Geological Landscape Research Articles

STRUCTURE OF THE VEGETATIVE COVER OF THE NORTH-EASTERN PART OF TUVA

The article presents the study of vegetation cover in the Northeast of Tuva. The surveillance research was conducted in summer season from 2009 to 2017. It was revealed that nearly all altitudinal vegetation belts common to the Mountains of Southern Siberia are widespread in the studied area. The vegetation cover that creates biological diversity and conditions for its preservation, is peculiar for its geological history (relatively young site), specific landscape (combination of highlands and lowlands), climatic and landscape mosaic, low impact of anthropogenic activities. The vegetation cover conforms with the laws of altitudinal zonation, highland belts and mountain taiga belts. The prevailing type of vegetation is mountain taiga. In the result of conducted research, a series of electronic large-scale maps were created (universal map and evaluation map) with the help of ArcView GIS software. Both traditional methods and modern mapping techniques were used for vegetation communities, based on forest surveying data as well as on author’s filed research records. The vegetation map fragment is provided and the area’s landscape structure is described. Vegetation cover in the area under research is characterized by originality due to historical and environmental conditions, as well as proximity of the mountains. Currently, this is one of the few Siberian areas where anthropogenic activity is very limited. As of landscape peculiarities, the territory is remarkable for inhomogenuity of its landscape and environment which in its turn results in a wide typological variety of vegetation and considerable contrast of vegetation cover. In this regard, the territory of these mountain ridges is a model region to study historical development of vegetation cover in the mountains of the Southern Siberia.

The human imprint on the unique geological landscape of the Western Caucasus

Abstract Human intervention in the geological environment is commonly thought to pose a threat to geoheritage. However, new information from the Western Caucasus where unique geological features are concentrated in Mountainous Adygeya, implies that man-made features in fact add value to geoheritage. Such features include a lengthy artificial niche in the Guama Gorge, accumulations of large artificial clasts along the road leading to the Lagonaki Highland and the Khadzhokh Quarry with the artificial Red Lake. These contribute to the regional uniqueness of geosites and can be classified as geomorphological, sedimentary, economical and hydro(geo)logical geoheritage types. Interestingly, these artificial features have natural analogues in the study area. Such integrity of local geological landscapes urgently require special interpretations for guided excursions and explanatory panels for correct comprehension of the origin of these unique features on the part of unprepared tourists. Generally, the human imprint on geological landscapes of Mountainous Adygeya is significant and occasionally positive, which makes the entire geodiversity hotspot of special, international interest and an object for further investigations.

Study on the tufa Thickness and Formation Age of Dyke at Sparkling Lake, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Sichuan Province

Jiuzhai Valley earthquake occurred on August 8, 2017 has resulted in significant impact at Jiuzhai Valley Scenic Area. Some geological landscapes were damaged to different degrees, and the most destroyed landscape at Jiuzhai Valley was the failure of Sparkling Lake’s Dyke, with the shimmering scenery of Sparkling Lake being wiped from the map. Although the earthquake led to the disappear of landscape, it also provides an unusual opportunity to study the formation and evolution of the Sparkling Lake’s Dyke. The author has the honor to participate in the study on the post-earthquake geological changes and reconstruction countermeasures of Jiuzhai Valley World Natural Heritage Site. After conducting comprehensive study on the Sparkling Lake’s Dyke, such as large-scale geological survey, geological profile survey, dronestagram, implementation of minor-caliber backpack drill and formation age, the author finds that the tufa thickness of the Sparkling Lake’s Dyke is 8m-22.78m, with glacial till at the under layer, the age of tufa via carbon-14 dating method (14C) is up to 4.3ka-27ka, and the rate of deposition of tufa is 2.25mm/a-9.35mm/a. The findings that deposition sequence of the Sparkling Lake’s Dyke cannot be attributed to simple bottom-up overlaying relation and no sequential deposition for the deposition of tufa at Jiuzhai Valley area since the very beginning can serve as the complete and accurate scientific basis for ecological restoration of the Sparkling Lake’s tufa dyke.

