Evaluation of the modern geoecological state of the fjords of the eastern Barents sea

A brief analysis of the history of environmental geological study of the Barents Sea is given. It shows that at the beginning of industrial development the geological environment was characterized by a low level of disturbance and pollution. On example of the Kola Bay, an assessment of the current environmental geological conditions of the fjords in the eastern part of the Barents Sea is given. Seismic-acoustic studies confirm the predominantly tectonic origin of the bay and the hazardous spread of gravitational rocks movement within the coastal slopes. The background geochemical characteristics of recent bottom sediments are quantified. It is shown that geochemical zoning of the bottom of the bay is a consequence of both natural and anthropogenic processes. According to the content of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Hg and hexane-soluble petroleum products (PP) in the bottom sediments, the characteristics of various areas were obtained. It is shown that the distribution of PP and several other pollutants in the main components of aquatic and coastal geosystems is a leading element of the environmental monitoring system, quantitative assessment of anthropogenic impact and accumulated environmental damage. Active economic activity within the southern leg of the Kola Bay, as well as the naval bases, significantly affects the distribution of chemical elements. The data concerning distribution of chemical elements forms in bottom sediments are given that suggest a high probability of secondary pollution of the bottom water when the physicochemical conditions of sedimentation processes change. A comparative analysis showed that bottom sediments of the Kola Bay are characterized by the highest concentration of chemical elements in the North-West Region of the Russian Federation.