Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2025 number S6

We present new lithological and biostratigraphic data on stratotype and paleontologically representative marine sedimentary sections of the Malinovka Group (Borlug, Tarlyk and Tamzyrin formations) in the Uyuk area of the region, Shemush-Dag Group (Ayangaty and Adyr-Tash formations) and Chergaky Group (Alavelyk Formation) in the Khemchik area of the region, Chergaky Group (Alavelyk Formation) in the Alash area of the region, Kargy Formation in the Kargy area of the region. The materials on the Sistig-Khem Group (Uza, Ust-Khamsary and Kugar formations) in the Sistig-Khem area of Tyva are considered. We specified the chronostratigraphic position of the Tarlag-Aksy Horizon and justified the identification of a new Borlug Horizon. We found out that the Tyva Ordovician marine sediments are currently located in individual tectonically isolated blocks and are not fragments of a single paleobasin. Based on the analysis of the taxonomic composition of fauna assemblages and trace fossils, we suggest that the Alash-Khemchik, Uyuk and Kargy blocks with outcrops of Ordovician marine sediments of Tyva are paleozoogeographically close to the marine paleobasins of the Gondwana group of continents. At the same time, we note a low migration potential of their fauna assemblages relatively to the possibilities of communication with coeval communities of the Altai Basin and of that of the Siberian Platform and Taimyr. The Sistig-Khem block of Tyva, having effusive-sedimentary sequences of marine genesis, was not only significantly distant from the listed Siberian paleobasins, but was also separated from the group of Alash-Khemchik, Uyuk and Kargy blocks with Ordovician marine sediments.

The article presents new data on the formation conditions of basalt and basaltic andesite of the Kharchinsky Volcano (Central Kamchatka Depression, CKD). It is shown that the liquidus association is represented by olivine (Fo₉₁) and Cr-spinel, which crystallized in oxidized conditions NNO+0.4 - NNO+1.5 at temperatures of 1,110-1,210 °C. The study of melt inclusion in olivine phenocrysts allows us to reconstruct compositions of parental melts for basalt and basaltic andesite. These melts have Mg-high (Mg# ≈ 76), Al-low and Ca-low basic compositions enriched in volatiles. Water content in melts could have reached up to 5.5 wt.%. These melts formed from a peridotite source, sometimes with slight admixture of pyroxenite component. Crystallization of melts could have occurred in several intermediate chambers (up to 1.5, at 5-7 and 11-13 kbar).

Norilsk type intrusions are characterized by unique reserves of disseminated Cu-Ni mineralization localized in picritic and taxitic gabbro-dolerites. Picritic and taxitic gabbro-dolerites are rocks of different genesis, but the mechanism of formation of picritic gabbro-dolerites is still debatable. Most often, they are regarded as a cumulative part of a layered series. In this work we show a well-pronounced geochemical contact between a layered series and picritic gabbro-dolerites. In the section of the latter, we have established reverse geochemical zoning expressed as regular accumulation of major elements, which do not form a single trend of crystallization differentiation with the rocks of the main layered series. The rocks are discrete within the horizon of picritic gabbro-dolerites; we have identified two intervals: the lower one with low Cr contents and stable Eu and Sr anomalies and the upper one with anomalous high chromium contents, reduced LILE contents, and no positive Eu anomaly specific to the lower section of picritic gabbro-dolerites. Based on the known models of formation of reverse zoning in the marginal zones of layered massifs, we present a new genetic scheme for the formation of picritic gabbro-dolerites as products of pulsed intrusion. This scheme implies that the lower part of picritic gabbro-dolerites formed from hybrid magma, and the upper one, from primitive magma as a result of the pulsed filling of the magma chamber. In our opinion, this is the cause of the reverse zoning and the accumulation of chromium in the upper section of picritic gabbro-dolerites.

The Tomtor Complex of ultramafic rocks and carbonatites is located in the north of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Unique Sc-Y-Nb-REE ores of the Burannyi site (Tomtor deposit) are cryptogranular and have high contents of Nb₂O₅, REE₂O₃, Y₂O₃, and Sc₂O₃. Thin-layered ore bodies are stratified formations that presumably occur in weathering crust depressions. Based on modeling the shape of the roof and ore body base, as well as the overlying Permian continental and Jurassic marine sediments of the Burannyi site, the structural and morphological features of the ore layer were identified, using the QGis (QGIS.ORG Association, Switzerland) and Micromine (Micromine Pty Ltd., Australia) software packages. High-grade ores of the Burannyi site lie on an irregular surface. In the base of the ore layer there are two isolated depressions, the Northern and the Southern, which in turn are complicated by basins of various sizes. There are ten basins in the Northern Depression and four in the Southern Depression. The basins form linear structures that coincide with faults identified during exploration. Only four basins in the northern part of the site are completely filled with ore matter. Others are partially filled with ore, and the remaining volume is occupied by Permian coarse-grained clastic coal-bearing sediments. In the Southern Depression, the proportion of basins filled with ore material is the lowest; the deepest basin is filled with ore by only 25%. It is assumed that this difference is caused by different times of basin formation. Developing the hypothesis that the ores are sediments of a thermal reservoir, we suggest that the formation of basins at the ore layer base occurred as a result of hydrothermal (phreatic) explosions. The presence of tectonic breccia confirms the occurrence of fast high-pressure processes in the Tomtor Complex.