Characterization of Evolution Stages, Groundwater and Soil Features of the Mud Forest Landscape at Qian-an (China)

The research on geological landscape has received more and more attention worldwide. The National Geological Park of Qian-an mud forest, located in Qian-an Country, Songyuan City (Jilin Province, China) is a rare natural geological landscape formed by erosion. Mud forest landscape has undergone long-term geological processes, and it is still in continuous evolution due to subsurface erosion. In the process of the mud forest landscape formation and evolution, distinct stages have been recognized. The subsurface erosion factors of the mud forest area were identified by groundwater and soil samples characterization, and the mechanism of the formation of the mud forest is studied. Results show that the occurrence of subsurface erosion is controlled by four factors: (1) The head difference of terrace increases due to geological structure, (2) The dry and cold paleoclimate increases the accumulation of soluble salts. Concentrated precipitation in the short term also promotes subsurface erosion. (3) The high content of sodium ions in groundwater promotes the dispersion of soil, and (4) Loess-like soil is characterized by high porosity, low plasticity, and dispersibility.

Assessment of landscape resource using the scenic beauty estimation method at compound ecological system.

Landscape resource assessment of compound ecological system is the basic condition for planning various management activities. After field survey and obtaining landscape photos of the Badaling region, we built the evaluation system of landscape resources. Then, we recruited people to evaluate the indicators of different scenic spots with evaluation system and overall evaluation by scenic beauty estimation method (SBE). The results showed that A01 and A05 gave a good impression to tourists from the point of view of scenic spots. Judging from the evaluation indicators, the entire region had a high score in geological landscape, while some of the scenic spots had low scores in humanity landscape. Overall evaluation has better practicability for the area with better landscape. The two evaluation methods are consistent in evaluating good landscape by SBE, through analyzing the main reasons for the differences in evaluation. The results and methodology can benefit landscape resource assessments as well as provide support on planning and management for compound ecological system.

‘The Indispensable Agent’: Coal and Its Displacements in Victorian Britain

Abstract Despite the prominent role of fossil fuels in the technological and social shifts of nineteenth-century Britain, coal—as a tangible thing that touched many aspects of Victorian life—has often been left out of histories of design. A topic of keen political and cultural interest in the period, coal was both an object of displacement (extracted, circulated, consumed) and its agent, reworking Britain’s economic and geological landscapes. This article argues that the ‘coal fetishism’ of Victorian Britain was not an inevitable outgrowth of the material’s proliferation, but was produced in part through the activity of designers, civil servants and manufacturers. Examining coal through the paired notions of display and concealment, I first consider how the substance was elevated in cultural terms at spectacles like the Great Exhibition of 1851, where conjoined strategies of pageantry and didacticism reinforced its centrality to national prosperity. I then turn to explore the coal-burning devices shown in these same spectacular events, showing how the fuel forced designers and manufacturers to contain, conceal or otherwise displace its negative effects and by-products. Attempting to re-place the messy materiality of coal into the history of Victorian design, I argue, thus illuminates the larger tensions and ambiguities of industrial modernity.

Man-Made Impacts on Emerging Geoparks in the Asian Region

Geotourism is an emerging sub-sector of nature-based tourism that attracts a growing number of tourists to geoparks worldwide. Among these, Asian geoparks have become an attractive destination for visitors to experience geological landscapes. To date, there are limited studies available on the environmental impacts of geotourism in Asian geoparks. Here, we present a quantitative review of 26 peer-reviewed publications on geotourism impacts in Asia and discuss how to minimise them. The majority of these studies (64%) originated in China and reports on observational research (68%) rather than experimental research (11%). Data were mainly qualitative (48%) rather than quantitative (19%). Impacts accrued from an inadequate provision of conservation measures and infrastructure (leading to soil erosion), associated agriculture and urbanization, a lack of legislative frameworks and a lack of knowledge of visitors and local communities on how to behave in sensitive geosites. Management measures that appear promising were discussed such as the establishment of frameworks and policies to govern geotourism development along with visitor education and the critical importance of systematic quantitative studies. Both should support the rapidly growing geotourism industry in the Asian region.

