North Caspian Research Articles

History and status of sturgeon stock (Acipenseridae) in the Caspian pool

Analysis of materials from long-term studies characterizing the current state of sturgeon stocks in the Volga-Caspian fisheries basin, and the dynamics of commercial catches of beluga, sturgeon and stellate sturgeon in the XX - XXI centuries indicates that the Northern Caspian occupies the leading value in catch volumes, where more than 70 % of sturgeon fish are annually harvested. In the first half of the twentieth century sturgeon stocks were determined by the scale of natural reproduction in rivers and fishing volumes; in the second half, natural and anthropogenic factors began to intensively influence the formation of sturgeon stocks. The development of hydraulic construction on rivers, an increase in the withdrawal of freshwater runoff, a decrease in sea level to -29.0 mBS, pollution by industrial and agricultural runoff have necessitated the development of a set of measures for the reproduction, conservation and rational use of the Caspian’s aquatic biological resources. As a result of the studies, the response of the sturgeons to the changed conditions of reproduction has been determined in order to restore and increase their commercial stocks; high ecological adaptability of sturgeons to various living conditions within their range, their exceptional plasticity and pronounced intraspecific differentiation have been established. These indicators point to the possibility of creating conditions that meet the requirements for water quality for the life of sturgeons during migration and reproduction. In the course of the analysis of the obtained data, the influence of regulation of the Volga River flow on the efficiency of natural reproduction of sturgeons has been evaluated; the role of industrial sturgeon breeding in sturgeon stock formation has been shown; the abundance of juveniles in the North Caspian and adult individuals on feeding pastures of the sea has been estimated; trends in the number of sturgeon producers migrating in the Volga to spawning sites have been identified; the prospects for the restoration and rational use of sturgeons in the Volga-Caspian basin have been determined.

Оценка состояния пресноводной ихтиофауны Волго-Ахтубинской поймы на современном этапе (в 2018–2019 гг.)

The article assesses the state of freshwater ichthyofauna of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain (VAP) in the modern period. A retrospective analysis of the dynamics of the composition of the ichthyofauna of the floodplain under the influence of different fishing regimes was carried out. The increasing role of amateur fishing in this process has been defined. There has been defined the orientation of changes including increasing pressure on the most valuable fish species (perch, brim, pike perch, sazan and perch), unstable hydrological regime of the Lower Volga during the repro-duction period, growth of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, etc. The values of the qualitative and quantitative composition of net catches of fish are given. The extrapolation method assuming 
 a uniform distribution of the ichthyofauna calculated the commercial stock of freshwater ichthyofauna of the floodplain. It has been noted that in the stock structure of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain there dominate the typical river species, more than 50% of which are presented by bream, crucian carp, sabrefish and blue bream. In the context of the limited extraction (catch) of aquatic biological resources by industrial fisheries, the commercial stock of semi-migratory and river fish in the Volga-Caspian and North Caspian fishery subareas due to the unaccounted stocks of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain can be increased by 10%, and for such fish as pike perch – by 13%, crucian carp – by 15%, silver breeds, bersh, silver carp and grass carp – by 50%, zope and sabrefish – by 100%, roach – by 200%. The commercial stock is currently being developed by amateur fishing, the volumes of which do not undermine the reproductive potential of the freshwater ichthyofauna of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.

Перспективы шельфа Северного Каспия по результатам анализа распределения нефтегазоносности континентальной части Западного Казахстана

Перспективы шельфа Северного Каспия по результатам анализа распределения нефтегазоносности континентальной части Западного Казахстана

NAMES OF THE WORD "HOUSE" AND OTHER RELATED WORDS IN DAGHESTAN LANGUAGES. ETYMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

The article deals with the problems of structure and origin of the words denoting «house» in the Daghestanian languages. Common Daghestanian and Common Ibero-Caucasian roots have been reconstructed. The author also points at possible etymological convergences in the words under study and their counterparts in the Abkhaz-Adyghe and Kartvelian languages.

