PERMAFROST INSTITUTE
Russian Academy of Sciences Siberian Division
Major results of fundamental and applied research:
Artesian well of sub-permafrost waters of Central Yakutia, suitable for water supply, has been discovered. Maps Congelation-Hydrogeological Regionalization of Eastern Siberia, Above-Permafrost Waters of the Yakut Autonomic Soviet Socialist Republic with a scale of 1:2500000, are compiled and published, Map of Predicted Management of Waters of Central Yakutia, with a scale of f:500000, is compiled.
The concept of Alpine cryolithic zone existence has been developed. Conditions of formation and main distribution laws, structure and evolution of permanent congelation in mountains of Tien Shan and Pamir have been investigated.
Laws of deep freezing of the Earth's crust and development of frozen rocks conditioned by climate, thermal regime of plutonic Earth's interior, geotectonics and geodynamics of the Earth, are established. Maps of internal heat flow, stationary magnitude of the cryolithic zone, and temperature of rocks at depths of 0.5; 1; 3; 5 km from the surface are compiled for the territory of the Siberian platform and the Verkhoyansko-Chukotsky mountain-folded region.
Main parameters of the cryolithic zone within the grounds of large deposits of coal, gold, tin, oil, gas, diamonds, and other minerals on the territory of Yakutia, have been investigated. This served as a basis for developing the rational technology of their exploitation.
Methodology of
landscape mapping of plain and mountain regions of Yakutia, considering geocryological
factors, is worked out. Permafrost landscapes of Yakutia are classified.
Congelation-landscape Map of the Yakut Soviet Socialist Republic- with a scale of
1:2500000 is compiled and published. Analysis of global warming as a result of greenhouse effect within the cryolithic zone has been made, models of permafrost reaction to it have been worked out. Predicting estimate has been conducted for temperature dynamics, depth of thawing, durability and bearing value of frozen rocks under conditions of warming. Possible scenarios for behavior of constructions in different regions of the cryolithic zone are worked out.
The following concepts have been elaborated:the concept of formation of underground ice complex of Yakutia's lowlands and preconditions of its destruction; mathematical model of thermokarst development, which served as a basis for predicting the development of thermokarst processes in Yakutia; methods for predicting the rapidity of recession of thermoabrasive shores of arctic seas. Processes of turbulent heat-exchange in waters of large lakes and northern seas aquatories, conditioned by formation of thawed zones or subaqueous frozen rocks under them, have been investigated.
Processes of moisture migration and shiieren ice formation in frozen grounds are investigated. The leading role of vacuum-filter mechanism of draining the water towards the freezing zone during the formation of enormous conglomerations of segregation ice under conditions of temperature oscillations on the surface, is substantiated.
The Institute took an active part in investigations on the stage of designing and erecting all large-scale constructions in the cryolithic zone: Viluskaya and Khantaiskaya hydroelectric plants; gas-pipes Messoyakha - Norilsk and Tas-Tumus - Yakutsk; Baikal-Amur railroad, diamond pipes, dressing plants, and hydraulic structures of the Yakut diamond-mining complex; the Deputatsky plant; airports of district centers; power transmission lines, etc.
Investigation of bearing value and technology of constructing pile-foundations has enabled to widely introduce them intdthe northern construction practice.
New types of surface ventilated foundations and methodology of their thermotechnical estimation have been elaborated. These foundations are well adapted to the possible warming of the climate.
Liquid thermosiphons for freezing melting grounds and lowering the temperature of frozen grounds at basements of different constructions, are introduced into practice.
Method for gold prospecting in the cryolithic zone with the help of geochemical halos, including prospecting under ice blankets, is worked out and applied to geological exploration practice. Laws and conditions of technogenic salination of seasonal melted layers and of the upper stratum of the cryolitic zone, and laws of chemical thawing out of frozen grounds and lenses of the cryolitic zone, have been investigated.
Interaction of pipelines with host periodically thawing grounds is investigated. The expediency of underground gas-pipe laying, which was for the first time applied to the gas-pipe Tas-Tumus - Yakutsk, has been substantiated.
Rational methods for thawing out gold and diamond placers using natural solar heat have been elaborated and introduced into the mining industry.
Methods, technologies, and rules of heat and water reclamation of meadows and farming lands of Central Yakutia are worked out and put into practice. During the time of existence of the scientific research station, the division of the Institute and the Institute itself, Yakut geocryologists have published in central and local publishing houses and independently more than 130 monographs, about 150 collections of works, and about 30 recommendations and textbooks. Since the time of its foundation, the Institute organized and held in Yakutsk 2 large-scale international conferences, 5 all-union interdepartmental meetings, and participated in organization of 4 international and 2 all-union symposia and seminars. It was also the organizer of annual extended meetings of the Scientific Council on cryology of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Training of personnel 26 Doctoral and 78 candidate dissertations have been defended by the employees of the Institute. In 1983 the Special Council was formed intended to consider Doctoral theses on geology and mineralogy, geography, and technical sciences on the specialty 04.00.07 - engineering geology, permafrost study and soil science. 22 Doctoral and 28 Candidate theses were defended at the Council, including 13 Doctoral and 24 Candidate theses defended by the employees of the Permafrost Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
International relations Based on technological cooperation with the Institute of Glaciology and Geocryology (IGG) of the Academy of Sciences of China, joint field works are being carried out in alpine regions of Eastern Tien Shan, Zail Ala Tau, and Tsinkhai-Sidzyan plateau. Laboratory investigations are also being conducted in the Central State Engineering Laboratory of Frozen Grounds of IGG of the Academy of Sciences of China. Based on the Agreement on joint investigations in the field of permafrost study on the territory of Siberia with the Institute of Low Temperatures of Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Japan), joint field works are carried out in arctic regions of Yakutia and in the Magadan region. Monitoring geothermal observations are also conducted in Yakutsk and the villages Tiksy and Chersky. According to the agreement with the National Institute of Environmental Studies (Tsukuba, Japan), continuous measurements are carried out of background content of greenhouse gases and periodic observation of geochemistry of aerosols in the surface atmosphere of different regions of Yakutia. As a result of these joint Russian-Japanese studies, 2 seminars were held in Japan in 1994, with participation of scientists from the Permafrost Institute. In 1995 in cooperation with the Institute of Biology of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a seminar was held in Yakutsk with participation of Japanese scientists, and works were translated into English and published in Japan. Based on the agreement with the Center of Northern Studies of Laval University (Canada), in 1993 joint Russian-Canadian permafrost and geomorphologic studies were conducted in the arctic zone of the Quebec province. According to the agreement with scientific-research institutes of Heilundzyan on construction under low temperatures and with the scientific-research Institute of Water Economy (China), joint Russian-Chinese seminar Protecting Engineering Constructions from Frost Heaving- was held in Chita in 1993, and international symposium Construction in Cold Regions was held in Harbin (China) in 1996.
Institute of physico-engineering
problems of the north
Institute
of nonmetallic
materials
Institute
of northern
minorities problems
Yakut
internetional
center for development
of the northern territories
Scientific
technological
complex
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