Department of Landscape Geochemistry and Soil Geography

Full-member of Russian Academy of Science, Prof. Nicolai S. Kasimov

It was founded in 1946 by Professor Innokentii Petrovich Gerasimov as the Department of Soil Geography, since 1949 – the Department of Soil Geography and Cartography, 1959-1974 - the Department of Landscape Geochemistry and Soil Geography.
The Department was headed by:
Academician of the USSR Academy of Science - I.P. Gerasimov (1946-1949, 1954-1959);
Honoured Science Worker of Russian Federation, Professor U.A. Liverovskii (1949-1953);
Honoured Science Worker of Russian Federation, Honoured Professor of Moscow State University M.A. Glazovskaya (1959-1987);
Full-member of Russian Academy of Science, Doctor of Geography, Professor Nicolai S. Kasimov has been heading the Department since 1987.

Teaching and research staff:

Professors: N.S. Kasimov ( Landscape Geochemistry), A.N. Gennadiev (Geochemistry, Soil Evolution and Preservation), M.I. Gerasimova (Micromorphology, Soil Cartography), professor-consultant M.A. Glazovskaya (Soil Geography of Soils and Landscape Geochemistry).

Assistant professors: T.M. Belyakova (Medical Geochemistry), I.A. Gorbunova (Soil Chemistry and Soil Geography), P.P. Krechetov (Soil Chemistry).

Senior lecturers: D.L. Golovanov (Geochemical Ecology and Geoinformation Systems).

Leading associate researchers: A.P. Vorojeikin (Geoinformation Systems), N.E. Kosheleva (Mathematical Modelling of Landscape and Geochemical Processes), U.I. Pikovskii (Hydrocarbons in Biosphere).

Associate researchers: M.D. Bogdanova ( Soil Cartography), N.A. Budantseva (Isotope Researching of ice, meteoric water and soils), T.M. Dianova (Geochemistry Researching), M.F. Dorohova (Biology of Soils), L.B. Isachenkova (Geochemistry of Landscapes), T.V. Koroleva, E.M. Nikiforova (Geochemistry of Anthropogenic Landscapes), U.V. Proskuryakov (Geochemistry of Landscapes, Assessment of Cosmic Engineering Impact on Landscapes), T.A. Puzanova (Soil Evolution), M.E. Ramenskaya (Geochemistry of Mineral Formation), O.A. Samonova (Geochemistry of Landscapes), U.N. Chijova (Isotope Researching of ice, meteoric water and soils).

Career opportunities: soil and geography scientists, landscape scientists and geochemists able to work in scientific, planning organizations and other institutions. The Department has passed to new specialization - geo-ecology - since 2004. “Geo-ecology of oil and gas” was created as separate educational program in 2002.
Graduates of the Department get broad geographical education combined with special knowledge in geochemistry of the environment and chemistry of soils. They are experts in different methods of research in such fields as: analytical chemistry, cartography, mathematic modelling and geo-information systems. Graduates are involved in problems of ecological and geochemistry analysis, oil and heavy metals pollution of the environment, oil and gas environmental impact assessment, geochemical methods for mineral prospecting.

Main courses\Curriculum: geography of soils with fundamentals of soil science, geochemistry of landscapes, soils and soil resources of the world, geochemistry of natural and technogenic landscapes, geochemical methods for mineral prospecting, environmental monitoring, biogeochemistry, physical and chemical methods of soil and landscape research, chemistry and mineralogy of soils, geochemistry of oil and gas, geo-information technologies etc.

Research divisions: Laboratory of Landscape Geochemistry ( N.S. Kasimov), Laboratory of Carbonaceous Substances of the Biosphere (A.N. Gennadiev), Laboratory of Soil and Geochemical research ( P.P. Krechetov), Laboratory of Ecological Safety ( A.P. Vorojeikin).

Directions of research: elaboration of theory, methods and methodology of landscape geochemistry and geography of soils, soil and landscape-geochemical regionalization and cartography, geochemistry of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other principal pollutants in natural and anthropogenic landscapes, genesis, evolution and prognosis of soil surface condition; soil formation and soil remediation, geo-ecology of oil and gas.

Main accomplished research: theoretical fundamentals of geochemistry of natural and technogenic landscapes, landscape and soil evolution, stability and resistance of ecosystems to anthropogenic geochemical impact. The following data have been received: rates of soil-geochemical processes, patterns of microelements behaviour, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), oil and rocket fuels components in natural environment and also landscape responses to different types of technogenic impacts. Eco-geochemical evaluation of spots where rocket sections filled with toxic fuel fall was carried out. Eco-geochemistry of some industrial cities and oil-fields was studied. Soil maps of the world, Russia and contiguous territories, prognosis maps of pollutant behaviour in landscapes of different areas were developed.

