Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Climate is the principal geographical factor influencing the main parts of the Earth’s surface- it determines processes of landscape formation and of its specific elements, affects all exogenic geological processes, aquatic and terrestrial organic life and social conditions of human communities as well as economic development (Bukantis et al., 2001)

Mapping of ecosystems and landscape dynamics is an important part of remote monitoring of the environment aimed at identifying and evaluating changes taking place in an area over a particular period of time. Maps reflecting the dynamics of ecosystems and landscapes in the Amudarya delta are urgently required to identify measures to deal with adverse phenomena and processes caused by regression of the Aral Sea and reduction of stream runoff into that sea. It is known that such changes began half a century ago. Since then problems related to natural and anthropogenic factors have been discussed in many publications. Amongst them there are several monographs devoted to the environment state at the time of our survey. These identify factors responsible for destabilization of the environment and predicting further changes (Raficov, & Tetuchin,1981; Popov, 1990; Glazovskyi,1990; Zaletaev, amp; Novikova,1997; Creeping..., 1999).

The formation of islands and point bars in river systems leads to dynamic ecological changes that are very important for management of riparian areas.

The main objective of ecogeological investigations is to obtain an actual picture of the geoenvironmental situation in a particular region, and to assess an influence of geological factors upon the habitat conditions of the biological communities formed there.

Geological boundaries usually do not coincide with the borders of states. The use of subsurface resources, pollution of groundwater and changes of landscape in the border area of one state could influence the subsurface environment of the neighbouring country. In general, groundwater is an especially sensitive element of subsurface and environment. Its resources are formed in extensive areas by recharge and could flow, crossing the administrative borders. Pollution or changes of hydrodynamics of the groundwater due to its extraction or mining of mineral resources could impact the quality and resources of groundwater over cross-border territories. It could make an impetus for hazardous geological processes such as karst or erosion. Therefore the knowledge of geological structure, potential processes and environmental risks is essential for sustainable use of cross-border areas and co-operation between neighbouring states (Satkunas, & Graniczny, 1997). Co-operation in cross-border territories is also very important for the implementation of the Principles for a European Spatial Development Policy and could contribute to reduction of environmental pollution and secure environmental capacities of European significance (Graute, 1995). Need and significance of monitoring of transboundary groundwater is stressed recently by the Economic Commission for Europe, which established the Task Force on Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Waters, in 1994 (Inventory, 1999).

Nuclear wastes occur in solid, liquid and gaseous forms and in a variety of isotopic compositions and radiation intensities. For the purpose of discussing long-term waste disposal, however, they can be roughly subdivided into two main categories (Milnes, 1985): low-level waste (LLW) and high-level waste (HLW). This subdivision is based on an estimation of the long-term health hazard posed by the waste, which is roughly related to its content of long-lived radioisotopes, such as plutonium, which emit a-particles and are thus highly radiotoxic if inhaled or ingested. For the purposes of this brief overview, HLW will encompass various radioactive waste categories, including spent nuclear fuel, vitrified reprocessing waste and intermediate level waste which contain long-lived radioisotopes. Emphasis is on the geological aspects of nuclear waste disposal, and these are similar for all the different categories of HLW.

Among the most effective and successful environmental observation systems are those operated in Japan, China, the USA, and USSR-Russia. These use a complex of mutually supporting techniques to secure information on seismically dangerous structures and territories (GPS, laseraided telemetric measurements, high-altitude aero-geophysical surveying, repeated leveling, inclinometry, etc., carried out in combination with systematic seismic-geophysical observations).

The objective of this section is to describe purposes, kinds and contents of permafrost monitoring and to discuss the monitoring results. Permafrost (cryolithozone) monitoring is defined as “a standardised system of observations on the condition of geological environment in the North; a system of assessment, inspection and forecast of the environment changes occurring under the effect of natural and technogenic factors” (Pavlov, 2001). Monitored variables are water and temperature regimes of grounds, regimes of cryogenic geological processes and those of other environmental components controlling the condition of permafrost, i.e., ground waters, air temperatures, snow cover, etc. All-embracing monitoring is rare. Usually only two or three variables are monitored.

The ecological orientation of geological education in Russia was started about 30 years ago. This was realized in the form of “Geological Environment Protection” specialization in the cadre of “Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology” speciality. Later in some institutes of our country such an approach was realized in the cadre of specialities “Geochemistry” and “Geophysics”.