TOMSK, December 27. /TASS/. Russian scientists plan a sledge-tractor expedition to the Laptev Sea for 2023. They want to study processes on the shelf and to make a 3D map of the submarine permafrost, the Tomsk State University's press service said.

"The geography of studies, planned by the consortium ('Earth's Global Changes: Climate, Ecology, Quality of Life' is involved in Arctic studies to model climate and consequences from the warming - TASS) for year 2023, promises to be even bigger than it has been in the outgoing year," the press service said. "For example, a big group of researchers will go on a sled-tractor expedition to the Laptev Sea. The team will represent the Tomsk State University, the Ilyichev Pacific Oceanology Institute (the Russian Academy of Sciences' Far Eastern Branch), the Moscow State University, the Melnikov Permafrost Institute (the Academy's Siberian Branch)."

First of all, the scientists want to see the permafrost's roof. Its thawed zones can be of different depths, including through zones - in the latter case, there are massive bubble emissions of methane. It is important for the researchers to make their 3D map. The experts will be using various modifications of the electromagnetic method.

"The scientific tasks we are facing are to study general transport and transformation mechanisms of organic and terrestrial matter inside the land-shelf-atmosphere system. We are planning a complex of studies: bio-geo-chemical, geo-physical and geological to identify the mechanism of carbon cycle violations depending on the permafrost conditions," the press service quoted Igor Semiletov, the expedition's one of organizers, working at the Tomsk State University and at the Ilyichev Pacific Oceanology Institute.

It is important for the scientists to understand methane emissions reasons to realize what gas reservoirs may be involved in the modern bio-geo-chemical cycle, what volumes may be emitted, and how this may affect the environment. Of all carbon compounds, methane has an increased coefficient of climatic activity and has a significant impact on the climate transformation.

Other expeditions

The consortium has planned for August - November a comprehensive expedition to four Arctic seas - the Kara, East Siberian, Chukchi and Laptev Seas to study carbon cycle features. The trip will continue the studies, which the consortium has begun in 2022. During the long-term monitoring, experts will sample water, soil, and vegetation not only in the Arctic, but also in a significant part of West Siberia. The works will continue at stations of different scientific centers.

Scientists plan a winter expedition to Lake Ladoga, to conduct research on the Ob River in Kaibasovo, and a number of other major projects to study the carbon cycle imbalance, which causes increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

"One of the directions <...> is the study microplastic contamination in different ecosystems. In 2023, biologists of the Tomsk State University will take part in three expeditions and will collect samples at great Russian rivers - the Ob and the Volga. They will collect snow samples on a large territory from Tomsk to Tazovsky to assess the atmospheric transport of microplastics," the press service said.

In April 2023, the Tomsk State University will host an international forum of associations and consortia of the Northern Territories. This is one of the key events during Russia's chairmanship in the Arctic Council in 2021-2023.

The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental organization of the Arctic states. Its members are Russia, Denmark (together with Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Iceland, Canada, Norway, the USA, Finland and Sweden. In 2021, the year of the organization's 25th anniversary, the two-year chairmanship in it passed from Iceland to the Russian Federation. About 35 events are due in 2023 within Russia's chairing term.