The morphology, chemical composition, and ore and heavy-mineral associations of gold from placers in the Ursky ore cluster and the less-studied Kasminsko-Chesnokovsky prospective area in northeastern Salair indicate numerous and diverse primary sources, as well as the presence of gold in intermediate reservoirs. Gold with a fineness of 970-1000‰ is predominantly hypergenically altered. The placers have formed primarily from quartz, quartz-carbonate, and quartz-(carbonate)-sulfide veins and stockworks of the main gold mineralization stage, including mineralization superimposed on barite-polymetallic ores with fine and finely dispersed gold in the Ursky ore cluster, and on basic dikes. Another source of gold is metasomatite (carbonate-mica, quartzite, and quartz-albite-epidote rocks with rutile), which either accompanies gold ore bodies or is indirectly associated with them. Differences in the typomorphic properties of the placer gold are due to varying contributions from these primary sources. In the placers of the upper reaches of the Ur and Zvonchikha rivers, the source is likely gold mineralization predominantly superimposed on basic dikes. This gold exhibits high fineness (>910‰) and contains copper impurities (up to 1-6 wt.%), as well as an inclusion of Pd telluride in one instance. Quartzite is another potential source of Au (as observed at the Kopna deposit). In the lower part of the Ur River placer, the fineness of Au and the proportion of copper-bearing gold decrease, while gold with mercury impurities is more frequently encountered. The gold mineralization here is probably superimposed on polymetallic mineralization or localized within rocks of the Pecherkinsky complex. The presence of gold with fineness below 820‰ (as at the Iyunsky deposit) indicates polymetallic gold-bearing mineralization. Sources for the gold in the Chesnokovka and Kurnichikha river placers, besides mineralization associated with basic dikes, include mineralization characterized by gold with a fineness of 820-910‰ (including rather small and fine gold), which typically contains mercury impurities. These could be quartz veins and metasomatites developed in terrigenous rocks of the Suenginsky Formation, known within the area. Inclusions in gold from placers of the Kasminsko-Ursky ore district are represented by minerals from sulfide ores, metasomatites, and weathering crusts. Unlike gold from the Ursky ore cluster, gold from the Kasminsko-Chesnokovsky area contains no inclusions of copper minerals (chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, and tennantite), which are common in pyrite-polymetallic ores. The typomorphic properties of gold from the Aprelsky deposit reflect multiple sources, including quartz veins, metasomatites in rocks of the Pecherkinsky Formation, and possibly mineralization superimposed on polymetallic ores. The sources of gold for the Khristinovskaya Yama placer are likely diverse and similar to those for the Ur and Zvonchikha river placers. An isoferroplatinum grain from the Khristinovskaya Yama placer can be classified as the Vilyui type.

In the new paradigm of the Russian oil and gas industry, much attention is paid to small hydrocarbon fields. This statement increases the requirements for the accuracy of small-scale anticlinal trap’s resources estimation. Such estimations can be made by probabilistic estimation of resources, taking into account the probabilities of the field existence. The objective of the research is the development of the scientific approach to quantifying the uncertainties associated with the existence and geometric parameters of small-scale anticlinal hydrocarbon traps mapped by modern 3D seismic exploration. The main method of solving this problem is stochastic modeling of structural uncertainties based on errors of structural mapping. The results of the study are summarized as follows. The probability functions of the trap’s area are determined by the intensity and size of the velocity anomalies, as well as the parameters of the trap itself and the nature of its structural environment. The distributions of the structural closure areas can be described by functions with both positive and negative asymmetry. The lognormal distribution is just one of the possible options. For small-scale hydrocarbon traps, their amplitude is comparable to the thickness of a productive reservoir; therefore, a change in the amplitude of the trap determines a change in the weighted average oil-gas-saturated thickness. As a result of the modeling, a positive relationship was established between variations in the anticline traps areas and their amplitudes. Accordingly, this relationship must be taken into account during the probabilistic assessment of the resources of this kind of the hydrocarbon traps. Otherwise, there may be a significant reduction in the range of uncertainty in resource estimates. Stochastic modeling of structural uncertainties is also a method of estimating the probability of the existence of anticlinal traps mapped by seismic exploration.

The paper describes methods for the three-dimensional interpretation of gravitational and magnetic anomalies, taking into account the relief of the Earth’s surface. Parallel algorithms for solving gravimetry and magnetometry forward problems (calculating field values from sources) are programmatically implemented for personal computers with graphics accelerators. Based on these algorithms, methods for solving inverse problems on correctness sets were developed. When modeling, sources of anomalies of arbitrary shape are approximated by a dense regular grid, the elements of which are parallelepipeds. Methods for identifying anomalies and localizing sources in the Earth’s crust, calculating their physical parameters were applied in modeling the structure of the Kraka ultrabasic massifs in the Southern Urals with an area 50 × 80 km². The height of the mountain ranges in this area reaches 1043 m, and the difference in relief heights is more than 500 m.

