Hydrographic Society Russia

News
The First Atlas of Lake Ladoga
A atlas of Lake Ladoga, an ancient gulf of the Baltic Sea, has recently been published. It was edited in St Petersburg under the leadership of Hydrographic Society of Russia (HSR) member Rear-Admiral (Ret.) Alexandr I. Sorokin. This work was carried out mainly by the Institute of Limnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The material prepared by the Hydrographic Service of the Navy (particularly large-scale charts of bottom relief) was under the control of the HSR members who were members of the editorial board. Some HSR members also took part both in the ship surveys and chart compilation. V. A. Rumyanrsev, director of the Institute of Limnology, was the Chief Editor of the atlas, which was printed at the Military Map Printing Works.
This publication reflects the results of long-term investigations carried out in the spheres of geomorphology, hydrology, hydrochemical conditions and aquatic biota.
The series of more than 200 charts show the principal factors and processes influencing the state of this important ecological system in north-west Russia. A detailed topographic map of Lake Ladoga on eight sheets (at a scale 1:100,000) is included in the atlas as a supplement.
The atlas is intended to be used in planning of the economic activities in the region, to develop forecasting models of the influence of the increasing anthropogenic load on Lake Ladoga, and as a reference source to help solve a wide range of scientific and environmental protection problems.

Expedition along the Edge of the Ice
The Hydrographic Society of Russia (HSR) co-operates with the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) on a regular basis. On 25 March 2003 a joint meeting of the HSR and the RGS Polar Commission was held. The aim of this ‘round table’ was to consider the results of investigations of the bottom relief and sea ground along the ice edge in the eastern part of the Arctic waters. The expedition was launched and conducted by HSR members V. Raskatov, V. Kayevitser, O. Malov, V. Myatelkov and Yu. Yushkov. The investigations were carried out between June and November 2002. The purpose of the investigations was to support work done under the programme ‘Polarnet-Project’ for laying an optical fibre link for communication between continents. The report on the investigations made and the results received was delivered by the chief of the expedition, senior engineer of the project, Dr V. Raskatov from the joint stock company ‘Lenmorniiproekt’. He said that the investigations were carried out by two hydrographic vessels equipped with modern survey instruments. The vessels proceeded in the open water along the edge of the ice in opposite directions towards each other: one from the Bering Straight to the west, and the other from the Norwegian border to the east. The depths along the leg varied from 150 to 500 m. The accuracy of depth measurements and their coordinates met the requirements of the IHO standard S-44. Dr Raskatov noted that this was the first time complex surveys of this kind covering a sounding pattern up to one kilometre width had been made in this area. One of the results turned out to be unexpected for the surveyors: they found grooves in the bottom, some at significant depths up to 500 metres. These might be traces of a glacier which was there some millennia ago, and the grooves at depths of up to 100 metres were probably traces of icebergs. Good weather facilitated the surveys. It is planned to continue the investigations in the western part of the prospective communication link next year. The ice conditions are expected to be considerably more severe, and therefore it is planned to use ice-breakers to carry the equipment. In conclusion, interesting photographs taken during the expedition were shown. Then the report was discussed and the participants expressed their views on the surveys made and wished the investigation continuing success.

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The Hydrographic Society,
Russia (HSR)
Att. Viktor Rybine
Kozhevennaja linija 41
Saint-Petersburg 199106
Russia
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