Biography:

Vladimir Romanovsky, Associate Professor of Geophysics; Moscow State University, ’75 M.A., ’82 Ph.D., ’85 M.A.; University of Alaska Fairbanks, ’96 Ph.D. Romanovsky joined the Geophysical Institute in 1992 as a graduate student and was appointed a research associate in 1996. Before he came to the Geophysical Institute, Romanovsky worked as an associate professor with Moscow State University. His most recent research interests include the scientific and practical aspects of environmental and engineering problems involving snow, ice and permafrost. These interests include problems in the areas of soil physics, thermodynamics, heat and mass flow, and growth and decay processes that are associated with ice, permafrost, subsea permafrost, seasonally frozen ground and seasonal snow cover. Romanovsky is currently working on the improvement of mathematical methods (analytical and numerical modeling) in the fields of geology and geophysics. In 1984, Romanovsky received an award from the Russian Government for the Baikal-Amur Railroad construction. Romanovsky is a current member of the American Geophysical Union.

Lecture Presentation:

Permafrost
Presented May 8, 2007
Lecture Summary
(click here)
Vladimir Romanovsky, Professor of Geophysics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, presents the main characteristics of permafrost and how permafrost creates changes in the Alaskan environment.  Professor Romanovsky explains what permafrost is, how it is formed, and the impact of permafrost on man-made structures such as buildings and highways. The lecture also touches on the environmental effects of permafrost such as sink-holes, soil instability (landslides), and climate change. Romanovsky concludes by discussing how permafrost is changing and how it is affected by global climate change. The lecture is followed by questions from students and teachers in the Bering Strait School District.
Permafrost polygon photo courtesy USGS