Influence of oil mining on the North Russia environmental is significant. An organic pollutants penetrate into tundra soils in result of spills.

Performed research reveals the main regularities of oil distribution in vertical profile of tundra soils of Russia. High oil capacity (OC) is determined for different types of peats. The peats can absorb up to 550 g of oil per kg of organic mass. It was determined that oil capacity of peats can exceed 1500 g/kg (with soil moisture content 50-85%). Oil volume in sandy horizons is up to 65 g/kg in natural conditions and is about 100 g/kg in result of laboratory experiments (even with maximum soil moisture). Clay absorbs oil weaker than other types of soil material (10-20 g/kg) in spite of vast surface of soil particles per volume unit. These data show significant dependence of OC on soil texture and fissure-pore space structure. The input of petroleum upon soil surface results in its highest concentrations in the upper horizons.

Oil redistribution causes the displacement of maximum hydrocarbon concentrations to the lower horizons. Oil content in the lower horizons can be 3-4 times higher than in upper ones. The barriers in soil profiles which affect vertical movement of pollutants were specified. Such barriers in soil profiles which affect vertical movement of pollutants were specified. Such barriers are permafrost and clayey gley horizons, they probe to be impermeable for oil. Hydrocarbons accumulate above the contact zone between permafrost or gley horizons and the upper layers, but their content does not differ much of that in natural one. The soil-ground water flows can also limit the downward movement and initiate horizontal oil spread instead of vertical distribution.

The complex soil cover of tundra landscapes determines variations of soil properties which influence soil distribution of organic matter. The properties are absorption capacity, size and configuration of fissure-pore space, absence or presence of geochemical barriers. Technogenic factors are very important too - frequency of spills, volumes and physico-chemical properties of pollutants. The redistribution and degree of physico-chemical properties of pollutants. The redistribution and degree of physico-chemical destruction depend on the time spanval after the last input of organic products.

Thus, oil distribution in vertical profile of tundra soils is diverse and to make practical decisions concerning environment protection all factors (natural and technogenic) should be taken into consideration.

Olga Alexandrovna Guseva
Faculty of Geography
Moscow State University
Moscow, 119899, RUSSIA
Phone: (095) 939-2131
Fax: (095) 939-0126
E-mail: boch@imb.imb.ac.ru