Research laboratory of recent sediments and pleistocene paleogeography

Founded in 1968 by Academician Konstantin Konstantinovich Markov, the honorable scientist of the Russian Federal Republic, the Laboratory originally belonged to the Chair of Physical Geography and Paleogeography. Since 1987 it is a separate subdivision of the Geographical Faculty. Professor Pavel Alekseevich Kaplin, the honorable scientist of the Russian Federal Republic, was the head of the Laboratory since its foundation until 2009. Currently the Laboratory is headed by Doctor of Geography Tamara Alekseevna Yanina.

Scientific researchers. Chief scientific researches, professors: P.A. Kaplin (evolution of marine coasts and sea-level variability during the recent geological period); A.A. Svitoch (environmental evolution of the last million years, theory and methods of paleogeography). Leading scientific researches: Doctor of Geography N.S. Bolikhovskaya (Neogene-Pleistocene stratigraphy, environmental evolution of the last million years, geoecology, reconstruction of Pleistocene, recent and future successions of vegetation, palynology); Doctor of Physics and Mathematics V.A. Bol’shakov (rock magnetism, paleomagnetism, astronomical theory of paleoclimate); Doctor of Geography N.I. Glushankova (Pleistocene paleogeography and stratigraphy, paleopedology); Doctor of Geography S.D. Nikolaev (oceanic paleoclimates, isotopic paleogeography); Doctor of Geography E.I. Polyakova (evolution of Arctic marine ecosystems, bio- and ecostratigraphy, biological monitoring); Doctor of Geography N.G. Sudakova (Pleistocene paleogeography and stratigraphy, geoecological zonation of Moscow region, ecological sustainability of the natural environment); Doctor of Geography T.A. Yanina (malacology, bio- and ecostratigraphy, paleoecology). Senior scientific researches: Doctor of Biology A.V. Bobrov (evolution of vegetation, ecology); Candidate of Geology and Mineralogy S.S. Faustov (rock magnetism, paleomagnetism); Candidate of Geology and Mineralogy G.M. Nemtsova (Pleistocene paleogeography and stratigraphy, mineralogy), А.V. Porotov (evolution of marine coasts), Candidate of Geology and Mineralogy V.M. Sobolev (geophysics, geoecology, paleogeography), Candidate of Geography E.E. Taldenkova (malacology, microfauna, biostratigraphy, paleoecology); Candidate of Geography T.N. Voskresenskaya (Pleistocene paleogeography and stratigraphy, mineralogy); Candidate of Geography A.I. Vvedenskaya (lithology of recent sediments, ecological sustainability of the natural environment). Scientific researches: Candidate of Geography T.S. Klyuvitkina (microdiatom method, paleoecology); V.A. Dikarev (evolution of marine coasts, geoarchaeology).

Fields of Research. The main fundamental research topic of the Laboratory is entitled “Environmental evolution during the Pleistocene”. The main research activities include investigations of recent sediments and Pleistocene paleogeography by a complex of methods, elaboration of new comprehensive methods, paleoenvironmental reconstructions of terrestrial, shelf and oceanic systems.

Main accomplished research. Reconstruction of environmental changes in the glacial and periglacial regions of Northern Eurasia during the last million years. Inter-regional correlation of major climatic-phytocoenotic events of the Pleistocene. Precise definition of the duration of glacial and interglacial epochs based on the correlation of Pleistocene paleoclimatic events of paleoshelf and continental regions of Northern Eurasia. Description of specific paleogeographical peculiarities in the evolution of loess-paleosol formation. Detailed reconstruction of sea-level fluctuations during the Pleistocene. Elaboration of prognostic models of the dynamics of Russian coasts under sea-level rise. Reconstruction of the paleogeographical history of the Caspian and Black seas, which was correlated with the Mediterranean basin. Elaboration of a new original orbital theory of paleoclimates. Ecological-paleogeographical zonation of the Russian Plain and evaluation of the sustainable development of its regional geosystems.

Future research activities: Correlation of paleogeographical events within the system conti-nent-shelf-ocean; investigation and forecast of environmental changes in the coastal regions under modern and future sea-level rise induced by global warming; investigation of Pleistocene environ-mental evolution of the East European Plain and elaboration of the spatial-temporal model of the paleogeographical evolution of its natural complex; further development of the new orbital concept of paleoclimate.

