Vol 55, No 9 (2019)

Differential methods for determining the height profile of one of the most important greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere—water vapor—based on ground and satellite radio thermal microwave measurements in the absorption band of 22 GHz, are considered. The substantiation of a fundamentally new difference-differential method is carried out using the difference of differential signals on different slopes of the absorption line of the measured gas. This method makes it possible to increase the spatial selectivity of measurements and reduce the influence of clouds, precipitation, and third-party gases, as well as carry out measurements above the water surface. The results of the calculation of the kernels of integral equations are given for measurements in the absorption band of water vapor of 22 GHz. The selectivity of the kernels makes it possible to restore the water-vapor profile both in the lower troposphere layer to heights of 8 km and in the stratospheric–mesospheric layer of 30–80 km. The advantage of the proposed methods is the differential nature of the measurements, which does not require the absolute calibration of sources and long-term stability of the equipment.

The influence of wave polarization on texture parameters of objects in radar images (RIs) is examined by calculations of the second-order statistics (the fractal dimension and the Haralick textural features) on the basis of polarimetric data acquired with the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) system for two wavelengths of the C- and L-ranges. The variance analysis of the samples of fractal dimension values for natural forested and water objects have revealed no influence of polarization on the values before the speckle filtering; however, after speckle filtering, statistically valid differences have been found in the mean values of some pairs of samples. For sample pairs of the copolarizations VV–HH and cross polarizations HV–VH, a random nature of the differences observed in the mean fractal dimension values has been shown. This conclusion is also true for the Haralick textural features of a water object—the contrast, inverse moment, and entropy. Statistically valid differences in the mean values of the Haralick textural features for urban and water objects have been revealed both before and after speckle filtering. For a forested object, variance analysis shows that the polarization-dependent differences in the mean values of the textural feature samples are statistically unreliable.

The original MicRAWinD (Microwave Radiometric Algorithm for Wind Direction retrieval) algorithm planned for use in reconstructing the near-surface wind direction in the Convergence space experiment (SE) is presented. The possibility of determining the wind direction based on radiometric measurements in two swaths of the radiometer stems from the anisotropy of surface radiation, which is manifested most clearly in the third Stokes parameter. Combining the results of measurements at different frequencies with their reliability factored in, one can improve the accuracy of reconstructing the wind direction. A new algorithm for enhancing the reliability of measurements which takes the real errors in measuring brightness temperatures into account is proposed. The algorithm has been tested with real data provided by the WindSat radiometric system. The results are compared with the Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) reconstruction data. A surface region with different geophysical parameters (sea surface temperature, vapor content, wind speed and direction, and cloud water content) is chosen for this comparison. The reconstruction algorithm involves solving the direct problem of calculating the radio brightness temperatures at linear ±45° polarizations with subsequent calculations of the third Stokes parameter for 37, 18.7, and 10.7 GHz. The initial meteorological parameters for the direct problem are products provided by RSS. The sensitivity of radiometric instruments is taken into account in the simulation process. The solution of the inverse problem and the comparison results demonstrate that this algorithm retrieves the wind direction with fine qualitative agreement both from the results of radiometric observations at a single frequency and from multifrequency data.

This article discusses methods for determining trace gases in the Earth’s atmosphere based on radio translucence of the satellite–Earth or Earth–satellite–Earth route using monochromatic radiation at a given frequency set. The substantiation of a new method using the difference of differential signals on different slopes of the absorption line of the measured gas is carried out, which allows one to increase the spatial selectivity of the measurements and reduce the influence of clouds, precipitation, and third-party gases. The results of calculating the kernels of integral equations when measuring the profile of water vapor in the absorption band of 22.23 GHz are presented. The selectivity of the kernels makes it possible to restore the water-vapor profile both in the lower troposphere layer to heights of 8 km and in the 30–80 km layer. The advantage of the proposed methods is the differential nature of the measurements, which does not require absolute calibration of sources and long-term stability of the equipment. In addition, it becomes possible to register small-scale and rapidly varying processes occurring during the revolution of the satellite in orbit on a spatial scale of 2–10 km. It is precisely this scale of spatiotemporal changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases that can be expected during technological accidents, missile launches, and other anthropogenic influences.

