The Fourth International Research-Educational Summer School “Natural and human environment of Arctic and Alpine areas: relief, soils, permafrost, glaciers, biota and life style of native ethnic groups in a rapidly changing climate” will start in the cozy city of Tomsk. This famous cultural center has been named “the Siberian Cambridge”. There will be 3 days for the field excursion to the High Altai (1200 km South from Tomsk). This will cross different landscapes, such as south taiga, sub-taiga, forest-step, step, mountain taiga, mountain meadow, mountain tundra, glacial and periglacial areas. Participants will observe different geographical provinces, such as West-Siberian Plain, Piedmont Altai, North Altai, High Central Altai and High South-East Altai.
All this will provide an opportunity to become acquainted with a great variety of landscapes, different types of reliefs and paleogeographical relics, well-expressed geological structures and evidences of earthquakes, amazing biodiversity in wild ecosystems, unique archaeological objects and the dynamic variety of nomadic populations.
The main part of the School (6 days) will be held at the Aktru Research Station of the
National Research Tomsk State University. The Station was founded by M.V. Tronov, the distinguished scientist and Professor of the Tomsk State University, who is a founder of the Siberian Glaciological Scientific School. There will be various field excursions as well as lectures at the Station and in its surroundings.
The two-day journey back to Tomsk will repeat the transzonal excursions. Other interesting places will then be seen and elucidated in the lectures.

more info http://biogeoclim.tsu.ru/en/