As the economy growth it gets unfeasible for emerging economies to maintain high and stable rates of economic growth predominantly owing to increase of mining production, expansion of mineral export and recovery of mineral rents. However, while direct contribution of mining and processing of mineral materials to national economy is reduced, mineral resource complex acquires a new function — supplying related industries with mineral raw materials, remains important factor of further accelerated industrial development, contributes to state budget, helps to solve employment problem and secures important multiplicative effects in national economies.

Kerguelen Plateau is the largest underwater rise in the southern Indian Ocean. The heterogeneous structure of the crust, plume magmatic activity, as well as a different ages of adjacent basins — all this indicates a different structure of the marginal zones of the plateau. In this work, on the basis of geological and geophysical information, various morphodynamic types of the margins of the Kerguelen plateau are identified. An analysis of the bottom topography and data of potential fields together with two-dimensional density modeling allows us to specify the deep structure of the tectonosphere of the margins of the Kerguelen plateau and take a fresh look at their nature.

Morphostructural analysis of the relief and fractal analysis of the stream network of the South of the Sikhote-Alin orogenic belt were carried out. The formation of the relief at the neotectonic stage occurred in several stages, which was reflected in the stream network pattern: 1) during pre-Oligocene time there was a general uplift of Sikhote-Alin; 2) in the Pliocene there was an activation of vertical neotectonic movements, most intense to the East of the Central Sikhote-Alin fault and synchronous whith basalt volcanism; 3) in the Pleistocene vertical movements of significant amplitude did not occur, at this time the modern erosion-denudation relief of the region was formed; 4) at the end of the Pleistocene and in Holocene there was a slight activation of vertical movements to the East of the Central Sikhote-Alin fault, which was reflected in the peculiarities of residual relief. Comparison of morphological and fractal analysis results showed, that the maximum of complex parameter of self-similarity PRNS coincide with the areas of greatest increments in elevation and the minima is the smallest increment of relief or whith the areas whith most significant erosion. In regions with the stage character of neotectonic development during fractal analysis of stream network it is necessary to consider additional factors due to the peculiarities of development of the stream network at each stage of development, and conservative of its pattern, reflecting features of the development of the relief in different stages.

Geochemical studies of sarmatian clays and silts of the Kerch Strait and the Taman Peninsula to determine the paleogeographic features of their formation were researched for the first time. Proxies for paleosalinity and paleobatimetry were built using geochemical data to specify previous reconstructions. Two regressive (early Sarmatian; from the middle of the Late Sarmatian) and two transgressive (middle and early Late Sarmatian; late Late Sarmatian — early Meotian) stages in the development of the study area were distinguished. Data on salinity in ppm were obtained. The effectiveness of the used methods of interpreting geochemical data in paleogeographic reconstructions, which can subsequently be successfully applied to deposits deprived of fossil remains or characterized by a weak indicator function of the species of fauna and flora, is proved.

The Lower Devonian deposits were characterized in terms of their composition, texture and secondary transformations, the distribution of various types of pore space was analyzed and several types of dolomite textures were identified. The analysis showed that permeability, solubility and primary texture of carbonate rock or sediment, as well as temperature, volume and exposure time of dolomitizing fluids are key factors for dolomitization and depending on these factors dolomitization can lead to not only increase but also decrease of porosity.

Lower Permian organogenic buildups within the Northern part of Timan-Pechora basin are mounds-type structures. They are characterized by an extremely irregular distribution of reservoirs which are linked to facial zones and genetic features of the deposits. Two types of buildups were distinguished qualified as microbial and skeletal mounds formed by different paleo-communities of benthic organisms. The composition and textural-structural features of prevailing limestones within these buildups there is a key to understand the distribution of reservoirs within the area of study.

Detailed lithological, sedimentological, petrophysical studies of columns and core samples of Vikulovskaya series were performed. On the basis of researches the new model of a reservoir was made and new methods of volumetric parameters estimation based on well logs were established.

The possibility of synthetic silicone sorbent PSTU-3F using for the adsorption removal of mercury from an aqueous solution has been studied. The dependence of mercury adsorption on the pH of the solution, the amount of the adsorbent and the duration of the contact of the solution with the adsorbent was investigated. It was shown that the amount of adsorption is the higher, the higher the acidity of the solution. It has been established that the mercury adsorption process on the PSTU-3F sorbent is described by the Freundlich equation.

