Geoecological risks of the Krasnodar region: the problem of integrated assessment of the geological hazards degree

Abstract

Relevance. Krasnodar Region is one of the main centers of recreation and tourism in Russia, and the Black Sea coast is the main resort area. The southern part of the Krasnodar Region, in a strip up to 200 km wide, belongs to the Crimean-Caucasian seismic belt and is an earthquake-prone area, here seismic shocks with an intensity of 8‑9 are possible with varying degrees of probability. Endogenous geological processes, primarily associated with the seismicity of the region, and exogenous natural geological processes pose a threat to the security of the region. In this regard, there is an acute problem of assessing the integral geoecological risks in the zones of the resorts location and recreational activities. One of the ways to manage geoecological risks is a comprehensive analysis of the causes and factors of their occurrence as the basis for the development of environmental protection measures. The priority issues of this problem for the territory of Krasnodar Region include the assessment of the hazard factors of integral seismic risk and exogenous natural processes at the regional and local levels. The aim of the work is an integral assessment at the regional level of the endogenous degree and exogenous geological hazards in the Krasnodar Region. Methods. The research methods included the analysis and synthesis of geological and geophysical materials and geology-engineering data with the identification of the most significant factors of the Krasnodar Region geoecological risk. The methodology for assessing the degree of the integral geoecological risk danger should take into account the factors caused both directly by seismic influences and the subsequent threats of exogenous geological processes caused by them. In this regard, the issues of mapping individual factors and an integral assessment of potential geoecological risks are considered. Results. The paper presents the developed map for assessing the integral risk of manifestation of hazardous exogenous geological processes and the map for the integrated assessment of the potential risk of endogenous and exogenous processes in the territory of Krasnodar Region. A table of criteria for the scoring of geoecological endogenous and exogenous risks is presented. The northern regions are characterized by the lowest potential risk of natural hazards. Areas of high and very high potential risk are localized within the Northwestern Caucasus and the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Region. For these territories, priority development of risk management measures is required.