A temperature spectroscopic dielectric model of moist soils developed on the basis of measurements of six samples of thawed and frozen Arctic soils with different contents of organic matter, from 30 to 90%, is presented. This model allows predicting complex permittivity values of moist soil that are in a good agreement with dielectric measurements. It is applicable in a frequency range from 0.05 to 15 GHz, a temperature range from ‒30° to +25°C, and a moisture range from 0.009 to 1.001 g/g. It can be recommended for use in remote sensing algorithms of moisture and temperature of soil using space radiometric and radar data.

An improved formula for the supercooled water-loss factor at frequencies of 10–180 GHz in the temperature range –70 to 0°C is presented. The formula is based on the experimental data obtained by the authors on the measurements of attenuation in the pore water of silicate materials. The formula contains two terms describing the Debye dependence of the loss factor on frequency and temperature and non-Debye dependence determined by the influence of the second critical point of water. The proposed formula is compared with the model formulas of other authors. A significant discrepancy (by several times) between the calculation results of the loss factor at frequencies above 100 GHz and temperatures below –30°C is established. The model based on the measurements provides the most adequate representation of the behavior of the loss factor with an error of ~30% in the region of deeply supercooled water and in the upper part of the studied frequency range.

The technique of a search for images of cloudiness of various types from MODIS satellite images based on a comparison with archive data of observations on the network of meteorological stations is presented. Based on an expert estimate, 14 types of cloudiness possessing a unique structure on images recorded with a spatial resolution of 250 m are identified. Images of cloudiness of these types and results of investigations of their texture parameters found based on the statistical gray-level co-occurrences matrix (GLCM) approach are presented. For the indicated cloudiness types, characteristic texture features or their combinations are determined. To classify the cloudiness based on information on the texture parameters, it is proposed to use the neural network based on the three-layer perceptron. The modified method of adaptive tuning of the learning rate of the neural network is described. Results of cloudiness classification and their reliability are discussed.

The results of a comparative analysis of the underlying surface brightness temperature obtained from the SMOS satellite and calculated with the use of ground-based measurements of moisture and the laboratory measurements of dielectric characteristics of samples of saline soils and saline water from test sites of the Kulunda Steppe are presented. The values of the underlying surface brightness temperatures calculated with the use of ground investigations and the laboratory studies correlate satisfactorily with the values of brightness temperatures measured from the SMOS satellite. The deviations can be caused by the seasonal drying of highly mineralized shallow lakes, which results in a significant change in the areas occupied by lakes and the appearance (instead of a water surface) of wetlands with a high content of mineral salts, whose radio emission characteristics differ from the characteristics of the water surface and the soil cover.

Modifications of algorithms for the classification of single-layer, vertical development clouds, and multilayer clouds based on a probabilistic neural network and a neuro-fuzzy classifier are proposed. Clouds are classified into 16 types according to the meteorological standard, including the combined subtypes of stratus, altocumulus, cirrus, and cirrostratus clouds. The article uses a description of clouds based on information about the texture of their images on satellite images from MODIS and its products with data on the physical parameters of clouds. The structure of classification algorithms is described. The results of the use of statistical models of image texture and physical parameters of clouds for initializing membership functions for a neural-fuzzy classifier are presented. Systems of effective classification characteristics for different classification algorithms are formed based on the GRAD modified truncated search method. The recognition results of single-layer, vertical development clouds, and multilayer clouds based on the corresponding test samples and full-size sets of MODIS satellite data with different spatial resolution are discussed.

High-resolution satellite images have made it possible to determine dynamic changes in the variety of classification soil units in the West Caspian region with differentiation of functioning soils and ranges of surface deposits. The latter have been conditionally subdivided into the following groups: (a) deposits of soil origin: puff, crustal, and sor-affected solonchaks; (b) deposits of geological origin: outcrops of loose and hard rocks, drained zones of lake bottoms, and water reservoirs, including loose sand; and (c) manmade construction, road, economic, recreational facilities and disturbed land areas. They occupy 10–15% of the total land area and are interpreted by direct transfer to the soil map and by cartographic referencing. The rest of the area (85–90%) is occupied by a soil cover and plant communities which are devoid of interpretation features. A soil salinization scale has been compiled according to the variety of colors of halophytic communities; salt accumulation nature and degree have been specified based on SIs. The increase in resolution, spectral ranges, and other enhancement elements of the Landsat satellite reflect the atmospheric correction of the results obtained in 1978–2007.