Relative clauses in Agul from a corpus-based perspective

AbstractThis paper gives an account of participial clauses in Agul (Lezgic, Nakh-Daghestanian), based on a sample of 858 headed noun-modifying clauses taken from two text corpora, one spoken and one written. Noun-modifying clauses in Agul do not show syntactic restrictions on what can be relativized, and hence they instantiate the type known as GNMCCs, or general noun-modifying clause constructions. As the text counts show, intransitive verbs are more frequent than transitives and experiencer verbs in participial clauses, and among intransitive verbs, locative statives with the roots ‘be’ and ‘stay, remain’ account for half of all the uses. The asymmetry between the different relativization targets is also significant. Among the core arguments, the intransitive subject (S) is the most frequent target, patient (P) occupies second place, and agent (A) is comparatively rare. The preference of S and, in general, of S and P over A also holds true for most other Nakh-Daghestanian languages for which comparable counts are available. At the same time, Agul stands apart from the other languages by its high ratio of non-core relativization which accounts for 42% of all participial clauses. Addressee, arguments and adjuncts encoded with a locative case, as well as more generalplaceandtimerelativizations show especially high frequency, outnumbering such arguments as experiencers, recipients, and predicative and adnominal possessors. Possible reasons for the high ratio of non-argument relativization are discussed in the paper.

Отношение организмов семейства Gammaridae к содержанию кислорода в придонном слое воды в Северном Каспии

The research of bottom invertebrates Gammaridae was carried out in 2013-2017 in the western part of the North Caspian. The purpose of the study was to determine the environmental tolerance of the organisms to oxygen. Oxygen deficit was caused by temperature and salinity stratification of water masses.Hypoxia was formed mainly in some areas of the shallow zone (up to 5 m) on the border of the Northern Caspian – Middle Caspian, as well as in areas with fine-grained sediments.Representatives of Gammaridae are characterized by high frequency of occur-rence.During the research period the number and biomass of the studied organisms widely varied. Gammarus Fabricius dominated by the total number, Dakerogammarus Stebbing – by the total biomass.The maximum frequency of occurrence was characteristic for Niphargoides similis (G. O. Sars).The limits of tolerance to oxygen of individual Gammaridae species living in the Northern Caspian sea have been presented.The minimum concentration of oxygen recorded for the entire period of research (1.29ml/l; 21%) is not critical for one species – Niphargoides similis (G. O. Sars). The low concentration (3 ml/l) does not inhibit the development of Niphargoides macrurus (Sars), Gammarus ischnus Stebbing, Gammarus pauxillus Grimm and Dikerogammarus haemobaphes (Eichwald). Other Gammaridae representatives living in the western part of the Northern Caspian were found in the environment with absolute oxygen concentration over 3.63 ml/l and with relative oxygen concentration over 59%.Wide ecological valency for oxygen is typical for Niphargoides similis (G. O. Sars), Gammarus pauxillus Grimm, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes (Eichwald), Gammarus ischnus Stebbing, and Niphargoides macrurus (Sars).

A discussion of “hidden subduction” in orogenic belts

The McKenzie et al. (2019) model concerning the cause of the deep earthquakes in the Hindu Kush region in Asia greatly resembles the hidden subduction model proposed earlier. However, in the case of the Hindu Kush, the age of the disappearance of the Tethyan waters was early Jurassic and the sutures were overlain by early Cretaceous sedimentary cover. The question then becomes how long a “subcutaneous” oceanic lithosphere can survive within a continent. It seems that the “oceanic” basement of the North Caspian Depression has been there since the late Palaeozoic, which is encouraging for the McKenzie et al. model. Whether an already subducted slab can also survive for more than 100 million years attached to its continental continuation remains an unanswered question. In the examples with which we are familiar (eastern Turkey, Apennines, Magrebides, Betic and Rif cordilleras), subducted lithosphere became detached at most 25 million years after collision.

