Students of the master’s program at St. Petersburg State University completed a training expedition to the training ground of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. Young specialists in the field mastered methods for studying ice cover that are used in real polar expeditions. The three-day practice took place at the unique Ladoga base, which has long established itself as a forge of personnel for working in high latitudes.
Under the leadership of the head of the AARI laboratory, Boris Ivanov, participants in the FOBOS program conducted a comprehensive survey of lake ice and snow. The program included measurements of albedo, density and temperature, as well as laboratory analysis of cores for the content of nutrients, alkalinity level and chlorophyll-a concentration. All work was carried out strictly according to the protocols adopted at the institute for real scientific missions in the Arctic.
The internship became a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts. Konstantin Smirnov and Roman Vinogradov introduced students to the specifics of research on the Arctic shelf. Sergey Kashin revealed the features of work in the Southern Ocean. Viktor Kharitonov showed how ice data forms the basis of predictive models. Andrey Bezgreshnov shared his practical skills in field measurements, honed over the years of expeditions.
The results of student research will not remain within the walls of the laboratory. The materials will form the basis of theses that young scientists will present at the XXII Great Geographical Festival. For the participants of the practice, this is their first serious entry onto the professional stage and an opportunity to make themselves known in the scientific community.
The Ladoga base has once again confirmed its role as a key link in training a new generation of polar explorers. The synthesis of modern infrastructure and the experience of recognized AARI experts allows students to make confident first step into the profession, associated with the study of the harshest regions of the planet.
Source: @aari_official
Image: Department of Oceanology, St. Petersburg State University
