Academician points to necessary further geologic appraisal in Russian Arctic
NOVOSIBIRSK, October 6. /TASS/. Further geologic appraisal must be carried out in the Russian Arctic, as "white" spots still remain in hard-to-reach areas, like for example on the De Long Islands archipelago in the East Siberian Sea, geologist, Arctic researcher, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the Geology and Geophysics Department of the Novosibirsk State University, Valery Vernikovsky, told TASS.
"Mapping was done back in Soviet times, and work also was done on the islands. But those were works, leaving, so to speak, "white" spots. Now, [these data] need to be reviewed and this needs to be done seriously. For example, on the De Long Archipelago there are islands that have not been fully explored geologically," he said.
The organization of scientific expeditions in the Arctic, especially in its island part, is associated with high costs, he continued. "Further exploration of the Arctic is necessary, but there is still a huge question of how scientific groups from academic institutions and universities could get there. A return trip by helicopter to islands in the Arctic Ocean for a small group means already at least 10 million rubles ($122,000)," he said.
The researcher mentioned it is necessary to develop infrastructures along the Northern Sea Route, to restore the network of polar stations that existed in Soviet times, and to strengthen existing settlements in the Arctic - Dikson, Tiksi, and Pevek. For example, at Cape Chelyuskin, where in the 70s and 80s of the last century 100-120 people worked at the polar station and the airport, nowadays not more than five people winter. "Those should be not just support points, there must be airfields and a big navigation service. I believe, all this should be revived both for development of the Northern Sea Route and for work of scientists in the Arctic," he said.
As of 2024, Russia has about 116 polar stations operating in the Russian Arctic to conduct scientific research in meteorological, geophysical, geomagnetic, hydrological fields, and in some cases - in biological and medical directions.
