Geophysical and geochemical soil characteristics of industrially influenced topsoils of the Arctic Circle Fjord

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the value of magnetic susceptibility within a fjord located on the border of the Arctic Circle. A suitable research area was established near the town of Mo, where magnetometric and chemical measurements were made in four measurement areas. These areas were located at varying distances from Ranfjorden. In addition, a large industrial area, Mo Industrial Park, was located at the research site, and the measurement areas were located so that the distance to this potential source of pollution was also different. As a consequence, the measurement areas were characterized by both varied anthropogenic pressure and natural conditions. During the study, the values of the soil magnetic susceptibility and concentrations of 18 elements in the soil were measured, which were later used to calculate selected measures of spatial continuity as well as classical statistics and factor analysis. The values of soil magnetic susceptibility measured in individual areas decreased with distance from the potential pollution source, Mo Industrial Park, which may suggest that the soils located away from the potential emission source were characterized by a lower concentration of technogenic magnetic particles (TMP). A similar situation was observed in the case of selected concentrations of elements in the soil and in the case of selected parameters of spatial correlations of soil magnetic susceptibility, which were characterized by a similar tendency of changes as in the case of magnetic susceptibility.