Dear Colleagues!

The south of Russia that occupies a large territory which is characterized by a high population density and includes two districts of the Southern Federal District and North Caucasian Federal District (or the entire North Caucasus), is a vast region with a various, and, at the same time, dangerous endogenous and exogenous geological processes. Two of the most powerful volcanoes, Kazbek and Elbrus, are situated here and both are not extinct according to the preliminary data.

Geological and geophysical studies using modern technologies have identified the most powerful faults with the expected seismic potential, reaching magnitudes M = 7.1-7.8. A number of glaciers being a natural source of numerous rivers are located in the mountainous areas of the region.

Hazardous natural and technogenic processes in the South of Russia often cover the territories of various states, which suppose close scientific and practical cooperation with colleagues from the relevant scientific institutions. In this regard, it should be noted that there are dangerous processes covering the entire Caucasus, including Iran and Turkey.

The collapse of the former Soviet Union formally withdrew very active, in seismic regard, territories of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia from the sphere of Russian scientists’ interests. This led to a quite understandable increase in the attention of government agencies to the problems of densely populated territories of the North Caucasus.

Under the current conditions, since the mid-nineties of the last century heads and leading scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences have taken active efforts to create new and improve existing scientific institutions and organizations in the South of Russia with the simultaneous development of geophysical and, in particular, seismic observations there.

Nowadays, several large academic research institutions are located in the South of Russia: Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Dagestan Scientific Center RAS, Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center RAS, Southern Scientific Center RAS, which include geological and geophysical institutions and other Earth sciences. The branches of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences: in North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz) and Dagestan (Makhachkala), as well as individual stations in Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya and Krasnodar Territory are situated here.

Powerful universities are successfully operating in the South of Russia. It is enough to note the Southern Federal University, which has the status of a national university.

There are many various scientific publications of a geological and geophysical orientation in the South of Russia. At the same time, due to their workload there is no real possibility of timely publication of new research findings of academic institutions in the field of geology and geophysics, which allow implementing timely an active experience exchange, the introduction of new developments in scientific practice etc.

Under these conditions, in 2011 on the initiative of Prof. M.G. Berger and Prof. V.B. Zaalishvili and with the support of Vladikavkaz Scientific Center RAS, Dagestan Scientific Center RAS, Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center RAS and Southern Scientific Center RAS a scientific periodical “Geology and Geophysics of Russian South” was created on the basis of the Geophysical Institute of Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The aim of the journal is a consolidation of the community of academic and institutional scientists of Russian South on the basis of the principles of science and professionalism, an active involvement of an international audience to the study and discussion of geological and geophysical scientific problems of the region. This supposes an active development of the international cooperation in the Caucasus and beyond, and ensuring of an international expertise of the research findings.

Thus, the periodical combines the intellectual achievements of scientists and experts from the South of Russia and the neighboring countries in the study and interpretation of new fundamental and applied research in the field of geology and geophysics.

Thanks to the support of the leading Russian and foreign scientists, a peer-reviewed scientific journal which combines the efforts of scientists in solving theoretical and practical problems in the field of geology and geophysics in the South of Russia, was created almost a decade ago.

We will be glad to see you among the authors, reviewers and readers of the journal “Geology and Geophysics of Russian South”.

Chief Editor
Dr. of Sciences, Prof. V.B. Zaalishvili
Vladikavkaz, January 13, 2020.