Geospatial potential and environmental changes: Case study of complex nature of the Altai Geopark

Abstract

The geopark Altai has a set of unique geological, geographical, and archaeological objects. Its basis is made by geological space with a specific relief that plays an important role, and on certain sites, it takes the first place in comparison with other types of objects. The peculiar feature of the geopark Altai is that in its territory there is a landscape connection among archaeological, geological, and geographical objects, which at certain sites is penetrated by mental and cultural fluids causing a deep interest of tourists in this territory. In this regard, the authors consider the relief as an object of cognitive, educational, and practical activities of the geopark Altai. Therefore, the following tasks were set up: to find a site for the realization of several types of activities by the geopark and to develop a theoretical scientific and a popular science base for their implementation. As a result of the work done, the authors allocated the site within the boundaries of the geopark Altai where modern dynamics of the relief are characterized by the maximum speed. On this site, it is possible to recreate the processes that created the relief in the geological past and to study these processes now. The specifics of weather and climatic conditions in this region made its relief very important for economic activity of the population inhabiting this territory. Therefore, as of today, the study of the condition of certain surface sites and forecasting the development of relief-forming processes is an important part of any activity on the described territory. The long-term geological, ecological, geographical, and archaeological research conducted by the authors on the territory of the Altai Republic served as materials for this study. The geological materials were collected by the methods adopted in this field of research (field survey of structures and rocks, cartographic methods, analysis of general geological data, and others). The ecological and geographical results were obtained using geochemical, hydrochemical, analytical, and others.