Future research activities: elaboration of theory and methodology for the analysis of natural and technogenic environment and simulating geochemical barriers, eco-geochemical evaluation, prognosis and monitoring of the environment, eco-geochemical issues of space rockets activity, development of scientific basics for soil protection, assessment of soil cover alterations and management of its development, evolutional geography of soils.

Scientific and academic contacts are developed with various institutes of Russian Academy of Science, Ministry of Natural Resources, Rushydrometeocentre, Academy of Agriculture, Russian Space Agency, Defence Ministry of Russian Federation, oil-extracting companies etc.

International relations are realized with universities and research institutes of the USA (Illinois и Wisconsin universities), the Netherlands ( Wageningen and Delft Universities, Institute of aero-space researches and earth sciences), Germany, Sweden, Mongolia, China, India. Joint science projects with universities of the Netherlands, the USA, Belgium, teaching of post-graduates and probationers from foreign countries, participation in international conferences, symposia, work groups, collaboration with international organizations (European UN committee, UNEP, UNESCO, FAO).

Major publications:
Bashkin V.N. Biogeochemistry. Educational supplies.2004
Bashkin V.N., Kasimov N.S. Biogeochemistry. 2004.
Bogdanova M.D., Gavrilova I.P., Gerasimova M.I. Small-scaled soil and geochemical mapping. M.:2008.
Ecogeochemistry of urban landscapes. Edited by N.S. Kasimov. 1995.
Gavrilova I.P., Gerasimova M.I., Bogdanova M.D. Soil map of Russia, scale 1:15 000000. National Atlas of Russia in 4 volumes. Volume 1. M.: Ruscartography, 2004.
Gavrilova I.P., Gerasimova M.I., Bogdanova M.D. Soil map of Russia, scale 1:15 000000. National Atlas of Russia in 4 volumes. Volume 2. M.: Ruscartography, 2007.
Gennadiev A.N. Soils and time: simulation of development. 1990.
Gennadiev A.N., Glazovskaya M.A. Soil geography with basics of soil science. M.: High school. 2008.
Gennadiev A.N., Pikovskii U.I., Golovanov D.L. Ability of Soils, polluted with oil and oil-containing products,for self-regeneration.1: 30 000 000. National Atlas of Russia in 4 volumes. Volume 2. M.: Ruscartography, 2007.
Geochemical barriers in hypergene zone. Edited by N.S. Kasimov, Vorobiev A.V.2002.
Geochemistry of the biosphere. Edited by N.S. Kasimov. Moscow-Smolensk. Oikumena. 2006..
Geochemistry of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rock and soils. Edited by A.N. Gennadiev, U.I. Pikovskii. 1996.
Gerasimova M.I., Stroganova M.N., Prokofieva T.V., Mojarova N.V.. Anthropogenic soils. Smolensk, Oikumena, 2003. 266 p.
Gerasimova M.I. Geography of soils in Russia. M.: MSU Publishing house, 2007.312 p.
Glazovskaya M.A. Geochemical basics of typology and methods of natural landscape research. 2002.
Glazovskaya M.A. Geochemistry of natural and technogenic landscapes of the USSR. 1988, (2007).
Glazovskaya M.A. Methodological basics for evaluation of eco-geochemical resistance of soils to technogenic impact. 1997.
Glazovskaya M.A. Pedolithogenesis and continental cycles of carbon. M.: USSR. 2009.
Kasimov N.S. Geochemistry of steppe and desert landscapes. 1988.
Kosheleva N.E. Simulation of soil and geochemical landscape processes. Educational studies. M., MSU Publishing house, 1997.
Konratiev A.D., Krechetov P.P., Koroleva T.V. Providing ecological security for lands where rocket sections fall. M.: Pelikan. 2007.
Kurbatova A.S., Bashkin V.N., Kasimov N.S., Nikiforova E.M. Urban Ecology. M.: Science world, 2004. 620 p.
Oil fields and surrounding territory of Kaliningrad region. V.1. Land. Edited by U.S. Kajdoyan, N.S. Kasimov. Kaliningrad, Amber skaz,2008. 360 p.
Perel’man A.I., Kasimov N.S. Geochemistry of landscape. 1999.
Pikovskii U.I. Natural and technogenic flows of hydrocarbons in the environment. 1993.
Soil map of Russia and contiguous countries. Scale 1: 4 000 000. Edited by M.A. Glazovskaya. 1995.
Solntseva N.P. Oil extraction and geochemistry of natural landscapes. 1998.