Heterogeneous response of diatom assemblages since ca. 1945 in lakes from boreal regions of northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada

The degree to which climate variability and anthropogenic stressors have impacted the rich array of boreal lakes in northern Saskatchewan and Alberta was explored in a dataset of 42 lakes from previous paleolimnological investigations of this region. This dataset was used to evaluate the extent of change in diatom assemblages over the past ~ 60 to 70 years in relation to lake and watershed characteristics. Similarity analysis was used to define the degree of change in diatom composition in lake sediment cores from each lake with a focus on post ca. 1945 changes to establish a common time frame to compare across all lakes. This time frame incorporates pre- and post-development of the Athabasca Oil Sands Region and additionally integrates pre- and post-periods of distinct changes in temperature and precipitation. Beta regression analysis was used to identify potential links between diatom assemblage change and lake physical–chemical and landscape characteristics (limno and landscape models, respectively). Similarity analysis indicated nearly 80% of the lakes showed only a very low degree of change (0–25%) since ca. 1945. Lakes with larger percent change in similarity (> 25%) showed increases in planktonic diatoms, although the specific taxa that changed varied from oligotrophic Discostella spp. to meso-eutrophic taxa, such as Asterionella formosa and Stephanodiscus minutulus. Lake volume and percent peat in the catchment were the most important limno and landscape explanatory variables, respectively, albeit the models had low predictive power. The lakes with large diatom compositional change were dispersed across the region, located in various geological and ecological zones and varying degrees of human disturbance. The interplay of climate and morphometric features of lakes is likely an influential driver of these changes, with larger heat-storage capacity in higher-volume lakes that potentially increases the sensitivity to warming. The small surface areas and shallow morphometry of most lakes, a heterogeneous hydrological and geological landscape, and frequent dominance of diatom assemblages by benthic generalists may explain the minimal responses of diatom assemblages over the past ~ 70 years to anthropogenic influences and climate.

신안군 하태도 일대의 지형 및 지질경관 특성

전라남도는 섬의 자연풍광, 식생, 역사, 문화 등에 대한 관심이 증가함에 따라 생태계, 경관, 문화, 역사를 보존 및 활용하면서 많은 사람들이 찾아와 주민과 함께 어울릴 수 있는 섬으로 가꾸어갈 목적으로 “가고 싶은 섬”사업을 시작하게 되었다. 이 사업계획에 따라 2015년부터 시작하여 2020년 현재까지 총 16개 섬이 가고 싶은 섬으로 선정되었다. 이들 도서 이외의 지역에 대한 지형 및 지질 조사가 미흡한 편으로 앞으로 지속적인 섬의 지형과 지질에 대한 조사의 필요성이 요구된다. 이에 따라 이 연구에서는 전라남도의 여러 섬 중에서 신안군 상하태도에 속하는 하태도의 지형 및 지질경관을 조사하고 분석하여 앞으로 관광 및 교육 자료의 자원으로서 활용하는데 필요한 기초 자료로의 뿐만 아니라 전라남도에서 진행하고 있는“가고 싶은 섬”사업의 계획과 평가에 대한 기본적인 참고자료를 제공하고자 한다. 이 연구는 전라남도 신안군 신의면 하태도 일대 지역에 분포하는 지형, 지질 경관을 조사하고 분류하였다. 연구 지역에 분포하는 지형, 지질경관의 분류는 국립생태원(2019)과 한국환경 정책ㆍ평가연구원(2003)에서 제시한 항목을 분류 기준으로 하였다. 연구 결과에 의하면 하태도 에는 국립생태원(2019) 및 한국환경정책ㆍ평가연구원(2003)의 분류 안에 따라 각각 8종류의 지형 경관과 14종류의 지형, 지질경관이 분포하고 있다. 제 5차 전국자연환경조사지침(지형) (국립생태원, 2019)의 분류에 따른 지형경관은 세부적으로 해안지형에 분류되며 해식애, 파식대, 해식와(노치), 해안타포니, 마린포트홀, 자갈해안, 모래해안 및 갯벌이 분포하여 8종류의 지형경관이 분포하고 있다. 지형 및 지질 유산의 조사 대상의 항목(한국환경정책ㆍ평가연구원, 2003)을 기초로 하여 지형 및 지질을 분류하면 일반 지형으로 해안분류에는 해식애, 파식대 및 암석해안의 3종류 그리고 일반 지질에는 층리, 사층리, 역암, 사암, 이암(셰일), 절리, 화산암, 암맥, 단층 및 결핵체의 11종류로 총 14종류가 분포하고 있다. 특징적으로 하태도의 동측 하태동리의 산능선을 따라 개설된 산림도로에서 남측을 바라보면 남해에 분포하는 여러 개의 섬이 한 눈에 들어오는 조망권이 특징적이다. 연구 지역의 다양한 지형 및 지질경관은 연구 및 교육 자료로서 가치가 있을 뿐 아니라 앞으로 전라남도에서 진행하고 있는 “가고 싶은 섬” 대상 선정을 위한 하태도의 경관자원 자료로 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

