Mandatory courses

1. Permafrost Dynamics

A subject of the discipline is temperature mode of soil and dynamics of permafrost soils, cryogenic processes, and climate change influence on cryolithozone. The course defines a place and a role of permafrost in environment, gives knowledge of formation of seasonal frozen soils and permafrost. The discipline introduces students to permafrost landforms.

2. Frozen Soils Structure and Properties

The purposes of the discipline are gaining knowledge by students about nature of frozen soils, their structure and properties. Frozen soils are considered as multi-phase, multi-component systems. Development of the physic-chemical and mechanical processes is discussed, as well as soil structure and properties transformation under freezing and thawing.

3. Methods of Permafrost Studies

A subject of this course is the demonstration of methods of field and laboratory studies of the territory and permafrost deposits. The major tasks of the study are the skills of planning, organization and scientific support of the field permafrost survey and specialized observations, including data processing, maps drawing-up, description of cryogenic processes.

4. Permafrost Geothechnics

The purposes of discipline are gaining knowledge by students on geotechnical systems in cold regions. The basic engineering constructions and their interaction with the environment are discussed. Methods of the forecast of thermal and mechanical stability of engineering constructions on permafrost are studied. Urban areas and construction of buildings on permafrost are considered. Pipelines, railways, airfield construction in the Russian North are studied.

5. Permafrost of the World

This course is one of sections of geocryology, which object of permafrost conditions of the Earth. The main task is to give to students an idea of permafrost distribution all around the world; to characterize the basic regularities of extent and formation of permafrost and seasonally frozen grounds together with the history of the environment.

6. Regional Geocryology of Russia

The purposes of the discipline are gaining knowledge by students on general regularities of permafrost conditions in Russia together with the climate, geological and tectonic structure and history, geomorphology.

7. Geocryology of solar system’s planets and its satellites

The purpose of the course is study of permafrost conditions and cryogenic processes, taking place on some planets and its satellites of Solar system. The major directions of course are Martian cryosphere and its cryogenic processes; zonal distribution and altitude climate zonal distribution in extraterrestrial conditions; methods of study of cryogenic processes on extraterrestrial planets.

Optional courses

1. Pollution of permafrost soils

The purpose of this course is to present an overview of the problems, related to pollution of permafrost and influence of pollutants on frozen and freezing soils properties.

2. Soils melioration in cryolithozone

The methods of strengthening of the frozen, thawed and thawed soils are considered in this course.

3. Evolution of Cryosphere

The main objective is the history of the Earth cryosphere.

4. Chemical migration in permafrost

The behavior of salts and pollutants including heavy-metal ions, radioactive elements in freezing and frozen soils are considered in this course.

5. Gas and gas hydrate

Gas and gas hydrate content of permafrost and subpermafrost horizons are studied in this course.

6. Geophysical studies of permafrost

The magnetic, electric, density, seismic, radioactive properties of frozen sediments are discussed in this lecture course

Field training

1. Field training in Vorkuta area

Construction on permafrost: major problems. Methods of field studies are studied. Students participate in drilling of frozen grounds and boreholes equipment installation. Geophysics on permafrost are studied.

2. Cooperative field training

Field work with a geotechnical or construction company in the Russian North.

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