A 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE RUSSIAN GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY EXPEDITION TO KAMCHATKA (1908–1910)

For three centuries, the main task of geography in Russia was gathering information about the geographical features of the country. The unique image of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) is largely due to its expeditionary activities. The RGS Kamchatka Complex Expedition of 1908-1910 was to explore and examine the flora and fauna of the Kamchatka peninsula, mainly in the area of volcanoes. The expedition to Kamchatka played a significant role in promoting science in the Russian Far East. Important scientific and public institutions were founded in this region as a result of this endeavor. Two institutions directly associated with the expedition are the Kamchatka branch of the RGS and the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences). These institutions are important members of the Russian scientific community and are well known around the world

The Arctic Herald

The information and analytical journal, published by the Russian Geographical Society, was first released in 2012 and "conceived as the platform for communication amonf the expert community, as well as all those engaged and interested in the problems of today's Arctic", as stated by Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, for the first number of the journal. "The journal is intended to assist in realization of one of the Russian priority in the region" -- he continues --- "its development as a zone of peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity for the benefit of all people living there"

Гляциологический симпозиум в Новосибирске

Glaciological Symposium in NovosibirskГляциологический симпозиум в Новосибирск

Рецензия на книгу Н.А. Шполянской «Плейстоцен-голоценовая история развития криолитозоны Российской Арктики «глазами» подземных льдов»

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Annotated bibliography of the Russian literature on glaciology for 2014

The proposed annual bibliography continues annotated lists of the Russian-language literature on glaciology that were regularly published in the past. It includes 271 references grouped into the following ten sections: 1) general issues of glaciology; 2) physics and chemistry of ice; 3) atmospheric ice; 4) snow cover; 5) avalanches and glacial mudflows; 6) sea ice; 7) river and lake ice; 8) icings and ground ice; 9) the glaciers and ice caps; 10) palaeoglaciology. In addition to the works of the current year, some works of earlier years are added, that, for various reasons, were not included in previous bibliographies

Планета Земля – это мир снега и льда. Тайны ледяных кристаллов глазами фотографа-художника

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Controlled Irradiative Formation of Penitentes

Spike-shaped structures are produced by light-driven ablation in very different contexts. Penitentes 1-4 m high are common on Andean glaciers, where their formation changes glacier dynamics and hydrology. Laser ablation can produce cones 10-100 microns high with a variety of proposed applications in materials science. We report the first laboratory generation of centimeter-scale snow and ice penitentes. Systematically varying conditions allows identification of the essential parameters controlling the formation of ablation structures. We demonstrate that penitente initiation and coarsening requires cold temperatures, so that ablation leads to sublimation rather than melting. Once penitentes have formed, further growth of height can occur by melting. The penitentes intially appear as small structures (3 mm high) and grow by coarsening to 1-5 cm high. Our results are an important step towards understanding and controlling ablation morphologies.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Как на месте «белого пятна» в центре Памира были открыты крупнейший ледник и высочайшая вершина

