Abstract A rating assessment of the quality of life of the Russian regions, one of the most important social priorities, has been carried out. Experience of determining the quality of life indices in Russia and abroad is taken into account. The ratings of individual indicators for the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are calculated in three groups: socio-economic development, environmental

Abstract According to data of dendrochronological investigations of larch trees that had grown on the Patom crater (Irkutsk oblast, Bodaibinskii district) and near its base, the initial period of the formation of the crater can be dated back to the late 15th‒early 16th centuries. In 1841‒1842, the trees under investigation recorded in annual rings a catastrophic event which caused a disturbance to

Abstract The synoptic situation that developed in the summer of 2019 in the southwestern areas of Irkutsk oblast region, in the mountains and foothills of Eastern Sayan, was responsible for heavy rainfall that caused extreme flooding on the Iya river. A landscape-hydrological analysis of the territory was made. It was found that topography, morphology and structure of soil and vegetation cover have

Abstract An assessment is made of the main characteristic features in the territorial economic-settlement structure of Siberia: latitudinal zonation, meridional west-east asymmetry, attraction to the main transport routes, localization of the industrial potential within territorial-production complexes, concentration of the population in major cities and in their immediate surroundings, and the different

Abstract The problem of estimating the probable maximum values of the inflow to the Zeya reservoir on the basis of determining maximum probable precipitation and results from simulating the flood runoff formation is considered. The maximum probable daily precipitation amounts were determined by the hydrometeorological method using the data of eight-term station-based meteorological observations of

Abstract Presented are the results from studying the current state, modeling and forecasting of the transboundary transport of pollutants with the flow of the rivers within the Selenga river basin. The method for calculating the pollution coefficient was used to assess the degree of pollution of the Selenga river basin on the territories of Mongolia and the Republic of Buryatia (RF) on the linear sections

Abstract A case study of Western Siberia has shown that the anomalies observed in the natural environment of the Sub-Arctic are the consequences of the unfolding process of the movement of the planet’s core in the northward direction which is accompanied by enhanced degassing of the subsoil. It is demonstrated that the flow of heat into the lower atmosphere during the oxidation of increasing volumes

Abstract This paper discusses the results from investigating the factors that led to the formation of a catastrophic flood in June 2019 on the Iya river in the city of Tulun, Irkutsk oblast, as well as from calculating and assessing the characteristics of these floods. An analysis of the meteorological environments of flood formation is performed by using the ICON global weather forecast model. The

Abstract We examine the conditions for transport accessibility of the key deposits of raw mineral resources of the Far East and the directions of its further development. The characteristics of the raw mineral base of the region are considered in terms of the reserves and volumes of extraction of separate kinds of mineral resources. The key problems of developing mineral resources at the present stage

Abstract Presented are the results from investigating the aeolian sand massifs in the Belaya river valley. The Belaya, Kholmushino and Usolye massifs with the area of 2, 1.4 and 269 km, respectively, are singled out. They are differentiated by the degree and magnitude of manifestation of aeolian processes, and by the morphology of landforms. The Belaya massif is characterized by narrow gully‒low ridge

Abstract In June and July 2019, on the left tributaries of the Angara river there occurred catastrophic rainfall floods inflicting enormous damage and human victims. The greatest damage was experienced by the city of Tulun on the Iya river. A comprehensive characteristic is given to the 2019 floods in comparison with similar events of the historical past and from the period of instrumental observations

Abstract In connection with the recent centennial (2018) of Russian geomorphology, we examined the history of the origin and development of geomorphological knowledge in this country. We analyzed the main stages of the formation of national geomorphology: from the prehistory (17th‒18th centuries) and the incubation period (19th‒early 20th centuries) to an intense development in the Soviet period (most

Using literature data and material from this author’s large-scale landscape-ecological research, an analysis is made of the impact of global anthropogenic warming over the last 100 years on the state of the forest geosystems of the Volga basin. In mixed forests, a nemoralization of the grass stand was revealed, with a decrease in the number of boreal species, and in oak forests—a massive desiccation

It has been established that megacities, due to an excessive concentration of anthropogenic pressure, pose increased risks to human health and contribute to the growth primarily of mental illness. In this regard, a new medical-urban approach to the study of modern megacities is justified using the city of Moscow as an example. It is a multidisciplinary approach and includes a whole range of sciences

Quantitative assessments are made of the formation of municipal solid waste, ash and slag from heat power plants (boilers), and logging and timber processing activities in the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory. The material and raw material balance method and the normative method were used as the basis, and calculations used potential volumes of waste produced (thematic industrial

