For the first time the role of rhyncholites in the process of epibiota has been figured out. Serpulidae inlay is detected in 39 rhyncholites of 979 specimens, representing 4% of the all studied material. This fact demonstrates that rhyncholites were used extremely rarely by encrusting species as a substrate. No other epibionts were found. Polychaetes were found in the genus Hadrocheilus (87%) and in the genus Akidocheilus. Size of the inlaid rhyncholites ranges from 7 to 23 mm. Serpulidae cover usually only the ventral side of rhyncholites, herewith, at 48,7% of the samples epibionts with different degrees of intensity are developed throughout the ventral surface, at 30,7% of the samples they are observed only on the ventral side of the hood and at 20,6% serpulidae are present only on the ventral surface of the arm. At four exemplars of the genus Hadrocheilus (10 % of the total amount) polychaetes are developed on the dorsal surface, but they are always and usually very wide developed on the ventral side of rhyncholites. No samples were found in which serpulidae were found only on the dorsal surface. Among the remains of polychaete worms, large and small tubes were identified and described. The presence of serpulidae on the handle of rhyncholites, that during the life of the cephalopod mollusk was located in a horny jaw, is a clear indication of the settlement’s epibionts on isolated skeletal structures of the already dead cephalopod. Cases when serpulidae are observed only on the ventral side of the hood in representatives of the genus Akidocheilus, suggest that planktonic trochophore – larvae of polychaetes can settle on the inner surface of the mandible of living ammonoids, where they turned into an adult worm. At the same time, polychaetes gained access not only to traditional prey, represented by various microscopic organisms, but also to additional food resources associated with the life activity of cephalopodas.

Integrated study of a series of the Turonian and Coniacian complete geological records has revealed the stratigraphic completeness and specified the faunal contents of the deposits. The south and the southwest of the Ulyanovsk-Saratov trough have been shown to comprise the thickest beds of the studied interval represented by carbonate and carbonate-terrigenous rocks. Northwards, in the zone of the Saratov dislocations, the Turonian – Coniacian bodies are peculiar for terrigenous and terrigenous-carbonate compositions. The beds are ubiquitously monotonous, which complicates identifications at the stage and the substage levels. Distributions of the benthic foraminifer assemblages and the data on the finds of cephalopods, inoceramus, echinoderms, brachiopods and siliceous sponges have allowed to distinguish detailed biostratigraphic units at the level of biozones traced within the examined structural units. An attempt has been made to reconstruct the conditions in the marine environment.

Information on the distribution of trace and rare-earth elements in the bottom sediments of estuarine zones of various river categories (large rivers, rivers draining water collections, composed of sedimentary or magmatic and metamorphic rocks, etc.) of silt and pelitic dimensions can be considered as the data, reflecting characteristic features of the suspention, transported to marine basins from various catchment provinces. In certain situations, the composition of the surface bottom sediments of the marine basin is determined by the suspension composition of any large river flowing into it (the Caspian Sea and the Volga River, the Laptev Sea and the Lena River, etc.). The similarity and difference in the rare-earth elements (REE) systematics of bottom sediments of estuarine zones and suspended particulate matter of rivers of various categories is quite well expressed in the pair diagrams (La/ Yb)N–(Eu/Sm)N, (La/Yb)N–Th, etc. A comparison of the features of the distribution of REE and Th in the Riphean clay rocks of the Southern Urals and in bottom sediments of the estuaries of various categories of recent rivers has been performed. It has been concluded that clay rocks forming a typical Riphean section are formed due to the erosion of mainly or predominantly sedimentary and/or metasedimentary complexes that existed during the PreRiphean or the Riphean in the east part of the East European platform and have not survived to date.

The mineralogical and petrogeochemical features of the Neoproterozoic kimberlite rocks of the Lahtojoki and Niilonsuo pipes of the Kaavi cluster (Kaavi-Kuopio, Finland) have been studied, differences in their petrogeochemical composition, quantitative and chemical composition of oxide minerals of deep (mantle) and kimberlite genesis have been revealed. The kimberlites of the pipes are moderately titanic, but the TiO2 content in the kimberlites of Niilonsuo is higher (2.11 wt.%) than in the kimberlites from the breccia of the Lahtojoki pipe (1.07 wt.%). The kimberlites of the Niilonsuo pipe also differ in higher concentrations of Fe2 O3 , Ca, P, K, Rb, V, Nb, Ba, Th, U, Ta and REE. In the Lahtojoki kimberlite breccias the main TiO2 concentrator mineral is magnesian ilmenite (13,3—15,2 wt.% MgO; 0,5—4,4 wt.% Cr2 O3 ), (macrocrysts up to 4 mm); the fine-grained matrix of rocks contains small grains of rutile, chromespinelides, Mn-ilmenite and sometimes titanomagnetite. Macrocrystals of magnesian ilmenite have been not found in the kimberlites of the Niilonsuo pipe, perovskite acts as the main mineral of titanium, and chromespinelids and titanomagnetite are less common. Long-term crystallization of relatively large (up to 200 μm) perovskite grains proceeded according to estimates using an Nb-Fe-perovskite oxybarometer under a wide range of oxygen fugacity (fо2 ) of the kimberlite melt (NNO from -3,8 to 5,1). Chromespinelids from the groundmass of kimberlite pipe rocks differ in composition, but have the same specific zonality — enrichment of Al and Mg in the edge zones of crystals, which is possibly due to the dissolution of phlogopite phenocrysts in the rising kimberlite melt. In addition to oxide minerals, djerfisherite is widely distributed in the groundmass of kimberlites of the Niilonsuo pipe, the composition of which for the rocks of the body has been described for the first time. The combination of features of oxide mineralization indicates unfavorable conditions for the preservation of diamonds during their transportation by kimberlite melt.