A technology for extracting along-track altimeter data collocated with space-irregular buoy measurements and data on the numerical simulation of waves is developed using AVISO altimetry data for the period 2013–2016. Data on the numerical simulation of waves are obtained on a regular spacetime grid for two wave models: WAM and its modified version, WAM-M. Satellite data are calibrated jointly and separately for each satellite using a system of 41 buoys. Both calibrations are then used to estimate mean-square-root deviations (RMSDs) of the Indian Ocean wind-wave height simulation data from their corresponding calibrated altimetry data. It is found that the calibration type does not significantly affect the studied RMSDs, but the RMSD values themselves have significant spatial variability. It is shown that it is possible to determine the advantages of some numerical models over others in terms of RMSD values in different zones of the Indian Ocean and the ocean in general. The reasons for the intermittency of RMSD values for the considered models depending on the Indian Ocean zone are discussed.

We consider trends of sea level steric oscillations in the North Atlantic in 2003–2015 using two independent approaches. The first method is based on the multidisciplinary application of altimetry (AVISO) and gravimetry (GRACE mission) data. The second method is based on the integral assessment of steric oscillations using variations in the fluid volume caused by variations in water density: the calculations are carried out using the SODA, EN4, and ARMOR reanalysis data. It is shown that the application of the combined altimetry and GRACE data result in overestimated values of steric oscillations and their trends. This is related to the fact that the GRACE observations show the variations in the ocean mass; hence the sea level variations are presented in a relative coordinate system which is not the geocentric system. This system does not take into account the effects of the elastic deformation of the ocean bottom and the corresponding redistribution of the water volumes. It is shown that the maximum bias of these estimates and the errors in determining the steric oscillations and their trends based on the first method is characteristic of regions located near Greenland. This is caused by the contribution of the negative trend component to the GRACE data. If the estimates are made in regions remote from Greenland coasts, the trend component in the GRACE measurements is insignificantly manifested and the trends in the steric oscillations calculated using the method that jointly uses the AVISO and GRACE data are similar to the trends in the sea level variations based on the altimetry data. The trends of the steric oscillations of the sea level calculated from the reanalysis data are similar in the spatial distribution between both calculations and also similar to the trends in the sea level variations based on the altimetry data.

The next stage of advancing the animated analysis of satellite remote data proposed by the authors is described in detail: the development of a technique for calculating the latent heat advective fluxes by radiothermal measurement data from satellites. In accordance with previously accepted principles, the calculating algorithm is closed under the input satellite data; there are no requirements for additional information, which often significantly limit the applicability of new data processing techniques. The described step of the analysis is naturally associated with the already-existing algorithms and is based on the results of calculations carried out with their help (spatiotemporal interpolation of fields of geophysical parameters of the Earth atmosphere–ocean system) to evaluate the advective fluxes of the derived quantities. When the fields of integrated atmospheric vapor content are used as the input, the results of the calculations are latent heat fluxes in standard units (MW). The approach is demonstrated using the example of processing the arrayed SSM/I data acquired in August 2000 in the context of studying the evolution of tropical cyclone (TC) Alberto.