The political vectors of the eastern trend of Russia within the framework of Greater Eurasia are considered. The necessity and importance of its cartographic support has been proved. It is proposed to create the Atlas of Asian Russia (Siberia and the Far East) in digital and printed versions in 2024-2029 by the institutions of the eastern branches of RAS and universities. The atlas will be created on the model of academic atlases created and released by the V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography in recent decades. Developed content, structure, technical conditions of preparation of the Atlas. The atlas will consist of two volumes - «Archaeology, history, natural and cultural heritage» and «Nature, society, economy, ecological environment», from territorial blocks of different spatial level of cartography and modules, separated by thematic content. There are three two-year stages in the creation of the Atlas.

The article presents the experience of creating an atlas information system (AIS) that provides the collection, storage, processing of geodata and automated compilation of thematic maps according to user requests. The territory of Asian Russia, which is actively being developed and dynamically integrating into the Asia-Pacific region, was chosen as the object of cartographic research. AIS is intended to be a scientific reference system, subcontinental in territorial scope, and socio-economic in content. The information, technological and organizational structures of an AIS consisting of a database based on the ArcGIS software environment and four subsystems are described: an access subsystem; a geodata formalization subsystem; a subsystem of cartographic queries and a subsystem of cartographic reports. The information content of AIS is based on the materials of the state statistics. The technological basis is a server, a workstation with licensed ArcGIS software and cartographic workstations connected by a corporate network of BINM SB RAS. The access subsystem provides regulated access to cartographic resources and management tools in accordance with rights based on the system of classification and coding of mapping objects. The geodata formalization subsystem is designed to collect cartographic materials, evaluate their quality and content, vectorize and catalog the created information resources. The subsystem of requests for cartographic resources allows the formation of requests that meet the specified topological criteria and qualitative and quantitative conditions. The subsystem of cartographic reports provides compilation and interactive editing of thematic maps for various purposes and the required scale, as well as creation of any graphic materials and preparation of cartographic reports and presentations. For a comprehensive representation of the territory, a system of territorial and administrative mapping levels has been developed: the state level (:10 000 000-1:20 000 000); the district level (1:5 000 000-1:10 000 000); the subjective level (1:1 000 000-1:5 000 000); the administrative level (:500 000-1:1 000 000). A system of socio-economic indicators has been formed to map the socio-economic dynamics of Asian Russia, a methodology for mapping socio-economic processes based on a statistical data warehouse has been developed, and an example of compiling a thematic map is presented.

Atlas is a system of geographical maps, organically linked and complementary to each other. Previously, the atlas was printed in traditional paper format, limited to a limited number of copies and distributed through a certain network of subscribers. It is shown that with the development of information technology, there is a possibility to present an atlas in the form of a web-application of the Internet. Several advantages of web-access to the atlas are considered: a larger number of users, dynamic map display, constant updating of data, regular addition of new maps and so on. Implementation of computing services in the atlas allows users to carry out operational analysis of data, to display information in different temporal or spatial slices etc. which greatly expands the range of tasks for which an atlas can be useful. The method of composition of services has been developed, which allows to create maps. The methodology forms compositions of services based on statistics of use of services by users, metadata of services and ontologies. It was concluded that the application of the methodology can greatly simplify the creation of new maps and allow to create cartographic works according to user requests. It is also shown that the developed methodology allows atlas users to rapidly apply analysis techniques to atlas data, create new maps and provide software access to data based on standards using a single directory system and search data based on their metadata descriptions, allows users to apply various tools in the form of services for operational data processing, display of information in different time or space positions, i.e. expands the possibilities of using atlas for a wide range of tasks.

Prediction of vegetation fire occurrence, development and effects is impossible without maps containing pyrological characteristics of vegetation fuels (VF). The forest fire maps created in Russia during forest inventory management reflect the fire hazard of forest areas only in a rough integrated form and are intended for fire prevention arrangement of territories, and not for the purpose of fire behavior prediction. Analysis of the international VF mapping experience has shown that it is difficult to borrow it due to historically established approaches to the pyrological classification of vegetation in different countries. In Russia, the VF classification, which made it possible to create multi-scale VF maps, was developed at the V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the basis of many years of fundamental pyrological research. Examples of information databases have been created for making large-scale VF maps for the Chunsky Forest Office in the Krasnoyarsk Angara region and nature reserves: “Stolby” (now a national park), Sayano-Shushensky, Kuznetsky Alatau, Ubsunur basin. Software programs have been developed and registered for predicting fire occurrence, development and immediate effects based on VF maps, which makes it possible to prevent fires, and when they occur, to make optimal plans for their control and suppression, taking into account their possible development from surface to crown or ground fires, as well as to assess the possible tree mortality in stands of different tree species. The article provides an example of a VF map for the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve, made in a GIS system using forest inventory data.

Achieving of long-term economic development is impossible without relying on high-tech business (HTB). It is high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies that contribute to the emergence and implementation of technological changes in the economy, which determine the transition to a higher level of development. The HTB companies’ development is the subject of numerous studies, with the regional level of analysis being particularly emphasized. Existing studies of Russian HTB show significant differentiation in regional development, they also identify characteristics of the regional environment that provide favorable conditions for the activities of high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies. The spatial distribution of Russian high-tech and knowledge-intensive companies is extremely uneven. The most successful companies are located in a limited number of regions, while there are differences between the European and Asian parts of Russia. Given the importance of the geographical level of the analysis, this article is aimed at substantiating the need to single out the geographical distribution of HTB as an independent subject of analysis. This paper presents a generalization of existing approaches to the analysis of the development of Russian HTB at the regional level, which reveals how the spatial factor is taken into account in the study of Russian practice. It is shown that despite the regional aspect of the analysis, the region is often considered as a combination of certain economic conditions, and not as a geographical unit. Thus, especially taking into account the great geographical diversity of Russian regions, there is a need for additional analysis of the inequality of regional development of HTB in terms of the geographical distribution of high-tech and knowledge-intensive activities. At the same time, the need to single out the regions of Asian Russia as a separate object of analysis is emphasized, since the trends in the development of HTB in this territory have their own distinctive features.