한려해상국립공원 지형･지질경관 자원의 분포와 관리방안－동부 지구를 중심으로－

한려해상국립공원 지형･지질경관 자원의 분포와 관리방안－동부 지구를 중심으로－

Unique desert caves as a valuable geological resource: first detailed geological heritage assessment of the Sannur Cave, Egypt

Caves are commonly used for the purposes of geological conservation and tourism, but such experience is very limited in desert areas of northeastern Africa. The Sannur Cave discovered near Beni Suef in Egypt a few decades ago has been investigated in order to judge about its importance as geological heritage. It is established that the study territory contains three principal elements that can be attributed to geological heritage. These are the Sannur Cave itself, two quarries of the so-called Egyptian alabaster (recrystallized Eocene limestones used for ornamental stones and sculptures), and the geological landscape in the vicinities of the cave with some outcrops of Cenozoic rocks representing various facies and bearing numerous fossils. Two dominant geological heritage types of the study territory are geomorphological and sedimentary types, which represent globally and nationally unique phenomena. The Sannur Cave and the relevant features can be used for the purposes of geological conservation, research, education, and tourism, which make it an important natural resource. Geopark creation can help in efficient exploitation of the latter.

The Culture of the Motillas in La Mancha - witness to the 4.2 ka cal BP Climate Event

Recent investigations indicate that the culture of the “motillas” – the Bronze Age settlements of La Mancha – may be the oldest evidence for large-scale water management in Europe. The archaeological and paleo-environmental data suggest a close relationship between the location of the “motillas” and the geological landscape. “Motillas” were built during the 4.2 ka cal BP climate event, at a time of environmental stress. The construction of wells that reached the local water table to access groundwater was a successful solution that lasted almost a millennium and was an important technological development that shaped the emergence of more complex and hierarchical societies in the region. The Holocene is a dynamic geological period in terms of climatic fluctuations. One of the most important of these dynamics, with global impact, is the aforementioned 4.2 ka cal BP climate event, which has been related to the collapse of diverse civilizations around the world. This event, in the Iberian Peninsula, occurred at the transition between the Copper Age and Bronze Age in La Mancha (as well as in other regions of the Peninsula). It was characterized by marked aridity, with a more intense phase, between 2,000 and 1,800 cal BC, during which there was a decrease in rainfall and an increase in temperature. The Bronze Age culture of the “motillas” of La Mancha constitutes a unique adaptation of the inhabitants of the territory to this climatic situation.

Self-Compensating Liquid-Repellent Surfaces with Stratified Morphology.

Artificial liquid-repellent surfaces have recently attracted vast scientific attention; however, achieving mechanical robustness remains a formidable challenge before industrialization can be realized. To this end, inspired by plateaus in geological landscapes, a self-compensating strategy is developed to pave the way for the synthesis of durable repellent surfaces. This self-compensating surface comprises tall hydrophobic structural elements, which can repel liquid droplets. When these elements are damaged, they expose shorter structural elements that also suspend the droplets and thus preserve interfacial repellency. An example of this plateau-inspired stratified surface was created by three-dimensional (3D) direct laser lithography micro-nano fabrication. Even after being subjected to serious frictional damage, it maintained static repellency to water with a contact angle above 147° and was simultaneously able to endure high pressures arising from droplet impacts. Extending the scope of nature-inspired functional surfaces from conventional biomimetics to geological landscapes, this work demonstrates that the plateau-inspired self-compensating strategy can provide an unprecedented level of robustness in terms of sustained liquid repellency.