We examine the methodological and practical issues related to the application of information technologies and space-based monitoring in ethnological examination of projects of Arctic industrial development. The necessity and prospects of using these technologies to assess the resource productivity of the territory are illustrated by the example of the project of the extraction of alluvial gold in the

This paper studies the changes in winter air temperatures in the Siberian sector of the northern hemisphere (60–120° E) over a long-term period of 1947–2017. A positive trend in air temperature (0.3°C/10 years) was revealed. An analysis of the magnitude and frequency of temperature anomalies also confirms an increase in surface temperature. The distribution of large positive and negative temperature

Abstract Presented are the results of experimental studies into the interaction between the surface and subsurface water in 16 mountain river basins of East Sayan and Lake Baikal as carried out by the Irkutskbased Institute of Geography during 1984‒1990. The research program included regular measurements of the thickness, area and volume of the surface and underground ice along the entire length of

We examine the formation conditions for the resources and chemical composition of mineral lakes located in the vicinities to the unique natural site of the Barguzin intermontane depression, Nizhnii Kuitun. Presented are the results from studying the surface structure of this sand massif. It is shown that its formation is associated with peculiar features in the tectonic development of the Barguzin

This article deals with the features in the morphology and dynamics of river beds and floodplains located in different natural zones and in different conditions of development of channel deformations. In preparing small-scale thematic maps (geomorphological, landscape and other maps), river valleys and their constituent river beds and floodplains are displayed in a simplified fashion using a common

Abstract Ecologo-geochemical conditions of surface water and groundwater are considered in the case of one of the industrially most developed states of India, West Bengal, within the Damodar river basin near Damodar City. The observations were made in the pre-monsoon period of March 2019, a period with the worst conditions of wastewater dilution. To analyze total chemical composition of water samples

This article presents the results of a comprehensive geochronological study of organic-rich sediments lying at the base of the sand suite in the well-known reference Belyi Yar II section on the left bank of the Irkut river (Tunka depression, Southwestern Cisbaikalia). It was found that in the 1960s, a pack of lake-marsh sediments from the lower part of the section was assigned to the upper Eopleistocene

Abstract The 250 th anniversary of the birth of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), the great geographer, traveler, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society was widely celebrated in 2019. Special emphasis is placed on the famous travels of the German scientist to Ural, Siberia, and to the Caspian Sea in 1829. An analysis is made of A

Abstract For the first time, a monitoring was carried out for assessing the volume of the ice of the Peretolchin Glacier in the Munku-Sardyk mountain range (Eastern Sayan) using georadar profiling both directly to measure the thickness of the ice and to refine the parameters of mathematical models for determining the volume of the glacier. Based on results of the area radar survey, the volume of the

Abstract Modern processes of gully erosion and thermoerosion are clearly pronounced in the permafrost zone in the north of Western Siberia, on the Yamal Peninsula, including in the territories of new development. Under these conditions, knowledge of the gully potential is necessary for the rational siting of buildings and infrastructure in the areas of new development in order to avoid their damage

Abstract A landscape stability assessment is made for the major islands of the Empress Eugénie Archipelago. The landscapes are ranked according to groups of stability on the basis of an integrated numerical score for 17 indicators. It was found that the islands are dominated by landscapes of moderate stability, and by unstable landscapes. The islands are characterized by a significant differentiation

A natural resource zoning of the Far Eastern macro-region within the boundaries of the modern Far Eastern Federal District (Okrug) has been carried out. The zoning is based on identifying territorial combinations of natural resources from the presence of two types of inter-resource links: direct and indirect links of resourcecontaining components in natural geosystems, and indirect links of resource-containing

Abstract An analysis is made of the cyclone trajectories for 2003–2013 in order to gain insight into the influence of their genesis on the generation of the flow of wet depositions of acid-forming substances over the territory of Primorsky krai and a part of the water area of the Sea of Japan. All the cyclones crossing the region of interest during the period under investigation have been considered

Abstract The investigations were made in the zone of influence of the Irkutsk UC RUSAL aluminum smelter. Soil cover on this territory is represented by gray medium and light loamy soils, with a small thickness of the humus profile. The stoichiometric formulas of solid mineral solutions, humic substances and components of soil solutions formed under the influence of technogenic load are calculated by

Geographical space is considered as a dual system of subspace of geophysical coordinates and subspace of component coordinates of the geosystems states. The theoretical and mathematical models of the interaction of these subspaces in terms of vector fields, wave equations and functions, eikonal equations and local sheaves of linear dependencies of meteorological parameters are developed. The climatic