Dagestan Old Printed Books in Avar Language in Department of National Literature in the Russian National Library (St. Petersburg)

The article gives a general description of old printed Dagestan books stored in the Department of National Literatures of the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg and an annotated description of the most popular Avar-language writings in Dagestan in Ajam. The Department of national literature of the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg has the richest literature in 98 languages, ranging from 17th-century printed editions to modern literature. The library has 159 books in the North Caucasian languages. The books are published in the printing houses of Muhammadmirza Mavraev in Temir-khan Shura, A. M. Mikhailov in Port-Petrovsk, Ibnuhajar Nahibashev in Khasavyurt. The works are written in Arabic, Chechen, Avar, Lak, Kumik and Dargin languages. Avar writing passed a rather long and complicated way of formation and development. The numerous works of Avar written language that have come down to us testify to the gradual process of adapting the Arabic graphic system to the phonetic features of the Dagestan languages. The earliest of them date from the XIII–XIV centuries. The formation of the Ajam letter system contributed to the appearance in the languages of the peoples of Dagestan a large number of works of various genres written by Dagestan scholars or translated into national languages. The emergence of typography in Dagestan at the end of the 19th — beginning of the 20th century accelerated the development and dissemination of the Ajam written language and literature. The geographical dispersion of the storage places of old-printed Dagestan books complicates our understanding of their quantitative indicator. Annually conducted by the staff of the Department of Oriental studies of the Institute of history, archaeology and Ethnography of the DFC RAS archaeographic work with expedition trips to different regions of Dagestan indicates the existence of many undiscovered written sources on the history of Dagestan book culture. The identification of old printed books, their fixation and research remains a relevant task today. In the article we tried to give an extended description of old-printed books in Avar language, located in the Department of National Literatures of the National Library of Russia. Book descriptions are supplemented with information about the authors of books, the characteristic of works, copyists, which are drawn from prefaces, colophons and extra-text entries. The information contained in the article can be useful in compiling catalogs and descriptions of old printed books in Dagestan languages.

Kina Rutul Spatial Adverbs and Postpositions

This paper presents a description of three classes of lexemes in Kina Rutul (Lezgic, East Caucasian): spatial adverbs, adverbial postpositions and postpositions proper. These classes overlap in majority of East Caucasian languages. I suggest criteria of distinguishing these classes of lexemes from each other. The description includes inflection of the lexemes, their etymology and syntactic properties.

МЕТОДИКА КРАТКОСРОЧНОГО ПРОГНОЗИРОВАНИЯ НАРАСТАНИЯ ТОЛЩИНЫ ЛЬДА В СЕВЕРО-ВОСТОЧНОМ СЕКТОРЕ КАСПИЙСКОГО МОРЯ1

The Caspian Sea is a southern sea with annual ice cover in the northern part. The thickness of the ice can reach one meter or more, depending on the severity of the winter. The sea ice of the Caspian Sea is characterized by significant variability, which affects human activities (industrial, fishing ones) as well as the fauna of the region. Based on daily information of North Caspian stations for the last 10 years, there has been developed short-term forecasting methodology for predicting daily increase in ice thickness. The effectiveness of the method was evaluated on the basis of calculation-dependent and independent materials of different lead times. The daily forecast of ice thickness growth was 82 to 98% justified. Climate research allowed us to establish that the maximum ice thickness has decreased stepwise since the late 1980s by 20–25 cm. This is due to the lower sum of negative temperatures, which in turn is associated with an increase in the number of days with a W form of atmospheric circulation and a decrease in the number of days with an E form in the winter period.

How Can Environmental Pollution by Ships be Minimized at the New Terminal of Cargo Offloading Facility of the Caspian Sea?

Nowadays pollution from ships in ports/terminals of the Caspian Sea has a significant impact on surrounding nature and health. And the Kazakh oil company “Tengizchevroil” is about to realize a new big business project in terms of water area, which might lead to increased pollution. So, this research specifically concentrates on the reduction of environmental pollution problems at the new Terminal of Cargo Offloading Facility and Cargo Transportation Route of the North Caspian Sea. In order to reach this motive, the authors analyze IMO’s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution and its initial strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships. In addition, efficiency of shore power supply, which is often used by developed countries for better environmental conditions for the port area, is also examined. Overall, the authors outline six proposals as to the best course of action, which needs to be implemented at the new Tengizchevroil terminal. The items such as calculation of damage and calculation of prices of pollution prevention measures will not be included in the research.

