Head of the Division is Dr. Ruslan G. Kulinich, Deputy Director of the
Institute. The Division includes 10 laboratories:
Laboratory of Gravimetry. Head: Dr Ruslan G. Kulinich
Laboratory of Seismic Studies. Head: Dr Boris Ya. Karp
Laboratory of Electrical and Magnetic Fields of Ocean Lithosphere. Head: Dr Valerian M. Nikiforov
Laboratory of Geomorphology and Tectonics. Head: Dr Alexander A. Gavrilov.
Laboratory of Geological Formations of Sea Floor. Head: Dr Evgeney P. Lelikov
Laboratory of Regional Geology and Stratigraphy. Head: Dr Vladimir L. Bezverkhny
Laboratory of Sedimentology. Head: Dr Feliks R. Likht
Laboratory of Paleoceanology. Head: Sergey A. Gorbarenko
Laboratory of Gas Geochemistry. Head: Dr Anatoly I. Obzhirov
Laboratory of Marine Ore Formation. Head: Anatoly S. Astakhov.
They conduct complex geological and geophysical studies of the sea bottom. To
investigate deep structure of the Earth crust and upper mantle it is studied
gravity field and its anomalies using gyrostabilized on-board gravity meters. It
is investigated bottom topography and conditions for its formation by data of
geomagnetic field and its anomalies studies performed with the help of towing
proton magnetometers. Object of studies are bottom relief, velocity parameters
of the bottom basement and sediments. The problems of origin, transportation and
sedimentation of sea sediments, their mineral content, microfilm and microfauna
and other properties are studied, as well as matter composition, age and
conditions for origin of the oceanic basement solid rocks. Problems of
ferrum-manganese nodules and crusts origin, hydrochemical processes making basis
for modern mineral formation, processes of natural gases exhalation in the
near-bottom water and in the bottom are studied to solve the problems of recent
geological activity and oil and gas content.
Geological, bathimetric, morphostructural maps of the Pacific Ocean and
marginal seas are made. To conduct studies the Division uses automated bottom
stations, radio-buoys, single-channel profiling, vessel echo-sounders, different
kinds of samplers and gas analyzers, dredging.