Köppen Laboratory for the Geomorphological and Paleogeographic Research of the Polar Region and the World Ocean

• We have created technologies and methods of general and specific mapping of landscapes under water and under ice. Using this methods we have for the first time created the «Geomorphological atlas of the Antarctic», a series of general specific of geomorphological maps of the Russian exploration zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and cartographic basis for creation of a Geomorphological map of the Arctic (scale 1 : 5 000 000)
• A variety of methods of dating of various material and genetic types of Quaternary sediments on the continent and in the ocean have been enhanced and implemented into common practice of geochronological research.
• Our team has obtained results of complex geochronological (14С, 230Th/U, 230Th, 210Pb dating), geological and geochemical, as well as micropaleontological research of oceanic ores and sediments including first data concerning evolutionary processes of hydrothermal ore formation within the Russian exploration zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
• Our team has conducted large-scale paleogeographical research in the European part of Russia, the Far East, Siberia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Germany. This research allowed to reconstruct changes of landscape and climate in the mentioned regions during Holocene and neo-Pleistocene
• Our researchers have created a reconstruction and periodization of landscape and climate change in the past (during Holocene and neo-Pleistocene). This is necessary for understanding of future development of the environment. In this work we have used results of broad paleographic, geomorphological research of landscapes and Quaternary sediments in Polar and sub-Polar regions.
• Our team has obtained results of geochronological, micropaleontological, geological and geochemical research of hydrothermal sediments within ore ranges of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These results allowed to reconstruct the timeline of development of hydrothermal ore formation. Those results have also been used to develop criteria for search of hydrothermal regions and determining aggregate resource mass of ore objects that have been discovered within the Russian exploration zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Education and career development:

• We have developed and implemented 26 lecture courses for bachelors and masters of the Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University: «Methods of paleogeographical research», «Methods of Quaternary sediment dating», «Quaternary geochronology», «Introduction to pollen analysis», «Palynological research in Polar regions», «Bioindicatory methods in Quaternary paleogeography», «Geotopological basics of geological and geomorphological research», «Applied aspects of geomorphology», «Cryogenic landscape forming», «Methods of field geological and geomorphological research», «Marine geomorphology», «Sub-glacial geomorphology», «Prospective directions of exploratory geomorphology», «Structural geommorphology», «Applying information from remote probing in thematic mapping and creation of geoinformation systems», «Geomorphological mapping and mapping of Quaternary sediments», «Paleogeography of the Arctic and the Antarctic», «Paleogeography of Pleistocene of the permafrost zone of the Northern hemisphere», «Paleolimnology», «Paleoclimatology of the Quaternary period», «Rhythmics of processes in the nature», «Chemical contamination of Northern ecosystems», «Methods in Marine Geosciences» (Russia-Germany Masters program «Polar and marine research» - POMOR, in English), « Methods of Geochronometry and Micropaleontology in study of Cold Regions» (Russia-Germany Masters program «Complex studies of environments of Polar regions» - CORELIS, in English), «Paleoclimatology and Basic Paleolimnology of Polar Regions» (Russia-Germany Masters program «Complex studies of environments of Polar regions» - CORELIS, in English), «Geomorphology and Subaerial Quaternary Deposits of Permafrost Regions» (Russia-Germany Masters program «Complex studies of environments of Polar regions» - CORELIS, in English)
• Our researchers have defended 1 doctoral and 5 candidate dissertations
• 6 textbooks have been published

Organizational and structural changes:

• One senior research fellow and 2 research engineers have been hired to work for the laboratory
• Modern equipment has been purchased and started service: Alpha-Duo alpha spectrometer, Quantulus ultra low level liquid scintillation spectrometer, MAX-GV spectrometer, microscopes

Collaborations

• Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Germany), Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the University of Cologne (Germany), Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), Institute of Ecological Problems of the North of the Ural Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), Moscow State University (Russia), Institute of Marine Problems of the North at the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), state scientific center «Research Institute of the Arctic and the Antarctic» (Russia) - paloliminological, geochronological, and paleogeographical research in Polar and sub-Polar regions of the European part of Russia, in Northwestern and Southwestern Russia; guest lectures of foreign scientists
• Sochava Institute of Geography of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia) and Institute of the Earth's crust of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia) – palegeographic and geochronologic research in Siberia
• Pacific Institute of Geography of the Far Eastern Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia) – palegeographic and geochronologic research in the Far East
• Governing bodies for environmental security, nature and geology of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern land (Germany),Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland), National Research Institute for Marine Geology (Poland) – palegeographic and geochronologic research in Northwestern Germany.
• Center for Nature of the Institute of Geology and Geography (Lithuania) – palegeographic and geochronologic research in Lithuania
• Polar geological survey expedition (Russia), All-Russian Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean named after I.S. Gramberg – marine geological and geochronological research of hydrothermal ore deposits within the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and ferromanganese deposits in the Arctic Ocean
• GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research (Germany), University of Hamburg (Germany) - training of students of the St. Petersburg State University within the Russian-German Masters programs, guest lectures by foreign scientists