An assessment is made of the lake resources of Russia in particular regions identified on the basis of the genetic principle, i. e. an approximate even-aged origin of most lake basins within the territory. It was determined that a little less than two-thirds of all water bodies are located on the coastal plains of the seas of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, which account for one-fifth of the country’s

Abstract Contrary to a widely held view of transitional (intermediate) objects as being “noise” in a research process, the idea that transitional objects are essential elements of classifications, regionalizations, periodizations and other structural schemes is substantiated. The methodological basis for these propositions is provided by the concepts of descriptive and fuzzy sets and its underlying

Abstract This article discusses the tasks and features of the organization of nature parks within the boundaries of the Baikal Natural Territory, the phenomenon of which is reflected in Russia’s only federal law of a natural site, Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and the main purpose of which implies not only natural environment conservation but also a further development of the infrastructure

Presented are the results from investigating the environmental impact of the mining industry in the Baikal region and Mongolia where in accordance with the tripartite international agreements it is planned to create the China−Mongolia−Russia transport economic corridors. The investigation was made for the areas traversed by the sections of the transport and economic corridors: the Trans-Siberian Railroad

This article is devoted to the geo-economic processes in modern Eurasia and their impact on the dynamics and localization of marine economic activity in the Russian Federation. The relevance of this issue is associated not only with the increasing influence of the marine factor on the economy and settlement patterns but also with the almost universal projection of the Eurasian integration processes

To identify features in natural reforestation after abandonment of land, this paper considers the current state of 21 tracts of fallow lands of the Tunka depression (Republic of Buryatia). On the basis of a geobotanical analysis, the species composition of tree and ground covers was revealed during the overgrowing of arable land on the basis of the geobotanical analysis. The landscape specificity of

It is shown that since the beginning of field development, a single natural and historical process of oil and gas generation and accumulation has been accompanied by the transformation of the entire complex of geological, biochemical, geochemical, thermobaric and hydrogeological environmental conditions and modern landscape genesis. Studying this process within the territory of leading oil and gas

Results of a long-term comprehensive study of the natural environment of Northeastern Cisbaikalia are presented. Some theoretical and practical issues of a cartographic study of topological-level geosystems are considered in terms of Academician V.B. Sochava’s theory of geosystems. We compiled the map of geosystems of the North-Baikal and Upper-Angara depressions displaying the ecological-dynamical

Maximum permissible concentrations for chemical elements in soils (MPCs) of Russia, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and the USA are compared. In Russia, general sanitary, water-transferred and translocation MPCs are created; in Germany, general sanitary and translocation, and in the Netherlands, the USA and Canada, general sanitary. It is found that the Russian MPCs for total contents of chemical

The state and the prospects of implementation of major investment projects combined into the Eastern Gas Program have been analyzed. The terms of realization, the state of resources and the state of gas transportation system under the projects forming part of them are considered. It is shown that only one (Sakhalin) of four gas production centers foreseen in the program has an adequate infrastructure;

We calculated the water balance and investigated the mineralization of water in closed Lake Chany. the largest lake in Western Siberia in terms of its water area and of great ecological and fisheries importance. The most important natural characteristic of the lake is the cyclic fluctuation of the water level caused by the variability in the overall humidity of the Ob-Irtysh interfluve. The water level

We examine the geographical features in the distribution and the radiation parameters of radioactive rock dumps in the Elkon uranium ore area on the territory of South Yakutia. It is pointed out that the dumps under study are geomorphologically located on the Elkon horst which is a protrusion of crystalline basement rocks, towering over the territory of the Aldan highlands. It is found that most of

Socio-economic maps are essential for identifcation and system analysis of sectoral and territorial imbalances, ensuring the effective organization of productive forces, planning and forecasting of socioeconomic development of the territory. This paper presents the authors’ experience in creating and interpreting socio-economic maps in national and regional atlases, analyzes current trends in the development

The spatial distribution of total water vapor content over the Yamal Peninsula and adjacent territories was analyzed using data of four-year-long measurements from the European Envisat satellite during warm periods of the year (June-August). Special attention was given to water vapor variations at the transition from little to abundant water-bearing areas of the underlying surface. It was found that

We examine the landscape structural features of the Mukhtel lowland and the mountains surrounding it on the southwestern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. An analysis is made of the main formation factors for modern landscapes and for the structure of vegetation as the main indicator of its spatial organization. The influence of the landscape inversion is determined, which manifests itself in the formation