The article examines the evolution of scientific cartography in Russia and the mapping of Siberia and the Far East by academic and government expeditions of the XVIII - first half of the XIX century as relevant processes. Materials from the scientific heritage of the expeditions are analyzed from modern theoretical and methodological positions and the historical dynamics of cartography in Russia is traced. It is revealed that the form and content of cartographic works of the participants of the Russian expeditions of the first half of the XVIII century (D.G. Messerschmidt, the First and Second Kamchatka, etc.) indicate the formation of cartography as a science, its further evolution is associated with the results of the expeditions of the 1760s-1790s, and a new stage in the development of cartography is marked by the scientific works of G.A. Sarychev, I.F. Krusenstern and Yu.F. Lisyansky, F.P. Wrangell, F.P. Litke and other travelers of the first half of the XIX century.

The article examines the history of missionary development in Siberia and the Russian Far East from the late 16th to the early 20th centuries. Orthodox missionary activity of ascetics and saints significantly influenced the structuring of the entire space of Russia, contributed to the emergence of new areas, development centers and transport axes. In the developed areas, a symbiosis of religion and economy arose, reflected in the unique features of the sacred cultural landscape. A map of Orthodox missionary work in Siberia and the Russian Far East, as well as in adjacent foreign territories (China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, etc.) has been compiled. The map shows the centers of missionary distribution in different time periods, educational institutions with missionary programs, places of activity of the most famous missionaries, as well as spiritual missions (Altai, Kyrgyz, Daurian, Kamchatka, Mongolian, Beijing, Korean, Japanese, Kodiak).

Land cover/land use maps compiled from remote sensing data provide information on vegetation types, existing land use, and their dynamics in an understandable language for solving management problems. To map the land cover of Asian Russia, the MODIS Land Cover Type map for 2023 with a spatial resolution of 0,05 degrees (17 classes) was intersected with the ecoregion map (42 regions). As a result of interpreting 399 region/class combinations obtained during the intersection, using thematic maps (landscape, vegetation, etc.) and space images from open sources, a hierarchical classification of land cover types and a corresponding map for the Asian part of Russia at a scale of 1:2 000 000 were compiled. The classification includes 6 types of natural zones and 76 types of land cover. The map can have practical value for territorial management at different levels and also serve as basic overview information for non-geographer specialists.

The article examines the challenges of mapping political-geographic processes and phenomena in the Asian part of Russia. It presents conceptual approaches to atlas mapping in political geography within the framework of preparing a special section, “Political Geography of Asian Russia”, for the forthcoming “Atlas of Asian Russia”. The political-geographic phenomena identified as the most significant subjects for cartographic representation include political boundaries, international cooperation among regions of Asian Russia, geopolitical phenomena, electoral events, and various aspects of regional identity. The cartographic representation of these processes reveals territories with multi-level overlapping factors influencing the political situation in the area under consideration. It is noted that both statistical data and constructs derived from their analysis can be subjects of cartographic representation. The article features maps such as “Electoral Behavior of Residents in the Baikal Regions during the All-Russian Vote on Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation” and “Ethnic Diversity and Ethno-Administrative Divisions in the Asian Part of Russia”.

The article discusses the methodology and content of the maps in the botanical section of the new cartographic work “Atlas of Asian Russia”. In the thematic structure of the Atlas, maps of the botanical section occupy a special place among natural objects, revealing many aspects of biodiversity in its broadest manifestation at different levels of biota organization. The main themes of the maps in this section focus on the inventory of vegetation cover. The central place is traditionally occupied by a scientific reference overview map of the current vegetation of the Trans-Ural part of Russia, compiled within the framework of the methodology of the Siberian (Irkutsk) school of geobotanical mapping, founded by acad. V.B. Sochava. The map is compiled using a set of scientific data, the most important of which are: regional and overview geobotanical maps, materials from remote sensing of the Earth, and scientific publications on geobotany and floristics, as well as the stock materials of the V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The section will feature new types and themes of maps related to the biodiversity of Asian Russia. In this series, there will be an integrated map of the new generation “Biomes”, which, on a single scientific and methodological basis, displays ecosystems and biota diversity of lowland and mountainous territories in accordance with the bioclimatic parameters of the regions, taking into account the altitude belt in the mountains. The maps will be accompanied by texts, drawings, and graphs that complement their main content.

Within the framework of the development of the project “Atlas of Asian Russia”, which provides for comprehensive mapping of the macroregion, it is necessary to solve the complex problem of providing a variety of relevant zoological information on such a vast territory of the country. The article analyzes the accumulated experience of multi-scale zoological mapping, the content of works on regional atlases of Siberia and the Far East, the main methodological approaches and problems of mapping. Based on the accumulated experience of compiling maps, the authors’ team will have to determine their clear connection with the developed theme of new types and plots of atlas maps. Zoological maps in the Atlas will be placed in three sections: “Nature”, “Economy” and “Ecological situation”.

