Siberian Federal University Experts Suggest to Make GLONASS Use Obligatory for Arctic Subsoil User

Scientists of Siberian Federal University, who have been studying the properties of soil and vegetation cover of the Arctic territories of Krasnoyarsk Territory for about 10 years, propose to change the rules for using equipment in the tundra. Among the recommendations is to oblige subsoil users in the Arctic to use GLONASS systems, Siberian Federal University School of Ecology and Geography Director Ruslan Sharafutdinov told TASS.

“It is recommended to restrict the ground transport traffic in order to preserve the vulnerable natural landscapes of Taymyr tundras, based not on the weight of the vehicle, as is currently the case, but on ground pressure index, which should be limited to an interval of 0.12-0.14 kg per square centimeter,” Ruslan Sharafutdinov said, adding that the scientists also propose to oblige subsoil users in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation to equip vehicles with GLONASS systems.

According to Mr. Sharafutdinov, this is due to the fact that even now there are instances of illegal use of crawler machines in the tundra. After that in the areas where such vehicles were used, the movement of any vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles using ultra-low pressure tires, is unacceptable for 7–15 years.

The scientists base their recommendations on ten years of research experience in the tundra, under the framework of which they studies the speed of restoration of the disturbed terrain and dependence on various factors using the analysis of satellite images. The experiences of other regions and states on the conservation of Arctic landscapes was studied.

In order to preserve vegetation cover and deer pastures, a restriction has been imposed on the pneumatic-tired vehicles traffic with a permitted weight of more than 3.5 tons and a complete ban on crawler machines traffic has been introduced in Taymyr since 2003.