Empress Catherine II Saint-Petersburg State Mining University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
G. D. Gorelik, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor
N. S. Krikun, Leading Engineer at the Arctic Science Center
D. E. Ushakov, Leading Engineer
I. A. Babenko, Post-Graduate Student
I. V. Talovina, Head of Department, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor, i.talovina@gmail.com

The integrated geological and geophysical research of the area of decommissioned Molodyozhnaya Station allows collating the direct geological observations and geophysical studies carried out in a unique natural oasis of the Thala Hills in East Antarctica. The works were performed during delivery of a geology and geophysics crew of the Mining University to Progress Station for the implementation of the scheduled efforts in the season of the 70^th Russian Antarctic Expedition. The goal of the reconnaissance geological course was the analysis of the material constitution and structural features of metamorphic and magmatic rocks outcropping in the area of Molodyozhnaya Station. Gamma-spectrometry was executed in the zones of the most intense anomalies identified by the integral γ-survey. All in all, three anomaly-forming objects were identified for the further research. The results are usable for the comparative analysis of geological structures of two Antarctic oases—the Thala Hills, also known as the Molodyozhny oasis, and the Larsemann Hills in the area of Progress Station. Moreover, a procedure of aerial survey, orthophoto mapping and digital modeling was tested in the study area. Such work is useful both in terms of tracing contrast geological objects on airborne images, and from the viewpoint of passability and exposure assessment, and further visualization of the results.

The authors appreciate participation of A. V. Zaprudsky, Empress Catherine II Saint-Petersburg State Mining University, and A. A. Miller, Geological and Geophysical Service Company–GM Service, Saint-Petersburg.
The study was carried out under the state contract on scientific activity in 2025, Aid-Grant No. FSRW-2024-0003).
The authors express their profound gratitude to the Russian Antarctic Expedition and personally to N. A. Nikolaev for the logistic and infrastructure support of the studies.

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