The texture and variety of types of breccia bodies of the ore section of the Svoboda at the Malmyzhskoye deposit have been studied and described: a large one — the complex structure of eruptive (hydrothermal-magmatic) breccias and a relatively small — the columnar body of phreatic breccias. Eruptive breccias are intra-ore with respect to gold-copper mineralization. The detrital part in them is represented mainly by metasomatically altered intrusive rocks of the 1st phase of introduction and sedimentary formations of the cretaceous Largasinsky suite. Breccia cementing material is potassium feldspar-quartz-chlorite-sericite mass, which is an intensively metasomatically altered rock of the 2nd intrusive phase of intrusion. Ore mineralization in breccias has a veindisseminated texture and is part of the clastic part of breccias and is also superimposed on the already formed breccia bodies in the process of their metasomatic alternation. Phreatic breccias formed at the final stages of the development of the porphyry system. They are distinguished by low copper and gold contents and sharp secant contacts with the rocks surrounding them. The composition of the debris is generally similar to eruptive breccia, cement is quartz-sericite-epidote-chlorite. The position of ore mineralization is similar to that in eruptive breccias, but it is manifested to a much lesser extent. According to the proposed genetic model, the formation of the body of eruptive breccias occurred as a result of fluidization of rocks located in the arches of the intrusive body, followed by the introduction of significant volumes of magmatic melt. Subsequently, when rising, the fluids interacted with the cold near-surface waters, which caused the formation of phreatic breccias. The studied features of breccia formations are in a good agreement with the classical model of copper-porphyry deposits of the world.

New data on the mineral composition of the Drazhnoye gold deposit, located within the Taryn ore field, have been presented. The samples from the central and flank areas of the deposit, which characterize ore and barren zones, have been studied. Based on the detailed studies of the interrelationship and the form of mineral exhalations and their aggregates, the stages of mineral formation have been proposed, including two main stages: sediment-diagenetic and hydrothermal-metasomatic. It has been revealed that the main precipitator of early native gold was pyrrhotite, which later, with an increase in fugacity of sulfur, was almost replaced by later pyrite. At the end of hydrothermalmetasomatic stage, native gold is formed from gold-bearing solutions and is located often in quartz and quartzcarbonate veinlets as independent precipitates, less commonly associated with polymetallic minerals, pyrite and arsenopyrite. Previous researchers of the Drazhnoye deposit established its genetic relationship with hydrothermal solutions. The data obtained confirm this. According to the type of gold ore mineralization and the type of prospective deep source of solution, this field is previously attributed to a hydrothermal pluton-related gold — quartz formation.

Rotary percussion drilling with pneumatic hammers is a promising, high-performance method widely used in the practice of geological exploration, the performance of which is determined mainly by pressure and the amount of cleaning agent supplied by the compressor. The parameters of commercially available high-pressure compressors do not allow drilling at a depth of more than 300 meters, which is one of the main limiting factors of its practical application in production conditions. One of the ways to improve the performance of the rotary-percussion drilling of wells, and at the same time the maximum depth of drilled wells is to improve the mechanism of rock destruction by applying eccentric impact pulses to the drilling tool, which will make it possible to implement more actively the tangential component of the impact pulse that affects the shape and the volumes of the fracture holes being formed, providing additional splitting of the rock in the direction of the rock face. The paper discusses the ways to perfect the known designs of bits for rotary-percussion drilling of wells implementing eccentric application of impact impulses, issues of geometric substantiation of the shape of an eccentric protrusion on a drill bit torus shim for rotary-percussion drilling and oscillations of torus shim when transmitting eccentric impact pulses from the point of view of enhancement durability of a construction and accuracy of transfer of eccentric impact pulses.

