Resources, regime and quality of surface waters in the Ob River basin: history, current state and problems of research

The paper presents the history and major results of research into resources, regime and quality of the surface water in the Ob basin, concentrated in such water bodies as glaciers, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands. Studies have long been carried out by such government agencies as the Hydrometeorological Service (Hydromet), the Ministry of Energy and others, engineering organizations, scientific research institutes of the academy of sciences and universities. The studies included large complex tasks aimed at economic development of the basin territory. By the 1980s, an expanded network of stationary hydrological observations existed, and basic information about the factors of resources formation, regime and surface water quality, as well as long-term dynamics of hydrological characteristics had been obtained. Today, a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to the hydrological cycle and geo-run-off at the global and regional scales is related to the changes in climate and the environment in general.