transfer within the snow cover were measured. The main objective concerns the impact of meltwater on the diversity of physical characteristics of the snow cover and its melting dynamics. The obtained results indicate a time delay between the beginning of the melting processes and meltwater reaching the ice surface. The time necessary for meltwater to percolate through the entire snowpack in both, the ablation zone and the equilibrium line zone amounted toc.12 days, despite a much greater snow depth at the upper site. An elongated retention of meltwater in the lower part of the glacier was caused by a higher amount of icy layers (ice formationsandmelt-freeze crusts), resulting from winter thaws, which delayed water penetration. For this reason, a reconstruction ofrain-on-snowevents was carried out. Such results give new insight into the processes of the reactivation of the glacier drainage system and the release of freshwater into the sea after the winter period.

Firn depth correction along the Antarctic grounding line

To reduce the uncertainty in the calculation of Antarctic solid ice fluxes, the firn depth correction (Δh) in Antarctica is inferred from a steady-state firn densification model forced by a regional atmospheric climate model. The modelled density agrees well with observations from firn cores, apart from a site at the origin of fast flowing West Antarctic ice stream (Upstream B), where densification is anomalously rapid. The spatial distribution of Δh over Antarctica shows large variations, especially in the grounding line zone where large climate gradients exist. In places where the grounding line crosses ablation areas, Δh is zero. Along the remainder of the grounding line, Δh values range from typically 13 m in dry coastal areas (e.g. Dronning Maud Land) to 19 m in wet coastal areas (e.g. West Antarctica).