Moscow State University, together with Yandex Cloud, launched the work of a carbon landfill in the Moscow region

2023: Chashnikovo carbon landfill launch

On July 21, 2023, it became known that scientists at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, together with the Yandex Cloud cloud platform, announced the launch of the Chashnikovo carbon landfill in the Moscow Region. The main task of the landfill is to monitor greenhouse gas flows, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. With the help of research, experts will be able to find the most effective ways to control and reduce emissions of climatically active gases in the Moscow region, and therefore prevent dangerous changes in the environment. A significant stage of construction of the landfill was completed - a meteorological tower was installed and put into operation.

As of July 2023, scientists from four faculties of Moscow State University are working on the project: the Faculty of Soil Science, Biological, Geographical and Chemical Faculties. Scientific groups measure gas flows from the soil surface, examine the respiration of plants. These observations will become year-round. Scientists are also working on the problem of "black carbon" - particles formed as a result of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. They are one of the causes of permafrost melting. A large number of such particles can exacerbate the effect of global warming.

Scientists collect dozens of terabytes of data into a single array from different sensors and gas analyzers. They will provide information on the balance of gases and develop methods for removing "excess" carbon from the atmosphere. To store and process this array of data in real time, the university's scientific teams used Yandex Cloud-based storage, uploading, among other things, data on the terrain and climate conditions of the study area. A general analysis of the data will allow the development of machine learning models that will be able to predict the dynamics of the emission and absorption of climatically active gases.

Several structural divisions of the university are involved in the polygon program, many have already begun to generate streams of data obtained using weather stations, gas analyzers and lidars. But they are not important on their own, but as part of a common monitoring system. It is necessary to create a database, provide free access to the information received. It seems to me that Yandex Cloud is an ideal platform for collecting and processing data on monitoring the flows of climatically active gases in Russia, - commented on the acting Dean of the Faculty of Soil Science of Moscow State University Pavel Krasilnikov.

Cloud services will create a single database for the exchange of data between several carbon polygons in different regions of Russia. These are dozens and even hundreds of terabytes of information that can help solve not only purely scientific problems. Studying the carbon balance allows, for example, to minimize forest fires, reduce methane emissions from livestock farms or determine gas emissions from solid waste landfills, "said Anna Lemyakina, director of national strategic projects at Yandex Cloud.