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MORPHOLOGY-BASED ASSESSMENT OF GEOLOGICAL RISKS IN THE MOUNTAIN AREAS - CASE OF WESTERN CAUCASUS, SOCHI OLYMPIC FACILITIES

Andrey Zhirov, Sergey Boltramovich, M.N. Kalygin

Abstract

Many sports facilities were constructed in the Sochi area prior to Winter Olympics, 2014. We contributed to this by conducting the research of geological risks on the northern slopes of Aibga Ridge пїЅ the place allocated for construction of mountain skiing tracks. Initial data of the study comprised digital topographic model, field findings, and remote sensing data. All these were organized by using the instruments of MapInfo Geographic Information System (GIS). The research was based on the system-morphological approach developed by A. Lastochkin. This approach assumes that the GIS data sets are bound not to the map sells or nodes but to the areal elements of relief, which were preliminary identified. Another methodological base was a multifactor analysis. It included the assessment of four factor groups: 1) geomorphologic (morphological parameters, slope mass movements), 2) lithologic (type of soil), 3) endogenous (faults and potential seismicity), and 4) hydrologic ones. These factors were expertly evaluated and mapped. The compiled assessment maps allowed identifying of safe and potentially dangerous plots and, thus, well designing of Olympic mountain skiing facilities. The research also revealed a high correlation (0.8-0.9) between morphometric indicators and potentially dangerous slope processes. We believe that this morphology-based assessment of geological risks can be used for different construction purposes in various mountain areas.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2017/12/s02.071

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