Given the dispersion and dynamism of the Asian Russia’ modern nival glacial geosystems, it seems advisable to draw up a map reflecting the spatial areas of concentration of relief characteristics that contribute to the emergence and stability of modern glaciation under a certain climatic regime. Fragments of publicly available digital terrain models processed by the basic SAGA software are used to automatically calculate such characteristics. These indicators are: the general hypsometry, the predominant exposure of the slopes, and the internal dissection of the ridges. The latter characteristic is an integral indicator, including the distance between the watersheds and the steepness of the slopes. The distance between watersheds is calculated by automatically calculating the distance of each point in space from the nearest point (Overland Flow Distance to Channel Network tool) and manually linking reference points and known vertices. Thus, at the level of macro-regions, areas with the presence of modern glaciation are designated, and at the level of the main basins and larger areas with a combination of relief characteristics are reflected, under which glaciers are able to maintain their condition. This allows us to identify areas with geomorphological preconditions for the stability of the modern glaciation of Asian Russia on different scales and for different user challenges.

Rivers of Asian Russia are characterized by a great variety of channel formation conditions, sizes, water regime, geological and geomorphological structure of basins, runoff and sediment composition, morphodynamic types of channels. This determines complex geographical patterns of distribution of mountain, semi-mountain and plain rivers, incised and wide-floodplain, meandering, branched and relatively rectilinear channels, and each channel type with a different combination of natural factors and anthropogenic impacts on rivers differs in development features. General patterns, regional and local specifics of manifestations of channel processes are reflected on the channel processes map, which highlights areas of free or limited development of channel deformations, distribution of mountain and plain rivers, reflects morphodynamic types of channels, indicators of channel deformations and anthropogenic changes in river channels. For the main basins - the Ob, Yenisei, Lena and Amur - maps of channel processes have been compiled on a larger scale. The compilation of the maps is based on the methodology for mapping channel processes developed at Lomonosov Moscow State University in the 1980s and 1990s, refined and adjusted based on the latest research.

A methodological approach combining databases, economic and mathematical methods and geoinformation modeling technologies is proposed. Based on this complex, maps are constructed characterizing resources, infrastructure, factors and results of distribution of economic activity in the territory of the Asian part of Russia. The article discusses in detail an example and constructs a map for the territory of potential influence of a large infrastructure project and then demonstrates one of the maps obtained on the basis of the proposed approach for Asian Russia as a whole. Based on the combination of information layers using the obtained maps, the consistency of the development of different elements of the resource, production and infrastructure potential of Asian Russia is studied. The conclusion of the study was the confirmation of the spatial gap between the southern part of the east of the country, which has a developed transport infrastructure and a relatively high density of economic activity, and the northern territories of the Asian part of the country, where rich deposits are located and resource projects significant for the country as a whole are being implemented, but there is no transport infrastructure. The absence of all-season meridional roads makes it impossible for the southern zone to perform the functions of a production, service and scientific base for resource development and project implementation in the north. Visualization of the spatial imbalance of economic activity in Asian Russia on the map emphasizes the importance of transport and communication infrastructure for the prospects of not only the macro-region, but also for the country as a whole, which is currently solving the strategic task of reorienting business and launching the eastern vector of development.

The paper shows the capabilities of mapping as a way to visualize geospatial data that reflect technical, economic, and environmental indicators of energy production. The environmental performance of energy production is compared through a specific indicator of pollutant emissions released by energy facilities per energy unit produced. This characteristic of energy production largely depends on the mix of generating facilities, which reflects the proportion of energy sources of various types. Each of the subjects of Asian Russia has its energy infrastructure that combines both fuel and non-fuel power plants. The environmental performance of energy production significantly relies on the structure of fuel consumption, which also differs across various regions within Asian Russia. The paper presents diagrams and maps that demonstrate the environmental performance of energy production, making it possible to conduct comparative assessments. Differences in the structures of energy generation, fuel consumption, and emissions of pollutants are shown for various territories of Asian Russia. The use of mapping capabilities in energy system development studies, in conjunction with environmental and economic assessments, adds validity and improves the perception of analytical research results through the consideration of a wide range of indicators.

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the state and development of road transport in Siberia and the Far East, based on geoinformation mapping and statistical data. The study covers 24 regions of the Russian Federation, including the Siberian, Far Eastern federal districts, and part of the Ural Federal District. The research focuses on the following key aspects: road network density, transport accessibility of rural settlements, volumes of freight and passenger transportation, and the level of vehicle ownership among the population. The study highlights significant regional disparities: the most developed road infrastructure is observed in southern regions such as Omsk and Novosibirsk Oblasts, while northern territories, including the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, remain underdeveloped. Special attention is paid to the dynamics of freight transportation, which shows a decline in some regions, likely due to economic factors, while passenger transportation demonstrates growth, linked to the recovery of demand after the pandemic. Differences in vehicle ownership levels are also identified: high rates in Kamchatka and Primorsky Krais contrast with low values in the Republic of Tyva and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The findings emphasize the need for targeted measures, such as modernizing road infrastructure, developing logistics hubs, and supporting public transport, especially in remote and underdeveloped regions. The study contributes to the understanding of transport systems in Siberia and the Far East and may be useful for government authorities, transport companies, and researchers involved in regional development and transport planning.