In this paper, we study the mechanisms of the formation and distribution of suspended matter (SM) near the western coast of Crimea under the impact of strong winds of various directions using medium- and high-resolution satellite data. The SM concentration was noted to reach its maximal values ​​at southern winds, reaching values ​​of 200 mg/L. The zone of high SM concentration is located in the region of the western shelf of Crimea and is limited to an isobath of 50 m. The wave action during the south wind contributes to the resuspension of bottom sediments and the destruction of clay cliffs on the western coast of Crimea. After the storm, a northern coastal current arises that transfers the SM to the north. In northeastern winds, the highest SM concentrations are observed not on the coast, but in the sea part of the shelf between isobaths of 30 and 50 m. Such winds are likely to resuspend sediments in shallow water, which are then driven away from the coast by the action of wind driving. They are replaced by clean, cold waters from the deeper layers that are observed near the coast. The feature of northern and northwestern storms impact is the formation of a coastal jet current along the west coast. The current occurs in the frontal upwelling zone and carries the SM south to the deep sea. The SM concentration in this case is also significantly lower than during southern winds, although it can reach 3 mg/L.

The distribution of desalinated waters from the Amur Estuary in the northwestern Sea of Okhotsk during the summer period is analyzed using satellite data on the sea surface height (SSH), sea surface salinity (SSS), temperature, and concentrations of particulate organic carbon. There is a good agreement between the spatial distributions of SSS (data from the SMAP satellite) and SSH (AVISO data) in the study area. Identification of the Amur Estuary waters in terms of surface water temperature and concentration of particulate organic carbon is confined by Sakhalin Bay and the coastal zone of Sakhalin Island. An increase (a decrease) in the Amur River discharge during the spring–summer high-water period leads to an increase (a decrease) in the SSH in the northern part of Sakhalin Bay in July. Strengthening of the northwestern (southeastern) winds in September reduces (increases) the inflow of waters with low salinity and causes an elevated SSH in the water area to the north of Sakhalin Bay.

The Shantar Islands National Park (northwestern shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk) was established to preserve the biological diversity of unique natural marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The water structure and dynamics in the basin of the Shantar Islands has been studied based on the analysis of multisensor satellite images (Terra/Aqua MODIS, Landsat-7 ETM+, Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS, Sentinel-2A MSI) and field oceanographic observations. The circulation over the shelf in the Shantar Islands region is strongly determined by strong tidal currents and freshwater discharge. The water structure is formed under the influence of intense local tidal mixing and the propagation of low-saline river plumes in the shallow parts of the main bays of the Shantar archipelago. The interaction of tidal currents with the complex topography and bathymetry (peninsulas, capes, islands, straits, and shallow-water regions of the shelf) leads to a high level of submesoscale activity and the generation of various types of submesoscale structures, including jet currents and eddies.

We propose using multiple regression to create a statistical model for describing climate change under the influence of specified climate-forming factors. This model provides not only estimates of the temporal evolution of global temperature, but also a set of corresponding confidence intervals with a high level of statistical significance (probability). Eliminating the linear trend of climatic temperature series (CRUTEM) and atmospheric CO₂ concentration allows an objective quantitative assessment of the impact of natural factors on climate change. The global CRUTEM temperature responds quasi-synchronously to the fluctuations in the average surface temperature of the North Atlantic (AMO index); however, to changes in solar activity (Wolf numbers), it does so with a delay of approximately 15 years. The linear trend of increasing CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere explains almost all the interannual variability and reflects the linear trend of global temperature, but covers only part of its interannual variability.

This article presents the results of an investigation into the spatiotemporal variability of the main characteristics of jet streams (JSs) in the upper troposphere of the Northern and Southern hemispheres in the field of view of European geostationary meteorological satellites for the period of 2007–2017. Most attention is paid to their relationship with tropospheric temperature, the sea-ice area, and large-scale atmospheric phenomena. The general patterns and significant differences in the interannual variability of the main characteristics of JSs in the Northern and Southern hemispheres are established. Correlation and cross-wavelet analyses are used to show that the temperature of the upper troposphere (T) at 200–500 hPa and the JS area (S) in both hemispheres vary interannually in antiphase, while T and latitudes of its center (φ) vary interannually in phase. Annual variations in the sea-ice area (S_ice) and S occur in both hemispheres mostly in phase, while the variations in S_ice and φ in both hemispheres are close to antiphase. The feature of annual variations of the S_ice and S series in the Northern Hemisphere was found. Namely, S variations are 1.5–2.5 months ahead of S_ice variations. A complex, time-varying nature of the relationship between JS characteristics and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of the zonal averaged wind over the equator was revealed.