The parameters of drilling boreholes (including depth, diameter, angle of borehole inclination, cross-section) that are currently used for the making bored piles under the conditions of dense urban area, have been considered. The review about modern technologies of drilling boreholes used for making bored piles has been prepared. The updated classification of drilling technologies used for the making bored piles, which taking into account the nature of the removal of the destroyed rock and the movement of the drilling tool, the type of drilling tool, as well as the method of mounting the borehole walls, has been proposed. The classification, according to the nature of removal of the destroyed rock, distinguishes technologies providing or not providing the removal of destroyed rock. According to the nature of movement of the drilling tool, the rotary, shock and vibration technologies, as well as a static indentation technology, can be identified. According to the type of drilling tools, the classification divides methods into hollow drill stem with sacrificial drill bit and soil compactor and displacement tools with a starter auger section, augers, drilling buckets, core barrels, belling buckets, roller, impact and three-way bits, grabs. According to the methods of well casing, the technologies can be divided into the ones, allowing and not allowing the casing of well.

Currently at the territory of the Udmurt Republic there is a depletion of previously discovered large oil fields. The increase in oil reserves is many times behind production. This problem can be solved by the introduction of oil fields with reserves of up to 300 thousand tons of oil. However the classical methods of prospecting, exploration and development makes identification and exploitation of these deposits economically not cost-effective. This problem can be solved by using the technology of acoustic low-frequency exploration at the search and evaluation and exploration stages of exploration. The forecasting scheme of hydrocarbon potencial of Debesskoe, Vostochno-Tylovaiskoe fields, as well as Staroaleiskaya and Marinskaya structures, studied by this method, has been shown. Advantages of application of technology of acoustic low-frequency investigation at carrying out the prospecting and exploration works on oil in the Udmurt Republic have been presented. The most promising geological structures to predict oil deposits by means of acoustic low frequency exploration in the territory of the Udmurt Republic have been suggested.

The practice of the exploitation of hydrocarbon deposits of the Far North shows that despite the complexity and interdependence of natural and man-made conditions, the design of structures uses a certain set of solutions related to the characteristics of the area. The main fact is that all linear objects are designed in one corridor, at the same time, pipelines (oil pipelines, water conduits) are designed for ground laying on piles, areal objects (infrastructural sites) on the embankment with the preservation of the soil and vegetation layer at the base of the embankment. In addition, speaking about the field development or the transport of the product, unreasonably little attention is paid to the objects that ensure the operation of the main objects in normal mode. Such objects, in particular, are the water conduits and water-intake structures that provide an uninterrupted supply of water of the desired quality and quantity on the area of support base of the field of deposits. Despite the rather strict environmental legislation, it is impossible to take into account all the factors of negative impact on the environment, it is even more difficult to monitor the effect of a complex of these factors, and especially the interaction of all objects, processes and phenomena within the current natural and technical system.

The paper is devoted to the question of natural radionuclides (40K, 238U, 232Th) distribution in the soils on the territory of New Moscow. Based on the processing of the results of aero-gamma-spectrometry and analysis of extensive cartographic material (geological, soil, neotectonic maps, satellite data SRTM), the distribution of these radionuclides within the area under consideration has been estimated. The areas with elevated values of radionuclides relative to regional background values characteristic for the territory of the European part of Russia have been identified. These areas are considered as potentially dangerous for the environment and human health. Using GIS-technology has allowed determining probable anthropogenic and natural causes of the obtained distribution. Elevated contents of radionuclide 40K (up to 2,3%) coincide with the location of agricultural land and farms and, most likely, are associated with excessive mineral fertilization. The maximum contents of the radionuclide 238U (up to 2•10-4%) are localized at the intersection of the neotectonic fault and river valleys. High concentrations of radionuclide 232Th (up to 11,9•10-4%) are concentrated at the sites of development of large cracks and neotectonic fault, determined by authors as a result of relief digital model designing, and most likely, are due to natural causes (the composition of the initial rocks – substrate).

An obligatory part of the quality management system of educational institutions is pedagogical control of digestion of the learning material by students, which should be considered as an important component of the diagnosis and monitoring of training. The analysis of research and methodological functions of the current knowledge control on the basics of paleontology, general stratigraphy and historical geology, performed with the help of test tasks, was conducted from the spring semester of 2014 to the spring semester of 2019 inclusive. It has confirmed that the test system of the current control allowed carrying out effective diagnostics of higher education, making more systematic and effective carrying out of lessons, organization of the self-control over the digestion of some topics of the course and correction lecture material in order to increase the efficiency of the training. The consequence of methodically correct organization of systematic test control is the formation of holistic natural science world view by students, as well as the culture of educational process by students — concentration, responsibility, accuracy, ability to develop internal and external self-organization and self-control. The reasons for the low results of testings are analyzed. It has been proved that the analysis of the results of the current control of knowledge can determine creativity and a clear vocation for the research activities of students. Data on the results of the test control of educational work should be fully used for timely adjustment of educational trajectories of students at all stages of training. They will be necessary for the development of initiatives in mastering the future profession, creative abilities, the ability to plan and predict the results of their independent actions and to solve non-standard tasks.