Сезонная динамика NDVI пастбищных ландшафтов Северного Прикаспия по данным MODIS

Сезонная динамика NDVI пастбищных ландшафтов Северного Прикаспия по данным MODIS

Фразеологизмы в произведениях аварского писателя Мусы Магомедова с компонентом квер «рука»

The question of the structural types of phraseological units was considered as on the material of the Caucasian languages. As for the Dagestan languages, there are works that raise questions of structural and grammatical analysis and the structural model of phraseological units. Phraseological units of the Avar (Magomedkhanov M.M., Khangereev M.-B.D.-G. and others, information about which will follow below), Lezghian (Gyulmagomedov A.G.; Ramaldanov A.R.), Rutul (Makhmudova S.M.) Agul (Suleimanov N., Hasanova S.N.) languages. The analysis of the structures of phraseological units, with a few exceptions (except for those structures of phraseological units that have undergone deformation), retain the syntactic model of that phrase (less often the syntactic model of a sentence) from which they were formed. A variety of structural types of phraseological units noted by experts.

Antlions (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae) along the North Caspian shore; distributional analysis and zoogeographical division of Caspian coast of Russia

Abstract. Krivokhatsky VA, Kerimova IG, Anikin VV, Astakhov DM, Astakhova AS, Ilyina EV, Plotnikov IS, Samartseva JV. 2020. Antlions (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae) along the North Caspian shore; distributional analysis and zoogeographical division of Caspian coast of Russia. Biodiversitas 21: 258-281. Zoogeographically regionalization of Northern Caspian territory, adjacent Eastern Caucasian and Volga-Ural regions were carried out by using the original cladistic program (CLA) based on faunistic investigations of Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae. A total of 47 of elementary districts of physical geography or geobotanical mapping and 41 species of antlions were used for analyses in the Matrix. 46 elementary faunas were combined in the region into seven concrete faunas. The ConCaspian and Volga-Ural antlion faunas were mixed. Aspoeckiana uralensis Hölzel, 1969 was considered as superspecies with a complex of five subspecies with overlapping areas of distribution, associated in its origin with the spread of Northern antelopes (Saiga tatarica (Linnaeus, 1766), Gazella subgutturosa Guldenstaedt, 1780, Procapra gutturosa Pallas, 1777). At the North Caspian Shore Aspoeckiana uralensis uralensis Hölzel, 1969, and Aspoeckiana uralensis jakushenkoi Zakharenko, 1983, cohabited with the saiga antelope, using their paths for larval colonies. The dynamics of Macronemurus bilineatus Brauer, 1868 area over the past 100 years was described in detail. For some paleoenvironmental conditions of their origin and colonization of the Caspian region are reconstructed. The leading role of Turan in the formation of the fauna of the antlions is determined.

ПРОЯВЛЕНИЯ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ФЛЮИДОДИНАМИЧЕСКОЙ АКТИВНОСТИ НА СЕВЕРНОМ КАСПИИ (ГЕОФИЗИЧЕСКИЕ ДАННЫЕ)

The paper presents analysis of geological-geophysical data, both from archives and collected in recent expeditions by Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS (SIO RAS) together with satellite data. The interpretation shows modern rise of fluid dynamic activity on North Caspian. Based on summary of previous data, it is possible to recognize ryithmostratigraphic and seismostratigraphic complexes. Side sonar data shows many reflexing objects on the sea bottom. One of the most prominent features of Northern and Central Caspian is great number of pipe-like vertical bodies, they were discovered by SIO RAS expeditions with high-resolution seismic methods. These “pipes” go down beyond seismic section data. All specified seismic anomalies and bottom microrelief can be considered as evidence of vertical migration of gas and water via sediments and its escaping to water by gas and water grifons. Satellite images of North and Central Caspian show great amount of sliks and oil signs on the sea surface, and some of them present constantly on the same place, so it is possible to claim the sub-bottom fluid escape theory. The paper shows connection between bottom structures and grifon activity via satellite images (spatial-time grouping of oil slicks) of 2011–2019.

Lithology and hydrocarbon potential of the paleozoic sediments of the
 North Caspian uplift (northern part of the Caspian sea, Kazakhstan)

The North Caspian uplift is located in the water area of the Caspian Sea and coincides with the area of articulation of the Caspian Depression and the Turan Plate. Drilling of wells proved the presence of a large carbonate platform in the North Caspian uplift composed of Middle Carboniferous deposits, which is similar in structure to the South Emba and Zhanazhol zones of the Caspian Depression. Carbonate deposits of the Lower Permian, formed in shallow-shelf, bioherm and slope facies were discovered in the North Caspian uplift.