It has been shown that the abnormal rainfall in the catchment of the Amur river in 2013 had a monsoon nature. The origin and evolution of the Asian monsoon (AM) from the region of its formation in the western Indian Ocean to the penetration to Northern Asia have been analyzed. It has been shown that the indices of the Indian Ocean dipole, El Niño, and the North Pacific indices were in phases that contributed not only to maximization of its intensity, but also to the fastest possible movement of the AM from the region of origin through the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and China to the Russian Far East. Due to the current composition of the climate indices in the Indian and Pacific oceans, the overwetted monsoon air mass brought the minimum possible loss of precipitation on its way to the final region. Increased monsoon precipitation in the vast catchment of the Amur river was facilitated by the fact that the Arctic Oscillation was in the negative phase, which led to the transfer of cold arctic air into the region. The latter circumstance influenced an increase in precipitation through the mechanism of accelerated condensation in humid air. Negative values of the North Pacific indices contributed to the development of blocking situations in the zonal current of temperate latitudes, which localized the zone of precipitation.

The results of an analysis of the long-term series of remote sensing data from Terra/Aqua satellites (Burned Area MCD64A1 monthly product, the 6th collection) and Landsat satellites are presented to estimate the dynamics of of the vegetation cover condition caused by wildfires throughout the Russian Federation and in its individual regions. An approach to the use of remote sensing and geoinformatics methods for monitoring the impact of wildfires on the state of various types of vegetation cover without involving ground truth data is proposed. Potential for using a normalized burn ratio index to estimate the degree of vegetation damage and recovery process using low-resolution satellite data is demonstrated. It was established that the total area of burned vegatation over the country ranged from 68.40 to 234.46 thousand km² per year for the period from 2002 till 2017. Seasonal peaks of fire activity, patterns of the spatial distribution of fire sources, and the main types of burned vegetation were identified for each of the eight federal districts of Russia. The accuracy of burned areas detection was estimated as 75–81% depending on the information product used according to the low (500 m) and average (30 m) spatial resolution data.

This paper presents the results of studying the precursor cyclic stress-strain state of the lithosphere during the preparation of significant seismic events using the automated lineament analysis of multitemporal space images. The proposed method has been tested by the example of a number of strong and devastating earthquakes over the past decade in different parts of the world. The identified precursor cyclical dynamics of lineament systems has a period of 1 to 3 months and makes it possible to predict the time, place, and possible magnitude of earthquakes.

In this paper we compare the sea ice concentration data obtained by satellite microwave radiometry using the NASA Team, ASI, and VASIA2 algorithms and by special visual ship observations. A database of visual observations of the sea ice concentration obtained during 15 expeditions in the Arctic was used. The comparison for various concentration gradations (very open, open, close, very close, and compact ice) was carried out separately for summer and winter periods. On average, during the summer period, the NASA Team algorithm underestimates the sea ice concentration by 1 point, while the ASI and VASIA2 algorithms underestimate by 0.5 points when compared to ship observations. All three algorithms overestimate the total concentration in the zones of very open ice and underestimate it in the zones of close, very close, and compact ice. The maximal average errors are characteristic of open ice that is most often observed in ice edge zones. In winter, the average error for all algorithms is no more than 1 point when compared with ship observations. However, in very open and close, the average error in winter is significantly higher than that in summer. To assess the effect of melting processes on the concentration values obtained by satellite microwave radiometry, we used ship data on ice melt stage. The average error at the maximal area of ​​melt ponds on the ice surface reaches –2.9 points for the NASA Team algorithm, –2.8 points for the ASI algorithm, and –5.0 points for the VASIA2 algorithm. The results will be useful for determining the extent of ice-cover degradation in the Arctic Ocean observed in recent years.

