During 17-21 Feb 2020 the mobility exchange visit (guest researcher) was carried out by the Associate Professor of the Hydrology from the Faculty of Geography of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (LMSU, Moscow, Russia) to the University of Helsinki (UHEL) and the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) (Helsinki, Finland). The visit was funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education (FIRST+ 2019-2020, Finnish-Russian Student and Teacher Mobility Programme) and it is also a part of the PEEX-Academic Challenge networking project. Dr. Sergey R. Chalov is the head of the Moscow PEEX (Pan-Eurasian EXperiment) Office and his research interests are focused on hydrological research, sediment quality and quantity, remote sensing applications, fluvial processes, stream ecology and biodiversity, environmental risk analysis for rivers.
The visit format included: (i) lecturing at UHEL as well contribute for joint LMSU-UHEL multidisciplinary climate change, air quality, environment and research infrastructure program focused on the Northern Eurasian, and in particular, Arctic and boreal regions; (ii) round table related to planning Young Scientist Summer School, YSSS on “Multi-Scales and Processes Integrated Modelling, Observations and Assessment for Environmental Applications” (to be held in Moscow, Russia, 27 July -7 August 2020); (iii) face-to-face discussions of joint ongoing and planned research, educational and administrative/ management activities of the PEEX Office in Moscow and PEEX HeadQuarters in Helsinki; (iv) round table related to contribution to Horizon-2020 Call on “Supporting the implementation of GEOSS in the Arctic in collaboration with Copernicus”; (v) practical steps in joint research and coordinating activities.
The programme of the YSSS on “Multi-Scales and Processes Integrated Modelling, Observations and Assessment for Environmental Applications“ was finalized (available at https://www.atm.helsinki.fi/peex/images/YSSS-2020_detailed-programme.pdf). It includes a series of lectures as blocks on: current progress and challenges in earth system research (atmosphere-hydrosphere-biosphere); modelling (earth system, numerical weather prediction, atmospheric chemical transport, seamless online integrated, atmospheric boundary layer) and specific challenges; chemistry (gas, liquid) and aerosols (properties, dynamics, chemistry, micro-physics, interactions); emissions, data assimilation, models evaluation; ground-based and remote sensing observations; EU and Russian strategies for hydro-meteorological, ecosystems and atmospheric composition monitoring; SMEAR stations; measurements for atmospheric composition, ecosystems, meteorological, hydrological, urban scale; GIS technologies in environmental sciences; environmental (land, water, terrestrial ecosystems) and human health assessments. It also includes a series of practical exercises as small-scale research projects (focus on different modelling systems such as EC-Earth; Enviro-HIRLAM, MALTE-Box). Moreover, the UHEL and LMSU collaborative research and science university education meeting was arranged for 4-5 August 2020, and agenda to be followed.
The LMSU is leading the team of Russian PEEX partners involved into proposal on “Integrated Arctic Observation System in support of sustainable development”. It will focus on extending, integrating and operationalizing Arctic observations on environmental and climatic changes for various local-regional services. Russian partners are planning to contribute to visualization and analysis tool for the PEEX network, which will facilitate searching and accessing in-situ data from a number of selected research stations in the Russian domain.
During the visit, the INAR research seminar on “Solid particles in river waters: source, fate and distribution” was also carried our at UHEL. This lecture reviewed state-of-the-art in sediment transport and pollution studies with a special focus on interactions of river flux with surface fluvial processes. The novel monitoring campaigns at largest Arctic rivers which shade a light on origin, modes of transport and distribution of solid particles in the rivers was of primary focus.
Additionally, visit to the University’s radar laboratory was arranged by Ass. Prof. Dmitrii Moisseev. Visit to FMI building with introduction to the meteorological institute history, research activities and daily life were carried.
And personal comment from the guest researcher Sergey Chalov: I really appreciate the time at University of Helsinki which became is the closest partner and friend to our university since PEEX was established. We strongly believe that collaboration between our universities will be an important career step for many scientists, including young researchers in Russia. I would like to say personal thanks to my hosts during visit – Alexander Mahura and Hanna Lappalainen.
Text by Dr. Sergey Chalov, PEEX Moscow Office, Lomonosov Moscow State University (LMSU), Moscow, Russia
Photograph: Dr. Sergey Chalov at Unicampus (Kumpula Campus, University of Helsinki), giving a lecture “Solid particles in river waters: source, fate and distribution” and in the hallway of Kumpula Campus, University of Helsinki.
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