The relevance of the study is determined by the important role of forests and various activities carried out in forests in the overall economic development of the Asian part of Russia. It meets the objectives of the Strategy for the Development of the Forest Complex of Russia until 2030. Statistical, comparative-analytical, cartographic, and geoinformation research methods were used for the study. It was determined that the forested area of the study territory is large and constitutes 78,1 % of the similar area in the country. Small-scale forest mapping of the territory was carried out in terms of the development of activities, and sample maps were compiled reflecting the priority and degree of their development within the boundaries of economic zones of forest development. Some key forest indicators (stock and annual increment of timber per unit of forested area, the share of commercial forests), reflecting the potential for the development of logging activities, were mapped within the boundaries of 26 forest districts. It has been determined that the relatively low forest production and timber reserve formation indicators, as well as the intensity of forest management development, are due to the harsh forest growth conditions in most of the region’s taiga geosystems.

The focus on the practical application of geographical knowledge is one of the main qualities of modern social geography and cartography. This article provides an overview of the cartographic experience of depicting the living conditions of people in Siberia as one of the main criteria for the quality of life, with the aim of applying it in the Atlas of the Asian part of Russia. The category «housing conditions» included mainly basic indicators of housing amenities, according to statistical observation (heating, hot and cold water supply, sewage disposal, electricity supply, and gas supply), as well as specific indicators of housing security, the introduction of new housing (in dynamics). For almost twenty years, a cartographic toolkit for the characteristics of housing conditions has been developed on the example of Siberian territories of various hierarchical status (macro-regional, regional, municipal): Russian and Mongolian territory of the Lake Baikal basin, the Baikal region, municipal districts of the Irkutsk region, the city of Irkutsk, etc. Scenario developments for the Asian part of the country include the regions of Western Siberia (the Altai Republic, Altai Krai, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, and Tyumen Oblasts, Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts (Yugra)) and Eastern Siberia (the Republics of Buryatia, Sakha (Yakutia), Tyva, Khakassia, Zabaykalsky and Krasnoyarsk Krais, and Irkutsk Oblast). The data used are from the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia and its regional offices (2023-2024) for these regions. Currently, the geography of housing well-being in Siberia is determined by three regions: the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi (Yugra) Autonomous Districts, and the Novosibirsk Region, where the indicators of housing improvement are higher (in the first two regions) or at the level of the national average.

Based on a combination of statistical and cartographic methods, the spatial and temporal features of socio-demographic processes and structures are studied, and the socio-demographic situation in the macroregion of Asian Russia is interpreted. Mapping of individual indicators (analytical maps) and types of socio-demographic situation (synthetic maps) in the macro-region is carried out. The main research method is multi-scale geoinformation mapping at hierarchically interconnected territorial levels: the macro-region of Asian Russia, interregional systems (a group of neighboring regions-subjects of the Russian Federation, large river basins), sub-regions (urban agglomerations). The information basis for mapping is Rosstat data, which are based on population censuses (2010 and 2020) and current population censuses. The proposed methods and results of the study are focused on multi-scale complex population mapping.

Taking into account the stated eastern priorities in social and economic development of the Russian Federation, spatial relationships between hydroclimatic characteristics and health indicators of the population of Asian Russia were investigated by creating multi-scale maps included in an integrated atlas and their analysis. The underlying characteristic is climate discomfort as a factor determining the zonation of the impact of climate on population health. As the most dangerous consequences of air pollution, oncological diseases have been identified, maps for cities of the Baikal region have been constructed. The role for health preservation and self-purification of water through indicators of ecological water potential was studied, using the example of the Angaro-Baikal basin. Research on climate change has been identified.

Benzapyrene (BP), which has carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic properties, determines the level of urban air pollution. The purpose of the study: based on cluster analysis, to identify risk areas for the development of congenital anomalies of the nervous system associated with atmospheric air pollution in children of the аsian part of Russia. Materials and methods. The research was conducted based on data from 2017-2023 in 22 subjects of the Russian Federation. The following were studied: atmospheric pollution index (IPA), BP content; the number of exposed population (EN). The frequency of congenital anomalies of the nervous system in children aged 0-14 years is calculated per 100,000 population (‰ _оо ) . It was found that the maximum BP levels were >100 MPC, the proportion of EN was 76,95 %, and the average incidence of congenital anomalies of the nervous system in children was 14,1 cases per ‰ _оо. Correlation coefficients have been calculated, confirming the connection of the congenital anomalies of the nervous system and BP, IPA. Six clusters have been identified, among which the most disadvantaged with high levels of pollution and high pollution (43,9 ‰ _оо) includes only the Irkutsk region. Risk zones are formed due to the peculiarities of weather conditions that contribute to the accumulation of pollutants, which requires the implementation of measures to reduce atmospheric air pollution.

The current geo-ecological situation in the territory of Asian Russia and its depiction on maps is considered as a result of the historical process of the territory and its natural resources development. The developed and compiled series of geo-ecological maps reflects the current living conditions of the population, the state of the territory’s ecological and resource potential, the nature and extent of anthropogenic impact, and the quality of the environment.