This paper is focused on the problem of distinguishing between thawed and frozen soils in the 5-cm upper layer at meteorological stations of Belaya Gora (Sakha) (68.5° N) and Anadyr (Chukotka) (64.78° N) with the use of the Sentinel 1 C‑band radar data for the period of 2014–2016. The state of a frozen soil is determined in three ways: (i) by a significant difference (3–5 dB) in the backscattering coefficient σ⁰ (BSC) during the transition of a soil between frozen and thawed states observed in multitemporal radar data, (ii) by a threshold value of \(\sigma _{{{\text{threshold}}}}^{0}\) at which the temperature in the upper soil layer falls below 0°С, and (iii) by textural features for one-channel images. Diagrams of the air-freezing index (AFI) and its trend for the 2012–2018 period have been constructed from the archive data containing the air temperature for the study areas.

A method for the digital mapping of phosphorus (total, organic, and labile) content in soils has been developed using spatially distributed NDVI values calculated from Landsat 8 image (30-m resolution). A comparative analysis of the phosphorus content has been performed in high- and medium-humous soils. Medium-humous soil (agrochernozems, agro–dark gray) has been found to have lower contents of the total (by a factor of 1.1) and organic (by a factor of 1.5–1.7) phosphorus compared with high-humous agrochernozems. The reverse trend has been identified for the labile phosphorus; that is, medium-humous soils twice exceeded the high-humous agrochernozems in its content. The plants have been proven to have a sufficient supply of phosphorus, since the element content in the aboveground phytomass of the oat-pea mixture was in the optimal range of 0.23–0.5% on a dry weight basis. No phosphorus deficiency symptoms have been detected in the plants by visual diagnostics. No correlation has been found between the phosphorus content in plants, aboveground phytomass stock of the oat-pea mixture and NDVI.

The purpose of this work is to present the results of mathematical modeling of the morphological pattern development for thermokarst plains with fluvial erosion based on the approaches of the mathematical morphology of landscapes and using remote sensing data. The theoretical analysis has resulted in the model of the morphological pattern development for thermokarst plains with fluvial erosion, which has been empirically tested at a few key sites. The analysis has allowed us to conclude that the theoretical results on the exponential distribution of khasyrei areas are confirmed empirically in different physicogeographical, geological, and geocryological environments and that the distribution of the areas of thermokarst lakes within thermokarst plains with fluvial erosion obey both gamma- and lognormal distributions. It is shown that the distribution of average radii and diameters of the khasyreis should be the Rayleigh distribution. This analysis indicates that the variant of the synchronous start of thermokarst processes is the most common at the sites under consideration. The model also allows us to assess dynamic parameters of the processes using the landscape metrics of a single time slice.

This article presents investigation data on the seasonal dynamics of productivity, status, and species composition of vegetation on fallow lands in the Krasnoyarsk forest steppe (Middle Siberia) obtained from terrain and satellite materials from 2017. The results of the study of grass plant communities on the basis of geobotanical descriptions and terrain spectrometry were have been used for a more accurate interpretation of cosmic photographs of moderate and low resolution. For studying vegetation on fallow lands, we analyze the seasonal dynamics of various vegetative indices (NDVI, EVI, LSWI, and LAI) and parameters (NPP, FPAR, and LST (land surface temperature)) obtained from MODIS satellite images. Our analysis of satellite data shows the absence of evidences of plowing and mowing in the studied area. A positive correlation is revealed between vegetation indices of biomass (NDVI, EVI, LAI, and NPP) and parameters of hydrothermal conditions (LSWI, FPAR, and LST).

Decoded records of the Biryusa area made by the Resource-P space wide-swath multispectral equipment (WSME) (Russia) has allowed the tectonic structure of the anticline horst uplifts and the graben synclines separating them to be revealed, the important role of sublatitudinal faults in the structure of the area to be shown, and ore-prospective sites to be outlined. The study of the Krepskii-Tumanshet area was carried out using Resource-P (Geoton) multispectral and panchromatic high-resolution equipment, which made it possible to determine the structural position of the ore deposits. Within the Krepskii-Tumanshet area, the ore-controlling structures are short faults of sublatitudinal strike and their intersections with the faults of northwestern and northeastern orientation.

