VNIIOkeangeologiya held the VIII Youth Conference "New in the geology and geophysics of the Arctic, Antarctic and the World Ocean. Polar Regions: Past, Present and Future"

The purpose of the conference was to familiarize with new research results of young scientists and specialists in the fields of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, geomorphology, paleogeography, geotectonics, metallogeny, geoecology of the Polar regions of the Earth and the World Ocean, as well as geoinformation processing using a geoinformation system and special-purpose software.

The conference brought together young specialists fr om St. Petersburg State University, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, the Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Karpinsky Institute, etc.

The conference was opened by Boris Shumsky, Director General of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "VNIIOkeangeologiya", addressing the participants with a welcoming speech. Oleg Smirnov, Head of the Marine Seismic Survey Department, and Evgeny Gusev, Head of the Geological Mapping Department, delivered plenary reports.

The reports of young scientists were devoted to the problems of geological structure and oil and gas potential in the Barents, Kara, East Siberian and Baltic Seas, related to the issues of diagenesis and catagenesis, as well as paleomagnetic properties of bottom sediments. During the debate, the participants discussed the use of artificial intelligence capabilities for modeling the stability zones of gas hydrates, as well as issues affecting both Quaternary geology and, conversely, Precambrian geology. Issues related to the petrography of the Anabar and Fenoskand shields, the formation of glacial forms of the Central Kara Trench, palynological studies of upper quaternary deposits of the Taimyr Peninsula and bottom sediments of the East Siberian and Okhotsk Seas were also considered.

Within the framework of the conference, a photo contest was held, wh ere images taken by scientists during expeditions were presented. The winners were Anastasia Lodochnikova, a leading engineer of the Department of Lithology and Geochemistry (FSBI "VNIIOkeangeologiya") and Alexander Savelyev, a leading geologist of the Yakutia sector (A.P. Karpinsky Geological Institute).

– It would seem to take samples from the core… But do you know how many types of tests are carried out? Each column of bottom sediment is unique. The photo captures the moment of painstaking sampling for paleomagnetic research, one of the most interesting areas of geophysics. The work is fascinating, but difficult - maximum attention and speed are required! Because a new station is coming soon, – Anastasia Lodochnikova shared her impressions.

– In the photo you can see the moment of testing and setting up the drone. At our institute, we are actively implementing unmanned aerial vehicles to solve various tasks. First of all, these are geophysical problems in local areas that can be solved by flights at low altitudes. In addition, drones are actively used in the study of quaternary deposits, allowing not only shooting, but also decoding large outcrops. Also, UAVs help us plan geological routes and detect indigenous outcrops," Alexander Saveliev told about his work captured in the photo.

Photogallery