Geomorphology and Palaeogeography

Program description 

Professional training is aimed at mastering theoretical and applied knowledge, skills and abilities that allow solving professional problems related to the analysis and assessment of the basic properties of the relief and loose sediments of regions of the Earth of various ranks and celestial bodies neighbouring the Earth; approaches to determining patterns of distribution, dynamics and mechanisms of occurrence of geomorphological processes and their consequences for predicting adverse geomorphological phenomena and assessing natural risks, patterns of evolution of natural conditions of territories and the Earth as a whole.

The content of the master's program pays special attention to solving applied problems in the geomorphological, geological, and environmental fields; organizing and conducting research, scientific-production, expert-analytical geological and geomorphological surveys on land, in the coastal zone and on the ocean floor, as well as comprehensive studies of territories aimed at reconstructing natural conditions in the past, and comparing data obtained using analytical methods for long-term forecasting.

Benefits of the program 

The program considers the basic component of the landscape - relief - in a close cause-and-effect relationship with other natural components of the geosphere in terms of its basic properties: morphology, dynamics and evolution. It allows graduates of the program to freely conduct any physical-geographical research with a full understanding of the functions in nature morpholithogenic basis. The program is focused on in-depth theoretical training in certain areas of modern geomorphology, including the latest ideas about the formation of all genetic types of relief, together with the analysis of their constituent geological formations, applying in the study the principles of the study of morpholithogenesis. This approach provides the opportunity for broad applied research in the field of ensuring the safe conduct of various types of environmental management: construction of various structures, especially pipeline transport, other linear infrastructure facilities, implementation of construction projects on the banks, in mountains, urban construction, recreation, etc. The program provides the opportunity specialize in the search for minerals related by their origin and occurrence to relief formation processes (placer metals, construction raw materials, etc.).

A significant portion of the program's curriculum is devoted to paleogeographical aspects of the evolution of nature in the last millions of years. Particular attention is paid to the geographical events of the Pleistocene and Holocene - the time that determined the modern appearance of the geosphere. Training in this area is based on modern analytical methods for studying loose sediments using the latest techniques and instruments, with the help of which students of the program gain practical skills in determining the age and genesis of sediments. It often serves as a key basis for paleogeographical and geological reconstructions in the field of sedimentation and establishing the prospects of geological bodies for the discovery of minerals.

All training in the program is based on expeditionary collection of original materials, which allow students to conduct their own scientific research and implement their results in scientific publications.

Leading organizations where graduates workе  

Academic

Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (laboratories: geomorphology; paleoarchives of the natural environment; departments: paleogeography of the Quaternary period; geography and evolution of soils), Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (laboratories: geomorphology and tectonics of the ocean floor; geochemistry of isotopes and geochronology), Institute of Oceanology named after. P.P. Shirshov RAS, Institute of Physics of the Earth named after. O.Yu.Schmidt RAS, Institute of Water Problems RAS, Institute of Volcanology and Seismology FEB RAS.

Production

SBI Russian Geographical Society (RGO), PJSC Rosneft, JSC Russian Railways (RZD), LLC Gazprom VNIIGAZ, JSC Production and Research Institute for Engineering Surveys in Construction (PNIIIS), LLC Inzhgeo, JSC Institute of Environmental Design and Surveys; LLC Krasnoyarskgazprom neftegazproekt, JSC Research and Production Center "Nedra".

Educational institutions of the Russian Federation

Basic academic disciplines  

• Paleogeography of the Quaternary (Yanina T.A.)

• Tectonics and geodynamics of the oceans (Dubinin E.P.)

• Social geomorphology (Lukashov A.A.)

• Engineering geomorphology (Eremenko E.A., Matlakhova E.Yu.)

• Natural risks and forecast (Belyaev Yu.R., Eremenko E.A.)

• Settings of morpholithogenesis (Bredikhin A.V.)

• History and methodology of modern geomorphology (Bolysov S.I.)

• Relief of planetary bodies (Lukashov A.A., Belyaev Yu.R.)

• Paleogeography of the Holocene (Panin A.V.)

• Exploratory geomorphology (Lukashov A.A., Bredikhin A.V.)