Mica samples from granitic pegmatites of Mokrusha and Ministerskaya mines, Murzinka pluton, Central Urals are polylithionite, sokolovaite, trilithionite, Li-bearing muscovite, and annite–phlogopite series. Chromium and magnesium, uncommon elements for light mica are detected in samples from both mines, indicates host-rock contamination of pegmatites. The low values K/Rb ratio and Ta/Nb ratio define a very high degree of pegmatite differentiation of both mines.

In the article, when considering the prospects of oil and gas potential of the Riphean strata in Siberia as indicators of oil content, special attention is paid to hydrocarbon gases in sorbed form. Sorbed hydrocarbon gases are still poorly used as indicators of oil content, although they have significant prerequisites for this. Some of them can be understood by reading this article.

The work is devoted to the laboratory study of gas filtration in samples of ice of various salinity and frozen soils. For this, in a specially designed installation, frozen samples were subjected to pressure gas. Then, using the methods of texture and structural studies in transmitted, reflected and polarized light, a study of their structure was carried out. During the experiments, it was possible to identify the processes accompanying gas filtration in ice of various salinity and frozen soil, as well as to establish the temperature ranges of its beginning.

Geophysical techniques Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) are used for the geological mapping and description of inner structure of sediments of the Upper Dnieper zone. Geophysical data assisted locating the boreholes and correlation the horizons between them. The information obtained by geophysics provided a basis to identify the rerouting of the upper Dnieper valley due to the Valdaian glaciation. GPR data on frequencies 50–250 MHz allowed to describe the upper part of geological section, ERT provided data up to 80–100 m depth. We performed the modified focusing inversion, based on major boundaries obtained with GPR, to correct ERT inversion model.

The active development of the Russian Arctic in the last 10 years requires relevant data on the bearing capacity of rocks on the Arctic shelf of the Russian Federation. To assess the bearing capacity of soils, knowledge of the distribution and state of permafrost on the Arctic shelf is needed. The article discusses the rationale and possibilities of the proposed integrated geocryological and geophysical analysis. The technique of researches includes realization of sea electroprospecting works, drilling on the shelf, thermometric observations in the drilled wells, bench tests of soils, modeling of electromagnetic and thermal fields on the shelf. It is shown that the most informative geophysical method for studying of permafrost on the shelf is electromagnetic sounding by the TEM method. The most informative geophysical method for studying of permafrost in the transit zone “land-shelf” represents the frequency electromagnetic (FS) sounding. In the article there are examples of standard interpretation of geophysical data and inversion of geophysical data in the mode of the fixed model specific electrical resistivity. With the example of the yamal shelf it is shown that standard interpretation doesn’t allow to receive the unambiguous solution of geocryologic tasks on the shelf. Specific electric results of determination of electric properties of soils in laboratory are necessary in case of inversion of geophysical data in the mode of thickly stratified models and the fixed model. An important component of the offered complex is boring and thermometric research which provide validation of results of geophysical inversion. Measurement of temperatures of soils in the stood wells is especially important in the conditions of the Arctic shelf. Calculations for thermal models complete a complex of researches. The collateral analysis of geoelectric and thermal models allows to estimate depths to a sole of permafrost and also capacities of gaseous-hydrate thicknesses. The use of the developed research complex on the Pechora, Karsky, Laptev and Chukchi seas shelves provided new insights into the distribution, continuity and condition of permafrost and the development of gas hydrates on the shelf of the Russian Arctic seas.

The low-strain impact method is one of the most commonly used non-destructive geophysical methods in pile integrity testing. Data analysis of the low-strain method in the frequency domain allows the researcher to get additional information about the studied foundation. The authors of the article propose a methodology for assessing the contact of piles with soils based on an analysis of the dynamic attributes of the frequency response. Conclusions drawn from using the above-described method can be used by engineers to study piles quality and to plan direct static load tests to determine the bearing capacity of piles.

In the section of the eastern Black Sea basin and the Caucasus continental slope, according to 3D seismic data, unique objects were first discovered and described — vertical failure in the Upper Cretaceous — Lower Miocene deposits. An interesting feature of these structures is a close to isometric shape in plan. About 40 objects have been identified on an area of more than 1000 m². «Bulls-eye» («multiphase») paleo-pockmarks [Andresen, Huuse, 2011], as well as karst collapse [Zuo et al., 2009] are proposed as world analogues with a similar wave pattern on seismic data. The corresponding genesis models are considered, but none of the theories allows drawing a conclusion. The discovered objects are unique and require further investigation.