Localization of oil slicks and controlled burning at spill areas

The study is devoted to the development of oil spill response methods, in particular, the method of controlled oil burning using herders under field experimental conditions, as close as possible to real ones. A previously conducted study [1] has found conditions and effectiveness of Siltech OP-40 and ThickSlick 6535 herders for Kashagan oil in artificial sea water with salinity typical for Kazakhstani sector of the Caspian Sea. Based on the results of this work, which showed the effectiveness of herders in relation to weathered Kashagan oil, a large-scale field test was conducted on the controlled burning of oil in the harbor of the North Caspian environmental base for oil spill response in the area of Damba village, Atyrau region. In a field test, 400 l of oil was spilled, the oil slick was localized and thickened using the OR-40 herder, and oil was burned with an efficiency of 95%.

Экологическая валентность к кислороду северокаспийских мизид и кумовых ракообразных

The paper focuses on the problems of violation of the ecological balance, changes in the nutrient load, undermining the ecosystem’s biopotential, caused by anthropological pressure and resulting in deterioration of the oxygen regime in the bottom layer of water. The purpose of the research was to determine the environmental oxygen tolerance in bottom invertebrates, representatives of the orders Mysidacea and Cumacea, which are forage objects for beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, bream and pike perch. The research was conducted in 2013-2017 in the western part of the North Caspian. Developing of oxygen deficiency in the studied water area was due to thermohaline stratification of water masses. Hypoxia was formed in local areas. Representatives of Mysidacea predominantly inhabiting the bottom layers have a low frequency of occurrence, because they live in a narrow range of oxygen content (about 5-7 mg/l). A low oxygen concentration (less than 3.95 ml/l (74%)) inhibits the development of Mysidacea. Paramysis ullskyi prevailed in the total number of samples taken from macrozoobenthos, and Paramysis lacustris prevailed in the total biomass. Limnomysis benedeni and Paramysis ullskyi were the most resistant to oxygen deficiency. These species have a maximum ecological valence to oxygen. Representatives of the order Cumacea are characterized by a high frequency of occurrence. The species Schizorhynchus bilamellatus dominated in the surveyed water area, both in abundance and biomass. Cumacea live in a wide variability of oxygen content. Schizorhynchus bilamellatus and Stenocuma graciloides are most resistant to oxygen deficiency. These species have a maximum ecological valence to oxygen. The minimum oxygen recorded over the entire research period (1.29 ml/l; 21%) is not critical for Stenocuma graciloides. The results of the study are of practical value for assessing the condition of the food supply of benthos-eating fish that are commercialized in the western part of the North Caspian

The Caspian Sea Convention: New Status but Old Divisions?

The new Caspian Sea Convention signed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on the 12th of August 2018 puts an end to almost three decades of legal uncertainty and complex negotiations that were by the question of the exploitation of the rich Caspian seabed. Although the significance of the Aktau Convention should not be understated, this article will show that rather than providing a new legal framework for the Caspian Sea, it validates the North Caspian Sea agreements previously signed between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia. As a result, these countries stand to benefit the most from this convention, as opposed to Iran, whose propositions do not appear in the final version of the instrument.

Using Earth Remote Sensing to Study the Parameters of the Morphological Structure of the Ridge Landscape in the North Caspian Region

This paper reports investigation data on ridge landscape patterns (formed by Baer knolls) in the North Caspian region obtained by mathematical approaches to landscape morphology. The investigation procedure involves remote sensing data and mathematical methods. A mathematical analysis of six sample areas has revealed that perimeters and diameters of the ridges fit the lognormal distribution. Discrete indicators that characterize the ridge location are compliant with the Poisson’s distribution in most cases. Due to river erosion activity, which destroys the knolls, their diameters do not fit the lognormal distribution anymore. The arguments have been considered in favor of various theories of the Baer knolls origin from the standpoint of quantitative features of the morphological structure.