Landscape Geology of Subaqueous Volcanic Rocks: Sea Cliffs on Etomo Peninsula, Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan

Landscape Geology of Subaqueous Volcanic Rocks: Sea Cliffs on Etomo Peninsula, Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan

Petropolitics and Pipeline Diplomacy in Central Asia: Can India Afford to Wait in the Wings?

The fight for hegemony in Central Asia has existed for ages. Strategically placed between two nuclear powers—Russia and China—and geopolitically located at the heart of Eurasia, Central Asia has always remained in global limelight. Even after the disintegration of the USSR, the geopolitical importance of Central Asia never waned down, instead emerged as a grand chessboard for regional and extra-regional player for the immense opportunities it has offered in the form of widely untapped natural resources and geostrategic leverages. Importantly, it has emerged as the latest geological landscape for the energy crunch countries as potentially new and non-OPEC source of oil and natural gas. In the quest for energy security and diversity of supply sources by the energy consumers, the heartland region has witnessed a new great game in the scramble for resources. This accentuated struggle for oil and energy in the region has further led to aggressive foreign policy formulations and strategic calculation by countries like the United States, China, European Union, Japan, Israel, Iran, Pakistan and India, to which many now call as the New Great Game for not just controlling but administering the energy resources of the region. The bottom line of the New Great Game unlike the previous version is essentially played out around petropolitics and pipeline diplomacy. It is in this context this research article makes a modest attempt to examine the energy factor in the geopolitics of Central Asia and tries to figure out the position of India in the epic quest for oil in the traditional bastion of Russia and the new grand chessboard of China and the United States.

The Present-day Landscape of Bukit Keluang Formation: Geoheritage Potential for Conservation and Geotourism

The Late Permian sedimentary rock of Bukit Keluang Formation is well exposed on three isolated hills namely the Bukit Keluang, Bukit Bubus and Bukit Dendong. The consecutive hills exhibit a unique landscape of linear ridge surrounded by the alluvial plains and are well known for their beautiful sandy beaches and outstanding landscapes. Geological landscape in the area falls into three heritage value set (scientific, aesthetic and recreational value) that in need of immediate conservation. Scientific evidence shows that the study area exhibits a unique lithologically and structurally controlled landscape characterised by first order topography of folded and thrusted sequence (anticlinal hill), linear cuesta ridge and denudation hill. Differential erosion of the conglomerate-sand-shale sequences led to the development of linear ridge with different elevation profiles. The geometric and geographic position of the hills conforms with the regional structural trend in the area with the N-S trending fault system is inferred as the major fault that displaced the Bukit Keluang Formation. Internal complexities in the individual structures in the form of cross-faults, oblique-faults and lineaments trending NW-SE, NE-SW to N-S directions have formed cave morphological feature and divide the hills into separate blocks. The geological landscape also contributes to an aesthetic value such as the beautiful hilly landscape and sandy beach, while recreational values including hiking, mountain biking and water activities. Geological heritage and geotourism could have a positive future in Bukit Keluang, Bukit Bubus and Bukit Dendong. The in-situ and ex-situ geological conservation is urgently needed in order to support the efforts to implement geoscience knowledge to the public.

Features of radioactive element distribution within the Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province: possible directions for development of isotope–radiogeochemical methods for kimberlite prospecting in complex landscape–geology and climate conditions of the subarctic zone

The effectiveness of traditional methods of searching for kimberlite pipes in the Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province (in the subarctic zone of Russia) has decreased greatly in recent years, and new methods of kimberlite exploration must therefore be developed. This study discusses new patterns of the distribution of natural radioactive isotopes within the Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province (Zolotitskoe kimberlite field), and the uranium isotopes 234 U and 238 U in particular. A variety of isotope radiogeochemical studies has shown that the kimberlite pipes are characterized by local radioisotope anomalies, on the surface and in exploration drill cores. These irregularities are clearly manifested in the formation of a non-equilibrium anomalous uranium isotope composition in the surrounding rocks and groundwater of the near-contact zone of the pipes. These uranium isotopes can be used to explore for kimberlites in other areas with similar complex landscape–geology and climate conditions of the subarctic zone.