Scientific collaboration : with St.Petersburg, Saratov, Voronezh, Saransk universities, institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Geography, Geological Institute, Paleontological Institute, Institute of Oceanology, Institute of Archaeology, and others), VNIIOkeangeologiya, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Murmansk Marine Biological Institute.

Internationalcollaboration. Participation in the projects of UNESCO (geological correlation, sea-level changes, and others) and INQUA. Joint research projects with the scientists from Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Cuba, Italy, UK, Korea, CIS and Baltic countries.

Main publications

Bauch, H.A., Pavlidis, Yu.A., Polyakova, Ye.I., Matishov G.G. Pechora Sea Environments: Past, Present, and Future. Reports on Polar Research, 2005, 501. 247 pp.
Derevianko A.P., Dergacheva M.I., Bolikhovskaya N.S., Naruse T., Matsufuji K., Lee Y.-J. et al. The Paleolithic Archaeology and Quaternary Geology in Youngsan River Region. Mokpo: Mokpo National University (Korea), 2006. 320 pp.

Kosarev A.N., Svitoch A.A. et al. The Black Sea Environment. Springer, 2007. 300 pp.

Noveishie otlozheniya i paleogeografiya Oksko-Donskoi drevnelednikovoi zony (Recent sediments and paleogeography of the Oka-Don ancient glacial zone) / Eds. N.G. Sudakova, S.S. Faustov. 2004. 250 pp. (in Russian).

Bolikhovskaya N.S., Bol'shakov V.A., Glushankova N.I., Kaplin P.A., Svitoch A.A., Selivanov A.O., Sudakova N.G. Prirodnaya sreda v pleistotsene (Pleistocene environment) / Struktura, dinamika I evolyutsiya prirodnykh geosistem. M.: Izd. Dom Gorodets. 2004. P. 455-660 (in Russian).

Yanina T.A. Didakny Ponto-Kaspiya (Didacna of Ponto-Caspian region). Smolensk-Moskva: Madzhenta. 2005. 300 pp. (in Russian).

Konstantin Konstantinovich Markov / Ed. P.A. Kaplin. Smolensk-Moskva: Geograficheskii fakul'tet MGU. 2005. 256 pp. (in Russian).

Gorizonty geografii. K 100-letiyu K.K. Markova (Horizons of geography. To the 100th anniversary of K.K. Markov) / Ed. N.S. Kasimov. М.: Geograficheskii fakul'tet MGU. 2005. 320 pp. (in Russian).

Svitoch A.A., Klyuvitkina T.S. Berovskie bugry Nizhnego Povolzh'ya (Baerian knolls of the Lower Near-Volga region). М.: Izd. Rosselkhozakademii. 2006. 154 pp. (in Russian).

Bobrov A.V., Melikyan A.P., Romanov M.S. Morfogenez plodov Magnoliophyta (Morphogenesis of Magnoliophyta fruits). М.: URSS. 2008. 427 pp. (in Russian).

Problemy paleogeografii i stratigrafii pleistotsena (Problems of paleogeography and stratigraphy of the Pleistocene) / Ed. N.S. Bolikhovskaya, P.A. Kaplin. М.: Geograficheskii fakul'tet MGU. 2008. 257 pp. (in Russian).

Glushankova N.I. Paleopedogenez i prirodnaya sreda Vostochnoi Evropy v pleistotsene (Paleopedogenesis and environment of the Eastern Europe during the Pleistocene). Smolensk-Moskva. 2008. 348 pp. (in Russian).

Svitoch A.A., Sudakova N.G., Bolikhovskaya N.S., Yanina T.A., Polyakova Ye.I. et al. Paleogeograficheskaya shkola (Paleogeographical school) // Geograficheskie nauchnye shkoly Moskovskogo universiteta. M.: Izd. Dom Gorodets. 2008. (in Russian).

Sudakova N.G., Antonov S.I., Vvedenskaya A.I., Gunova V.S., Karpukhin S.S., Kostomakha V.A., Nemtsova G.M., Rychagov G.I., Faustov S.S. Rekonstruktsiya paleogeograficheskikh sobytii srednego neopleistotsena Tsentra Russkoi ravniny (Reconstruction of paleogeographical events of the middle Neopleistocene of the Russian Plain). М.: Geograficheskii fakul'tet MGU. 2008. 167 pp. (in Russian).