The Great Altai Atlas peculiarities will be discussed at Lomonosov's Readings in ASU

15 October 2015 Public Relations Department

International Conference “Lomonosov’s Readings in Altai: Fundamental Problems of Science and Education” is starting on October 20 in Altai State University with the support of Russian Foundation for Humanities and Altai Krai Administration.

The conference plenary session will begin with the speech of Professor, Head of Complex Mapping Laboratory and World Data Center for Geography of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University Vladimir S. Tikunov and Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Assistant Professor of Physical Geography and Geographic Information Systems Department of ASU Irina N. Rotanova dedicated to Russian atlas mapping traditions and innovations.

The scientists are going to tell about scientific and creative work of Mikhail V. Lomonosov as a head of Geographical Department of Russian Academy of Sciences and the author of the first Russian geographic atlas.

“While telling the Conference participants about Lomonosov’s research work and his contribution to the development of science, especially mapping, we will also mention the modern implementation of his ideas. Finally, we are going to present a major international project, which is currently being carried out in Altai State University at the initiative of Rector S.V. Zemlyukov, – “Great Altai Atlas: Nature, History, Culture” web-GIS project,” said Irina Rotanova.

The Great Altai Atlas preparation is conducted by specialists from Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. ASU scientists are working in collaboration with them, developing the Atlas concept and program, optimizing the basic maps that will be the same for all 4 countries. The scientists are also adjusting the unified ideology of Atlas content and other maps’ subject. The Atlas will consist of 3 large parts correlating to its name – nature, history and culture.

Part of the Great Altai Atlas maps has already been prepared. In the nearest future Mongolian specialists are coming to ASU for the purpose of Mongolian Altai maps optimization, while classical university scientists are working on international and Russian parts.

“The Atlas will help to see some environmental processes in a new light. For instance, it will bring up such global problems as climate change, potential altitudinal belts displacement, desertification, and water supply deficit at vast territories. All these questions will be considered in the Great Altai Atlas and reflected in new maps’ subjects, which did not exist before,” summarized Irina Rotanova.

The Lomonosov’s Readings opening session is taking place in ASU Academic Board Hall (Russia, Barnaul, Dimitrova Street 66) on October 20 at 9:45 a.m.
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