Hydrodynamic zones of fissure-karst waters of Zemo Imereti Plateau in the Republic of Georgia

Lezhava, Zaza; Asanidze, Lasha; Tsikarishvili, K.; Chikhradze, Nino; Gadrani, Lela; Chartolani, Giorgi

doi:10.22438/jeb/41/2(si)/jeb-09

Cited by 14 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Karst landscapes are particularly well represented in western Georgia [2]. The Zemo Imereti Structural Plateau comprises the easternmost part of the western Georgia's limestone belt [5] [6] [7] [8], characterized by peculiar natural conditions (kastified terrain, tectonics, climate, surfacewaters and underground waters) and is the only region of platform karst in the Caucasus, where a variety of surface and underground karst landscapes are represented [9] [10] [11] [12].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Anthropogenic Factor on Karst Landscape (Zemo Imereti Structural Plateau Case Study), Georgia, Caucasus

Lezhava¹,

Tsikarishvili²,

Asanidze³

et al. 2020

OJG

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The Zemo Imereti (Chiatura) Structural Plateau covers the easternmost part of the western Georgia limestone belt and is the only region of the platform karst in the entire Caucasus. Zemo Imereti Plateau's complex structural studies revealed that the karst landscape has been completely transformed due to human strong economic activities, mainly related to the manganese unplanned, predatory extraction. The ore mining process completely destroyed the soil and vegetation cover thus creating "anthropo-badlands". Due to manganese open-cast mining, the layers located over limestones are almost totally removed and heavy rains stipulate intense washout of substances from loose rocks. Intense washout of manganese extracted from mines and high contamination of river water streams take place directly in the river beds. Karst sinkholes and wells are common in the plateau, which are often used as waste fills-storages by the local population. Contaminated underground karst waters flowing into the above mentioned landforms are directly related to the karst springs used by the population and occasionally cause their turbidity and contamination, which is also confirmed by our indicator tests. As a laboratory study of the samples showed, mineralization of underground karst waters in the study area is 1.5-3 times higher than similar values in neighboring karst areas, which should be explained by the widespread of manganese open pits in the feeding basins of underground karst waters. According to the materials obtained from our surveys and calculations carried out, karst (chemical) denudation (surface 64.2-190.6 m 3 /km 2 /year, underground 1.5-117.0 m 3 /km 2 /year) has been increased in the study area than in other karst regions of Georgia, which is also related to technologic factors.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Anthropogenic Factor on Karst Landscape (Zemo Imereti Structural Plateau Case Study), Georgia, Caucasus

Lezhava¹,

Tsikarishvili²,

Asanidze³

et al. 2020

OJG

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“…Georgia is a classical karst country with the development of diverse surface and underground karst landscapes (Asanidze et al, 2017a;Asanidze et al, 2019;Lezhava et al, 2019a;Lezhava et al, 2020). Karst processes are mainly developed in western Georgia, where it extends to the east as a continuous strip at 325 km from the Psou River to the vicinity of the Lake Ertso (Maruashvili, 1973;Kipiani, 1974;Tintilozov, 1976;Lezhava, 2015;Lezhava et al, 2019b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The results of a complex study of the Turchu limestone hollow (polje). Western Georgia, Caucasus

Lezhava¹,

Tsikarishvili²,

Asanidze³

et al. 2021

EJG

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Based on the complex studies (geographical-geological, karst-speleological, and geophysical studies), conducted by the authors in the study area, karst forms such as sinkholes and ponors were identified, the width (2-17 m) of the Quaternary deposits located on the limestones were determined, the average and maximum discharges of the streams flowing on the bottom of the hollow were calculated. Studies have also shown that relatively heavy rains and snowmelt periodically flood the relatively low, western part of the hollow and create a temporary lake that soon dries up through the ponors at the bottom of the hollow, where the water stream are discharged. The closed shape of the Turchu hollow the limestone bottom covered with Quaternary deposits and the events described above indicate the corrosive origin of the hollow, which has been practically confirmed by our georadiological and electrometric studies. It is notable that the role of tectonic movements in the origin of the hollow along with the corrosive processes, which had a periodic character, and together with the uplifting of the area caused the lowering of the levels of underground waters and, consequently, the activation of karst processes.

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Karst of Georgia

Tsikarishvili

Lezhava²,

Asanidze³

2022

The Physical Geography of Georgia

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Hydrodynamic zones of fissure-karst waters of Zemo Imereti Plateau in the Republic of Georgia

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Impact of Anthropogenic Factor on Karst Landscape (Zemo Imereti Structural Plateau Case Study), Georgia, Caucasus

Impact of Anthropogenic Factor on Karst Landscape (Zemo Imereti Structural Plateau Case Study), Georgia, Caucasus

The results of a complex study of the Turchu limestone hollow (polje). Western Georgia, Caucasus

Karst of Georgia

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