Large ring, arc, and radial structures have been identified by complex processing of the multispectral satellite imagery of the Landsat. These structures control the gold mineralization position in the Toupugol–Khanmeishor ore district (Novogodnenskoe ore cluster, Polar Urals). This area has been compared with the Tur’insk–Auerbakh ore district (Auerbakh ore cluster, Northern Urals). Similar geological features, regularity in the structures, and the location of gold mineralization in the system of morphostructures have been revealed. The formation depth of the magmatic chambers has been determined for the Novogodnenskoe and Auerbakh paleovolcanic structures for the first time. These chambers are located at depths of ~4 and ~20 km, respectively, in the upper and middle parts of the earth’s crust. The Novogodnenskoe structure is a monogenic structure. It was formed under the influence of one leading geological process. The Auerbakh structure is a larger and more complex structure; it is characterized by a long and multistage development. According to the paleovolcanic reconstruction results, the root (focal) part of the Auerbakh structure plunged from the southeast to the northwest during the evolution of the magmatic process. Gold mineralization within the studied areas of the Northern Urals is confined to the intersections of radial faults near the centers of large concentric morphostructures.

New data on the ore-controlling structures of the Lebedinsky ore-placer cluster are received on the basis of space decoding. A stage analysis of the territory from the ore cluster to the ore body (Myatezhnaya zone) has been carried out and the position of this zone has been clarified. The major ore-hosting structures are identified, as are local structures, which have been revealed from a detailed study and certified during geological routes with sampling. A trench and several drill holes have been mined based on positive results from testing and identifying mineralization-accompanying metasomatic zones. The presence of the ore zone has been confirmed during the mining; the forecast of gold resources of P1 and P2 categories is verified.

This paper deals with the problem of the integrated interpretation of solid municipal-waste landfill facilities according to satellite imagery with a high spatial resolution. The main interpretation features of disposal sites in optical satellite images with a high spatial resolution are analyzed. Results of the texture and fractal analysis of spacecraft images of disposals are presented. Statistical properties and color features of image fragments in disposal sites are revealed. A mathematical model of textures of littering components is presented and fractal dimensions of high-resolution images in disposal areas are calculated.

A female polar bear (Ursus maritimus) has been captured and tagged with a satellite collar of the Argos system on Vaigach Island. The data of the location relative to the coastline in the Kara Gate from April 2016 to September 2017 have been analyzed. An analysis of the polar bear movement pattern has revealed periods of its greater (on the ice) and less (on the land) mobility and a movement direction. The largest area of the polar bear habitat on an average monthly scale was in May 2016, when moving on the finely crushed ice; the smallest area was in January 2017 on the land without ice. We have estimated the distance to the coast to analyze the use of environmental resources (27% of the time on the coast, 33% on the inland, and 40% in the offshore). As follows from the comparison with our previous studies, the bears adhere to the land even during the sea-ice season.

The purpose of this research is to present a detailed description of the proposed Convergence space mission on the Russian segment of the International Space Station for the wider scientific community. The key features of the mission are (1) the necessity of creating a new type of multifrequency radio-thermal airborne complexes with a specialized set of operating frequencies and with the formation of algorithms and software for the three-dimensional recovery of the water-vapor field in the lower troposphere and for estimating the horizontal advection and convective latent heat fluxes at different altitudes and with different forms of boundaries of the investigated regions. (2) An important part of the mission is the global monitoring of optical transient activity, including lightning in cloud tropospheric systems and electric discharges in the upper atmosphere, which are accompanied by a variety of short-term optical glows, commonly called transient luminous events. A significant contribution to the elucidation of the physics and the development of models of high-altitude electric discharges is the synchronous operation of the lightning detector and gamma detector to search for and study gamma-ray bursts of terrestrial origin, including those in previously unexplored latitudes, up to ±51°. It seems that the proposed instrumental configuration and integrity of the mission, which includes the synchronous operation of devices of different ranges of electromagnetic radiation (both the microwave range and optical and gamma range) will contribute significantly to the elucidation of the physics of processes of interaction of catastrophic atmospheric phenomena of the hydrodynamic type, i.e., tropical cyclones, with the electrical activity of tropospheric cloud systems (the field of lightning discharges) and activity of high-altitude electric discharges, which, in turn, can serve as a serious experimental basis for the formation of physical ideas about the genesis of gamma-ray outbreaks of terrestrial origin.