One of these laboratories will be a laboratory of paleotectonic research of the Arctic which is the most modern laboratory in the Russian Federation.
A dean of Geology and Geophysics Department, a Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy, professor, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valeriy Vernikovskiy has told the NSU press service about the development of the laboratory resources at Geology and Geophysics Department of NSU. He has also explained whether the ordinary students have an opportunity to take part in the Arctic expeditions or not.
Valeriy Arnoldovich, you know that NSU gets new laboratories every year. What kind of laboratories are you going to have at Geology and Geophysics Department in the nearest future?
- We have been developing in a consistent manner the resources of the laboratories at our department over the past few years. As earlier our students continue working and writing their research projects in the laboratories of the field specific institutes of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of sciences. However, the main goal is to help the students be closer to science and do it precisely in our university. It is this goal which becomes the main reason why we are going to launch several new laboratories at the same time in the end of this year and the beginning of 2016.We have recently signed an agreement with the Baker Hughes company to have a joint geophysical laboratory which will provide research working in geology, geophysics and mathematics. It will use the most modern methods of mathematical simulation for the oil and gas sector. These methods will provide the effective prospection and extraction of non-traditional and difficult hydrocarbon resources. This laboratory will allow particularly to do a research on the modeling the state of matter and also study the borehole environment.
We are also planning to have a mineralogical and geochemical laboratory in the nearest future. This laboratory will be responsible for researching the composition of rocks and minerals, including rare elements and isotopes. The main device for the laboratory is already set up. It is a mass spectrometer with inductive-connected plasma for the ultimate and isotopic analysis 鈥� ICP-MS.
In addition, a laboratory of geodynamics and paleomagnetism of the Central and Eastern Arctic will start working in our university before the end of this year. The laboratory will be responsible not only for paleotectonic reconstructions but also for studying the key arctic pattern generation and the tectonic evolution of the Arctic. Today it is completely staffed and has its own location where all necessary technical requirements are followed. For example, this laboratory has a special room with magnetic vacuum. We are waiting one key device for paleomagnetic research one of these days. It is called a supersensitive cryogenic magnetometer. Other accompanying equipment is forthcoming too.
V.A.Vernikovskiy (left) and an associate dean of the Geology and Geophysics Department of NSU, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences N.Y.Matushkin (right) are on Henrietta Island (De Long Archipelago)How do NSU research workers take part in studying the Russian Arctic?
- We and our colleagues from the Institute of Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences do the large amount of field work every year. There are two main objects in our priority 鈥� the Siberian Craton and the Russian Arctic Coast. We have been researching the formation and paleogeodynamic evolution of these objects. The scientists of Novosibirsk, researching the Arctic zone, are not only among the country鈥檚 leaders of such kind of research but also among the world leaders of it. Our paleoreconstructions are based on a broad complex of methods including not only the knowledge of the tectonics, geochronology and paleontology areas, but also findings from the paleomagnetic expeditions. During the field work we were able to accumulate the large database that contains information about Taimyr Peninsula, Severnaya Zemlya Archipelagos, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands and De Long Islands. The results of this research working are published in the leading international scientific editions. Some research articles are going to be published in the nearest future.The international sea borders in the Arctic and potential area of the extended continental shelf beyond the zone of 200 milesWe know that you have taken part in another important activity. It is the substantiation of the Russian Federation claim to extend the external boarder of the continental shelf of Russia in the Arctic鈥�
- You are right; many of our academic pursuits concerning paleotectonics of the Arctic were a part of this claim. The main goal was to find out what kind of terrestrial beds comprised the bottom of the Arctic Ocean; how they were located in the early stages of the Earth evolution and how they were altering during the geological time. The result of this research is the understanding of which part of the modern ocean bottom is an extension of the continental crust of Siberian Craton. Consequently, according to the sea law, the Russian Federation has reason to extend its continental shelf.Are you going to have Arctic expeditions with participation of the university scientific workers in the nearest future?
- Research workers of our university take part in different joint Russian and international Arctic expeditions. This year, the research workers of the Geology and Geophysics department worked in Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and the south coast of Laptev Sea. We are also planning to continue our field work in the Arctic. For example, North (the Arctic) Federal University in Arkhangelsk has made us an offer to take part in the expedition to Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land with some opportunities to visit several new islands in order to find out the additional materials.