The current geo-ecological situation in the territory of Asian Russia and its depiction on maps is considered as a result of the historical process of the territory and its natural resources development. The developed and compiled series of geo-ecological maps reflects the current living conditions of the population, the state of the territory’s ecological and resource potential, the nature and extent of anthropogenic impact, and the quality of the environment.

Based on the geographical approach and concept of cross-border geosystems integrating heterogeneous spatial data, the role of thematic cartography in the formation of a single transboundary geographic information space of the South Far East and Northeast China is considered. The methodology of creation and integration of digital thematic layers was demonstrated, including maps of modern land use and its dynamics (2000 - 2024) and a map of geoecological tensions in the research area. It used GIS technology (ArcGIS), remote sensing data (Landsat), open global data sets (Global Forest Change, Global Surface Water, LandScan Population Database, OpenStreetMap, VIIRS Nighttime Lights), national statistics of the Russian Federation and PRC. The key results show that over the study period, 12 % of the area experienced land-use changes, the most significant of which were deforestation and reforestation, and agricultural land expansion. Significant differences were identified between the Russian and Chinese parts of the geosystems: in the Chinese territory there is a higher proportion of land with medium and high geoecological stress, which is related to intensive agricultural use and high population density. It is shown that the thematic maps created during the study not only visualize spatial data, but also become an analytical basis for monitoring, forecasting and management decisions in the field of sustainable development of border areas. The work confirms that thematic mapping within the framework of the creation of a transboundary geoinformation space allows to overcome methodological fragmentation of approaches, heterogeneity and fragmentation of data, ensuring consistent analysis on both sides of the border.

By synthesizing and interpreting the data collected over many decades by a large number of teams from the Melnikov Permafrost Institute, a mapping methodology was developed and a geocryological map was compiled for the entire territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) at a scale of 1:1 500 000. The geocryological map is of great scientific and practical significance for several reasons. It covers a vast territory of Yakutia where permafrost underlies over 90 % of the land resulting in particularly severe environmental conditions, incomparable to any other region of Russia. For areas with no or little previous research, the map is the only tool for preliminary assessment of geocryological conditions, as well as for formulation of research tasks for development projects. The detailed geocryological map also provides a useful basis for environmental assessment and monitoring, geocryological prediction, and resource management. The new geocryological map of Yakutia is a comprehensive summary of current knowledge on the differentiation of geological and permafrost characteristics which are depicted as separate layers (ground ice content, permafrost temperature, active layer thickness, geocryological processes). The map legend shows 18 lithology classes, 11 mean annual ground temperature/active layer thickness ratios and 4 ice-content classes, as well as typical geocryological processes.

The article considers methodological issues and results of mapping complex physical and geographical studies of the south of Central Siberia at a scale of 1:1 000 000. Physical and geographical studies include a set of cartographic methods of study (landscape, physical and geographical, modern agricultural land use, agro-landscape and assessment of agro-natural potential). To display the research results, a methodology based on the synthesis of methods for mapping natural geosystems and agro-landscapes was used. The methodological basis was the principles of the doctrine of geosystems by V.B. Sochava. Landscape mapping was based on the principles of constructing a hierarchical structure of geomers. Based on the synthesis of the contour grid of the typological map of geosystems, a scheme of physical and geographical zoning of the study area was developed. As a result of landscape mapping and physical and geographical zoning, agro-landscape studies were carried out. Their methodology was compiled in accordance with the specifics of the work aimed at studying agro-landscapes and analyzing agro-natural potential. The initial stage of agro-landscape research was an assessment of the current state, nature and level of use of land resources, where, along with natural geosystems, agro-landscapes are reflected. The final stage, based on previous maps, was an assessment and mapping of the agro-natural potential of geosystems, with an exit to the development of recommendations and justification of ways to optimize the use of the agro-natural potential of the south of Central Siberia.

The article notes that one of the serious environmental problems in the south of Siberia is associated with the widespread processes of soil erosion, causing a decrease in soil fertility and a reduction in the area of arable land. Its solution is possible through the introduction of zonal systems of anti-erosion agriculture based on the knowledge of the mechanisms of erosion processes, their intensity and territorial distribution. The source of such information is soil erosion maps. They assess the scale of the modern development of soil erosion and deflation processes, provide quantitative information on the average annual losses from erosion (t/ha per year). The basic foundation of modern mapping of erosion-hazardous lands are quantitative models of erosion processes. The possibility of using models for the territory under consideration has been verified by data from field experimental studies, which have shown a high correlation coefficient of measured and calculated values. The authors have compiled maps of the distribution of zones with different intensities of rain and melt washout, gully erosion and soil deflation in the main agricultural enclaves of Eastern Siberia. The maps serve as a basis for choosing a land use policy. They can be used to assess the sustainability of landscapes and to solve various environmental problems. Currently, the role of agricultural erosion is increasing as a factor in the redistribution of matter on the earth’s surface and the main supplier of sediments and chemical elements to rivers and reservoirs. Therefore, ecological-erosion maps are supplemented by mapping of litho-catchment basins. Such work is carried out by the V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and they have a great future.

