Report

The II International Symposium "Physics, Chemistry and Mechanics of Snow” a symposium passed on October, 23 - 27 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

The Symposium was opened by Deputy Chairperson of the Government of the Sakhalin region S. Khotochkhin. Delivered a solemn speech the member of the Presidium of the RAS, the First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Feb RAS, Director of Far East Geological Institute Feb RAS academician A. Khanchuk. On behalf of the International Glaciological society Symposium participants welcomed the Member of the board of the International Glaciological society, Vice-president of Japanese Society of Snow and Ice, Director of the Centre for the Study of Snow and Ice of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention Dr. A. Sato. With a salutatory word to participants of the Symposium, Director of the Sakhalin Department Far East Geological Institute FEB RAS, Head of the Laboratory of Avalanche and Debris Flow Processes, Dr. N. Kazakov. On behalf of the President of International Association of Cryospheric Sciences Dr. C. Fierz, welcomed participants of the Symposium the Representative of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences Dr. S. Sokratov, Senior Researcher of Natural Risks Assessment Laboratory & Laboratory of Snow Avalanches and Debris Flows, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The Symposium was attended by such famous scientists as ex-president of the International Glaciological Society member of the board of the International Glaciological Society, professor of the Hokkaido University N. Maeno, Professor of the national University of Uzbekistan G. Glazyrin, Deputy head of the Department of glaciology Institute of geography RAS Dr. N. Osokin, Professor of the University of Savoie Carmen de Jon, Professor of the University of Nagoya, K. Nishimura, head of the laboratory of avalanches and mudflows geographical Department of Moscow state University. M.V. Lomonosov Dr. A. Shnyparkov.

Plenary session reports were made by Dr. A. Sato ("Global Problems of Snow Science") and Professor N. Maeno ("Dielectric properties of snow").

The Symposium was attended by 138 scientists and specialists from 64 organizations from eight countries. At the Symposium sounded 34 oral reports, was presented 24 posters.

Their reports were presented by researchers from 22 research organizations, including, from 14 organizations of the Russian Academy of Sciences. University science was presented by the participants from the 15 Universities.

The Symposium was attended by representatives of most of the leading Russian centers for research snow: research laboratory of snow avalanches and debris flows of the Geographical Department of Moscow state University M.V. Lomonosov, Avalanche Safety Center of «Apatit» LLC, glaciology Department of the Institute of geography RAS, Arctic and Antarctic research Institute, laboratory of avalanche and debris-flow processes researches of the Sakhalin branch of far East geological Institute Feb RAS and leading foreign organizations conducting research snow: International Glaciological Society, International Association of Cryospheric Sciences, Japanese Society of Snow and Ice, National Research Institute for Earth, Hokkaido University, Snow and Ice Research Center, Nagoya University (Japan), Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region (Japan), Mountain Centre of University of Savoy (France).

Among the participants of the Symposium were representatives of such Russian railways far Eastern Railway Center For Diagnostics and Monitoring of Infrastructure, Sakhalin State University, SDO ADMR FEB RAS.

During the work of the Symposium was held a round table devoted to discussion of problems of design and construction of buildings and structures in the snowy regions, attended by representatives of design and survey and construction companies: EkoStroyServis LLC (Krasnodar, Russia), TransISProekt LLC (Moscow, Russia), Builders of Sakhalin and the Kurils Islands Non-Commercial Partnership (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia), State Unitary Enterprise "Avtodorproekt" (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia), North Plan company Ltd. and Yukiken Snow-Eaters Co. Ltd. (Sapporo, Japan).

During the Symposium was held consultations with Russian experts on issues of construction of facilities of engineering protection against snow avalanches and snow drifts, discussed the questions of cooperation with Japanese colleagues.

During the Symposium the participants and guests of the staff did a tour in Sakhalin Botanical garden Feb RAS.

During the field trips on the route: the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - railway station Grebenskaja (Makarovsky district) participants and guests of the Symposium got acquainted with the Natural Avalanche Complexes On The Sea Coast and In River Valleys, South-Eastern Coast of Sakhalin and on the ridge Zhdanko, with hazard sites of roads and Railways and engineering of avalanche protection roads and Railways, acting on Sakhalin.

Among the best reports Organizing Committee of Symposium noted the following: H. Matsushita, Y. Harada, S. Kasamura, M. Matsuzawa and H. Nakamura (Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region, Public Works Research Institute, Present Affiliation; Tohoku Regional Bureau, Sapporo, Japan) "Experiment on response of snowpack on slope to seismic ground motion"; O. Netsvetaeva, L. Sorokovikova, N. Onishhuk, N. Sezko, I. Lopatina (Limnological Institute SB RAS, Irkutsk, Russia) "Peculiarities of the chemical composition of the Snow pack in the Baikal region"; H. Matsushita, M. Ueda, S. Kasamura, M. Matsuzawa and H. Nakamura (Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region, Public Works Research Institute; Present affiliation; Tohoku Regional Bureau, Japan) "On estimating impulsive pressure due to falling snow"; D. Bobrova (laboratory of avalanche and debris-flow processes researches of Sakhalin Department of Far East Geological Institute FEB RAS, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia) "Avalanche hazard of plain for example of Sakhalin Island"; E. Kazakova (laboratory of avalanche and debris-flow processes researches of Sakhalin Department of Far East Geological Institute FEB RAS, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia) "The classification of natural avalanche complexes of marine terraces of South Sakhalin"; C. de Jong (Mountain Centre, University of Savoy, Le Bourget du Lac, France) "Properties and impacts of artificial snow in mountain ski resorts".

Prizes and diplomas of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences for 2 of the best reports were awarded to young researchers: H. Matsushita (Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region, Sapporo, Japan) and D. Bobrova (laboratory of avalanche and debris-flow processes researches of Sakhalin Department of Far East Geological Institute FEB RAS, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia).

The next International symposium "Physics, chemistry and mechanics of snow" it was decided to hold in 2015.