Ups and downs: Genetic differentiation among populations of the Podocarpus (Podocarpaceae) species in Mesoamerica

The biogeographical history of Mesoamerican cloud forests is complex, encompassing a diverse and heterogeneous mixture of species with temperate and tropical origins. The dynamic geological landscape and climate change from the Miocene to the Pleistocene affected the distributions and composition of cloud forests in the region, and contributed to divergence events at different time scales. We assessed genetic variation of 29 populations of P. matudae, and closely related P. guatemalensis and P. oleifolius (Podocarpaceae) by sequencing 255 samples of the psbA-trnH and trnL-F intergenic spacer regions across the species ranges. We conducted phylogenetic, population and spatial genetic analyses as well as divergence time estimation and ecological niche modelling (ENM) to test the generality of demographic and genetic scenarios for cloud forest-adapted species. The results revealed genetic differentiation among species, with some individuals of P. oleifolius and P. guatemalensis placed in the P. matudae group and some P. oleifolius in the P. guatemalensis group. Predictions of ENMs under past climatic conditions and a strong signal of spatial expansion suggest that the highland P. matudae and P. oleifolius populations experienced expansions into lower elevation during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Contrary to predictions by the two precipitation models and elevational ups and downs for cloud forest taxa during the LGM, genetic differentiation and predicted distribution of suitable habitat support the hypotheses that P. matudae and P. oleifolius remained in situ during the LGM primarily within the current fragmented distribution of the cloud forest and spread into the lowlands during the LGM, whereas the distribution of suitable habitat for P. guatemalensis had no major changes upwards from the Last Inter Glacial (LIG) to current conditions.

Three-Dimensional Printed Surfaces Inspired by Bi-Gaussian Stratified Plateaus.

Wettability of artificial surfaces is attracting increasing attention for its relevant technological applications. Functional performance is often achieved by mimicking the topographical structures found in natural flora and fauna; however, surface attributes inspired by geological landscapes have so far escaped attention. We reproduced a stratified morphology of plateaus with a bi-Gaussian height distribution using a three-dimensional direct laser lithography. The plateau-inspired artificial surface exhibits a hydrophobic behavior even if fabricated from a hydrophilic material, giving rise to a new wetting mechanism that divides the well-known macroscopic Wenzel and Cassie states into four substates. We have also successfully applied the plateau-inspired structure to droplet manipulation.

Geological tourist mapping of the Mount Serrone fault Geosite (Gioia dei Marsi, Central Apennines, Italy)

ABSTRACT The Geological tourist map of the Mount Serrone fault Geosite (Gioia dei Marsi, Italy) has been realized for describing, in an educational perspective, the surface expression of one of the main active faults of the Central Apennines, connected with the 1915 Fucino earthquake (magnitude 7, historically, one of the strongest in Italy). The Central Apennines are a mountain range whose landscape is deeply connected to active tectonics and seismicity, as documented by recent earthquakes. In this framework, the map is a useful tool for the dissemination of the geological knowledge of the Fucino area and faults in general and for the promotion of a geological landscape through a modern, sustainable and environmentally aware tourism. The map is double-sided with simple texts and cartoons on the front outlining general info about the geosite, faults and earthquakes, how to behave in seismic areas and historical notes. The back shows the Main Map with its visual legend featuring the main geological and tectonic elements of the Mount Serrone fault Geosite and the long term history of the landscape. Through simple keywords and concepts, tectonics, faults and earthquakes are shown to be natural features that have contributed to shape the landscape of the Apennines over geological time, as well as something to be afraid and worried of, as they are connected to natural hazard and disasters. This approach is aimed at increasing people's awareness of geological processes and hazards (i.e. seismic), which with adequate knowledge and proper land management, can be lived with.