Presented are the results from investigating the atmospheric self-purification capacity over the cities of Irkutsk, Beijing and Ulaanbaatar for the summer and winter seasons of 2017–2018. The meteorological potential of the atmosphere (MPA) was used as the criterion for assessing the atmospheric self-purification. It is shown that in the summer season of 2017 the favorable meteorological conditions

We substantiate the use of the previously developed methods to classify sections of the largest river (Lena) from the types of channel processes and special aspects of their management, i. e. water resource use, exploitation of the river as the water transport way, development of riverine areas and construction of river crossings for service lines. For assessing the complexity of river channel reconfguration

The economic significance of the historical and cultural potential, including the field-established geographical centers of the regions, is revealed. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods of determining the geographical centers of territories are considered. Their relationship with geionformation systems is determined. It was found that the software of these systems has the functionality

We compared the dynamics of development of tourism in the European part of Russia on the example of Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Kaliningrad oblast, Krasnodar krai, Stavropol krai, the southern regions of Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East for the period from 2009 to 2017. It has been found that a combination of factors in the attractiveness of tourist services during that period increased in all

This article examines the attitude of the Russian society toward the Russian-Chinese relations in general and toward the One Belt — One Road (OBOR) megaproject in particular. An analysis is made of the Russian scientific, official and expert discourse, based on methods of critical geopolitics, as well as investigating the grass-roots ideas concerning China and the OBOR Initiative. It is found that

A study and mapping of habitats of wild and synanthropic animal species was carried out on the model research site of the Baikal Nature Reserve’ in order to develop methods and conduct zoological tourism on their basis. This type of tourism promotes the preservation of the maximum possible diversity of animal species composition and habitat. The focus of the investigations is on recreational development

Data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) were used in investigating long-term variability of anomalies of the total amount of atmospheric precipitation within the Selenga river basin in July. We identified several long periods (four years and longer) with negative precipitation anomalies: 1935–1939, 1955–1958, 1977–1981, 2007–2011, and 2013–2017. The last period is characterized

We examine the fundamental tenets of the theory of geochemical barriers and their role in landscapes associated with an intensification of migration processes caused by an enhancement in anthropogenic activity, including in the sphere of industrial production. Observational evidence indicates that the flow of multiple elements in the form of substances, which is produced by the aluminum smelters of

We examine the current problems of Lake Baikal level regulation. A comparative analysis is made of the changes in the lake level, the range of its fluctuations and in the intra-annual amplitude for the 120-year-long period of observations in natural and regulated conditions. The period 2014–2017 with an extremely low water level is analyzed. It is pointed out that the inconsistency between existing

A specific feature of the term “transboundary” is defined, which is usually perceived as an opportunity to overcome the borders separating the territory, and is used as opposed to the “frontier” objects adjacent to the border but not crossing it. Transboundary interstate territories are discussed, where only regulated activities may be carried out, such as nature conservation in solving the problem

This paper presents results of wildfire studies conducted Transbaikalia over the last five decades. Station-based experimental investigations into fire hazards of vegetation accomplished at the regional forest fire stations during those years covered all altitudinal vegetation zones, representative landscape localities and forest types. Route investigations were made in different natural areas. Arial

An analysis is made of the investments in fixed capital at the regional and municipal level in Irkutsk oblast, the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaikalskii krai. On the basis of the average indicators considered, the conclusion is drawn about the general lag of the Baikal region from Siberia and Russia over the course of the last several decades. Population changes in municipal districts and urban districts

We examine the composition of metals in the waters of the southern tributaries of Lake Baikal as well as comparing it with the composition of metals in bottom sediments and calculating the water migration coefficients of metals. The territory of the southern part of the lake drainage basin was regionalized according to the ability to ensure a particular water composition. The contribution from the

A brief geographical description is provided for Lake Khanka and its drainage basin where the Russian part accounts for more than 90% of the area. Sixteen rivers on the Russian territory and eight rivers on the Chinese territory flow into the lake. Only one river, Sungacha, flows out of the lake; it is a border river and connects Lake Khanka with the Ussuri river. A historical analysis of the water

The paper gives characteristics of natural and anthropogenic factors responsible for the geoecological situation inside the boundaries of the floodplain-terrace complex of the Tuul river within Ulaanbaatar. Among them, the geological structure and orography (occurrence in the intermontane depression), the specific character of climate-forming (frequent temperature inversions) and hydrological (mainly