In this article we provide the literature review of the geological and geographical problems which were successfully solved due to application of GRACE satellite mission data. GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) is gravitational satellite mission the purpose of which is precise mapping of variations of Earth’s gravity field. The data has high resolution that gives the opportunity to solve a lot of geological and geographical problems.

Paper presents description of Balakhninsky and Rassohinsky swells, which were located in the central part of the Yenisei-Khatanga Basin by seismic and drilling data, and the results of its geological structure comparative analysis. History of swells formation discussed in de- tails, including rift initiation in the Late Permian-Early Triassic time and stages of inversion structures growth intensification in the Middle Triassic, Late Jurassic, Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic time. Asynchronous development of these structures established on the base of paleoreconstruction analysis.

U-Pb dating (LA-ICP-MS) of detrital zircons from the upper Cambrian - lower Ordovician terrigenous deposits of Baidarata allochthone (northern part of the Polar Urals) is performed. Analysis of the youngest populations of detrital zircons suggests wide development of Uralides instead of Preuralides as it was believed before. The source of sediments for investigated Baidarata allochtone rocks was probably Bedamel’ island arc rather than Timan orogen. According to results of statistical analysis of detrital zircons data from coeval deposits of Arctic region, similarity of sedimentary provenances for Baidarata allochtone, Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya archipelagos is observed.

Rift systems are composed of a set of heterogeneous tectonic blocks, which deform under regional extension concertedly, but individually. Such coordination is achieved due to development along the borders of the blocks evolving ensembles of deformation structures, which, in one way or another accommodate discrepancies in the structural style between the separate domains of tension. Generally, quantity of structural ensembles segmenting the space of the rift zone is limited, and each of them has its own trend of tectonic development. This article analyzes the segmentation and evolutionary patterns of the Baikal rift zone in terms of transfer and accommodation zones accepted recently as standard descriptions for architecture of continental rift.

This study presents the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of tailing dumps at the Krasnorechenskaya concentrated mill (Primorye region, Russia). Primary ore minerals and new-forming mineral assemblages were also investigated. According to obtained data the major elements possible reserves accumulated in these tailings were estimated. It is indicated that the tailing dumps at the Krasnorechenskaya concentrated mill is potentially productive for secondary recovery. The tailing sediment has natural geochemical stratification and the specific correlations of elements are typical for each selected layer.

Water balance and groundwater recharge simulations based on meteorological data with climate trends were made for the South-western part of Moscow artesian basin. Modeling results comparison of mean annual water balance and recharge values for previous (1965-1988) and present (1989-2012) periods allow to estimate their changes due to transient climate conditions. Assessment of groundwater resources climate changes was made on the basis of mean annual groundwater recharge maps for the investigated region for previous and present time periods, which showed their increase of 9% (720 thousands m3/d).

Lots of shallow Rugozerskaya firth (Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea) were studied on the basis of integrated explorationsincluding continuous seismic profiling, side scan sonar (SSS), bottom sampling and diver inspection. As a result a number of regularities in the geological structure of the region was identified, in particular - the origi of certain bottom forms and coast terrain was revealled.

The causes of the spatial variation of hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater of some oil deposits of the Surgut crest of Western Siberia. On the basis of statistical processing of the database, including several thousand analyzes of groundwater salinity distribution histograms, concentration of Ca2+ and HCO3 for the main productive horizons deposits. Substantiates theinfluence of deep inflow (hydrothermal) treatment on the formation of the chemical composition of formation water of oil fields, which is expressed in increasing the depth of the content of HCO3 ion.

The results are described of the study of temperature deformation of different types of frozen soil in the cycles of cooling-heating at sudden change in temperature. The differences in the nature of the temperature deformation at step and one stage temperature change are shown. The dependences are investigated of the temperature deformation of frozen soils on soil type, moisture and total number of cycles of cooling-heating.