Socio-economic and natural processes and phenomena, such as the existing land use and resource management system, existing biological diversity, dynamic natural processes, interaction of various socio-economic factors, investment efficiency and the current environmental situation stimulate the emergence of various economic activities, influence the functional distribution of land and in the future on regional economic and environmental policy formation. These features, taking into account the identified factors, are considered on the basis of an integrated (quantitative and qualitative) assessment of their relationship with the subsequent identification of socio-economic situations, calculation of investment performance indicators and mapping of regional and intraregional differences. The task of sharing, generating and cartographic interpretation of regional socio-economic statistics and data with spatial distribution not related to administrative boundaries is addressed. The Baikal region has been chosen as the model territory. Methods of geoinformation modelling, mathematical and comparative analysis of geographical and statistical spatial and temporal data and interpretation mapping are used. Areas with different types of environmental land use policies (legal environmental, natural and resource factors of environmental policy) are identified, which are then compared with the identified regional socio-economic features of the territory development, shown in the example of investment efficiency. As a result, a map-scheme of development of the regional environmental policy of land use in the Baikal region has been drawn up, which is part of the future atlas of Asian Russia.

An assessment of the spatiotemporal dynamics of air temperature over the territory of the Tyva Republic was carried out for a 64-year period (1961-2024). The data used were ERA5 reanalysis data with a spatial resolution of 0,25×0,25°. The maximum temperature increase rate of 1 °C per 10 years was observed in autumn (September-October). The highest warming intensity of 0,6 °C per 10 years was recorded at elevations of 500-1000 m a. s. l. At elevations of 2200 m and higher, the maximum winter temperature anomaly of 1.28 °C was recorded on northeastern slopes in the Verkhne-Khemchiksky District. Maps of winter and summer temperatures across forest-growing (natural) districts, considering elevation levels, were created using Google Earth Engine.

In Russia, the basis for implementing water management measures are the Schemes of Integrated Use and Protection of Water Bodies (SIUPW), involving the systematized materials on the state of water bodies and their use within the boundaries of river basins. In the framework of SIUPW, a set of situation, evaluation, executive and forecasting maps (scales: 1:1 000 000-1:100 000), generally complying with the methodology of the Atlas of Asian Russia, is developed. In 2025, the series of SIUPW evaluation maps for the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Angara, Khatanga, Pyasina and Nizhnyaya Taimyr river basins was updated via using the integrated methodology. Based on cartographic analysis, these maps allow to identify the areas with specific water use problems and determine the causes of their origin and severity, and, as a result, to develop a prioritized list of address water management and water protection measures.

The article is of a scientific and methodological nature. It outlines the currently applied principles for mapping the thermal regime characteristics of rivers. The paper enumerates and analyzes the problems associated with the data from stationary monitoring used in mapping, proposes solutions to address these issues, and suggests methods for identifying the most up-to-date data under current climatic conditions. Additionally, it examines visualization techniques for thermal regime characteristics, existing challenges in drawing isolines and delineating thermally homogeneous zones, and offers various methods to improve the accuracy of such mapping. The discussion separately covers techniques for verifying the reliability of the resulting cartographic materials. As an example of the successful implementation of the authors’ proposed ideas - based on experience in constructing river thermal regime maps - new maps of mean monthly water temperatures and heat flux modulus are presented. These maps can serve as tools for estimating mean monthly water temperatures and assessing heat flux in hydrologically unstudied rivers.

Water management mapping, as an independent direction in cartography, is being currently developed. The analysis of the related cartographic materials demonstrates a variety of the displayed information, its demand and relevance. Modern technical and technological means ensure the productive and high-quality implementation of geoinformation and cartographic modeling at different hierarchical levels (macroregional, regional and subregional) of water management organization when solving fundamental scientific and scientific-practical problems. In the article, the peculiarities of calculating and mapping the estimates of potential and actual water availability, anthropogenic load and inventory of water pollution sources are considered by the examples of macroregional and regional levels, i.e. the Ob-Irtysh basin and Kuzbass of the Kemerovo Region. Brief descriptions of building the cartographic models and structuring the thematic databases and initial information, as well as rating categories for decision-makers are presented.

This paper examines a methodology for creating a map of average water suspended sediment concentration (SSC) using rivers in the Lena River basin as an example. This method combines actual observation data from gauges, their spatial interpolation, and multivariate relationships with 69 catchment areas. The paper presents the results of a detailed analysis of the initial sediment runoff data, their consistency with long-term fluctuations in river water content, their reliability and completeness, anthropogenic disturbances in the homogeneity of the series, and other factors that affect the reliability of mapping, as well as the choice of the averaging period. In total, the Lena River basin has 96 stations with sediment runoff data for at least one year. Average water SSC characteristics are presented (on a traditional map) as point data in nine gradations. The modeled water SSC map is based on statistical relationships between average water SSC at 53 stations for the period 1978-2021 and 69 factors of its formation, assessed for their catchments in a GIS environment. Generalized for 697 small and medium-sized river catchments and based on six areal gradations of water SSC, the map represents a qualitatively new approach to water SSC mapping in terms of spatial detail. The maps reveal the main spatial patterns of average water SSC distribution and its key factors in the Lena River basin (mountainous areas and mining activities) and characterize the decrease in river SSC compared to maps from the second half of the 20th century.