The paper tells a story how the “blank spot” at the Pamirs center was puzzled out. In 1878, a small party of explorers headed by V.D. Oshanin had found here a big glacier about 30–40 km long and named it for Fedchenko. In 1884–85, known investigator G.E. Grumm-Grzhimailo made his important proposal about orographic structure of the Pamirs central part. In 1890, expedition headed by topographer N.I. Kosinenko investigated the lower part of the Fedchenko Glacier and, for the first time, saw a separate high peak. In 1916, astronomer Ya.I. Belyaev had put on a map a great pyramidal summit but he had mistaken it for the Garmo Peak well known to local Tadzhiks (Fig. 2).In 1927, N.L. Korzhenevsky published a chart of arrangement of ridges near sources of the river Muksu (Fig. 3) that became a basis for work of the Tadzhik-Pamir expedition of 1928–1932. In 1928, Ya.I. Belyaev determined a true length of the Fechenko Glacier that was 70 km, and geodesist I.G. Dorofeevmapped the whole basin of this glacier (Fig. 4) including also a high irregular truncated pyramid of 7495 m in height (as he believed). But earlier this summit was identified as known the Garmo Peak. And only in 1932, it was established that definitions made by Dorofeev in 1928 were related to this highest peak of the Pamirs and also of the whole Soviet Union. The chart of real Central Pamir orography constructed by I.G. Dorofeev is presented in the paper together with his letter addressed to the author (Fig. 5).Thus, the “Garmo peaks” which were observed by the above mentioned explorers were actually three different summits. One of them does tower on the north of the “knot being puzzled out” and reaches 7495 m, and namely this “one-tooth” peak was repeatedly seen by N.V. Krylenko from valleys Gando and Garmo. It was named then the Stalin peak, and later – the peak of Communism. Another one is located in 18 km southward, and this peak is actually the true Garmo Peak 6595 m high known to local Tadzhik people. And the third summit is located between the two others, it is the Belyaev Peak 6852 m high that once Ya.I. Belyaev, and next N.L. Korzhenevsky confused as the Garmo Peak.So, at the beginning of 1930s, orography of the Central Pamirs had been finally ascertained. A group of distinguished well-known scientists and travelers of the first third of 20th century (Fig. 7) participated in this outstanding investigation that was followed by a number of geographical discoveries. And, the highest peak of the Pamirs does now bear the name Ismoil Somoni (Fig. 8).Рассказывается об открытии в конце XIX в. крупнейшего на Памире ледника Федченко и о запутанной истории восстановления реальной орографии Центрального Памира. Главная заслуга в этом принадлежит Таджикско-Памирской экспедиции, работавшей на Памире в 1928–1932 гг. Высочайшая точка Памира (7495 м) была обнаружена при съёмке геодезистом И.Г. Дорофеевым, письмо которого к автору и обсуждается в этой статье

К 25-летию выхода в свет Атласа снежно-ледовых ресурсов мира

The World Atlas of Snow and Ice Resources was compiled from 1976 to 1993 by a team of 300people under the auspices of the USSR Academy of Sciences and UNESCO. The relationship within the large group of authors was governed by the Atlas Statute, approved by the Editorial Board. A special program for Soviet cosmonauts was created to collect materials in poorly studied high-altitude glacial areas. The maps prepared for the Atlas were discussed annually at special seminars, and a special trip of section editors and leading map authors to the high-mountain glaciers of the Pamirs was made to gain experience in map-making. Compilation work continued from 1976 to1993. The layout of the Atlas was prepared and the maps were printed in Minsk and Kiev. The Atlas was published in 1997 and in 2001 it was awarded the State Prize of Russia in the field of science and technology. 18years aſter its publication, an electronic version of the atlas was prepared. The World Atlas of Snow and Ice Resources is an outstanding achievement of modern geography, cartography and glaciology.Составление Атласа снежно-ледовых ресурсов мира выполнялось с 1976 по 1993 г. коллективом из 300 человек под эгидой Академии наук СССР и ЮНЕСКО. Взаимоотношения внутри большого авторского коллектива регламентировало Положение об Атласе, утверждённое его редколлегией. В сборе материалов для малоизученных высокогорных ледниковых районов участвовали советские космонавты. Составляемые для Атласа карты ежегодно обсуждались на специальных семинарах, а для получения опыта в составлении карт состоялась специальная поездка редакторов разделов и ведущих авторов карт на высокогорные ледники Памира. Подготовка макета Атласа и печать карт выполнены в Минске и Киеве. Атлас вышел в свет в 1997 г. и в 2001 г. получил Государственную премию Российской Федерации в области науки и техники. Спустя 18лет после его издания был подготовлен электронный вариант атласа. Атлас снежно-ледовых ресурсов мира– выдающееся достижение современной географии, картографии и гляциологии