Cryoconites as biogeochemical markers of anthropogenic impact in high mountain regions: analysis of polyaromatic pollutants in soil-like bodies

The globalisation and omnidirectional character of anthropogenic processes has challenged scientists around the world to estimate the harmful effects of these processes on ecosystems and human health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is one the most infamous group of contaminants, originated both from natural and anthropogenic processes. They could transport to high latitudes and altitudes through atmospheric long-distance transfer and further enter ecosystems of these vulnerable regions by deposition on terrestrial surfaces. An interesting object for tracking transboundary contamination processes in high mountain ecosystems is called cryoconite. Cryoconite, a dark-coloured supraglacial sediment which is abundant in polar and mountain environments, is considered as a storage of various pollutants, including PAHs. Thus, it may pose a risk for local human health and ecosystem through short-distance transfer. Studied cryoconite sediments were collected at the surface of Skhelda and Garabashi glaciers, Central Caucasus high-mountain region, as well as mudflow, moraine material and local soils at the Baksan Gorge in order to examine levels of their contamination. We analysed the content of 15 priority polyaromatic compounds from the US EPA list and used the method of calculation of PAHs isomer ratios with the purpose of identifying their source. To estimate their potential toxicity, Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) equivalents were calculated. Maximum concentration was defined for NAP (84 ng×g-1), PHE (40 ng×g-1) and PYR (47 ng×g-1), with the minimum concentration for ANT (about 1 ng×g-1). The most polluted material is a cryoconite from Garabashi glacier because of local anthropogenic activities and long-distance transfer. High-molecular weight PAHs are dominated in PAHs composition of almost all samples. The most common sources of PAHs in studied materials are combustion processes and mixed pyrolytic/petrogenic origin. Toxicity levels of separate PAHs did not exceed the maximum permissible threshold concentrations values in most cases. However, the sum of PAHs in BaP equivalents exceed the threshold values in all samples, in some of them more than twice.

Degradation of glaciation of the Kazbek-Dzhimarai mountain cluster and individual glaciers in the river basins Urukh, Ardon, Fiagdon, Gizeldon and Genaldon (territory of North Ossetia- Alania)

Работа направлена на исследование темпов деградации оледенения Центрального Кавказа в пределах Горной Осетии с охватом юго-восточных склонов Казбеко-Джимарайского мас- сива на территории Грузии. Основным методом был выбран сравнительный анализ площадей оле- денения, отображенных на государственных топографических картах М 1 : 50 000, выполненных на основе аэрофотосъемки 1957 года и дешифрированных площадях оледенения на космических сним- ках GOOGL 2020 года для той же территории. В процессе работы были применены математиче- ские приемы, позволившие оценку масштабов деградации площади дневной поверхности отдельных ледово-фирновых образований сопровождать оценкой их объемов и средних мощностей. Полученные результаты для территории Горной Осетии хорошо согласуются с результатами проведения ана- логичных работ на других локальных площадях, как на территории России, так и за рубежом, что свидетельствует о глобальности распространения процесса распада горного оледенения, обуслов- ленном потеплением климата планеты. The work is aimed at studying the rate of degradation of glaciation in the Central Caucasus within Mountain Ossetia, covering the southeastern slopes of the Kazbek-Dzhimarai massif on the territory of Georgia. The main method was a comparative analysis of glacier areas displayed on state topographic maps M 1: 50,000, made on the basis of aerial photography in 1957 and decoded glaciation areas on space images of GOOGL 2020 for the same territory. In the course of the work, mathematical methods were applied that allowed the assessment of the scale of degradation of the day surface area of individual ice-fi rn formations to be accompanied by an assessment of their volumes and average thicknesses. The results obtained for the territory of Mountain Ossetia are in good agreement with the results of similar work in other local areas, both in Russia and abroad, which indicates the globality of the spread of the decay of mountain glaciation caused by the warming of the planet's climate.

«Upper Rutha» / «Kunbulta» is the largest ancient funerary monument of the koban archaeological culture in the Digor gorge of the Central Caucasus.

В статье рассматриваются археологические материалы, обряд захо- ронения, погребальные сооружения Верхнерутхинского / Кумбултского некрополя ко- банской археологической культуры, расположенного в высокогорной части Ирафско- го района РСО-А, приводятся новые данные по элементам погребальной обрядности населения, оставившего этот памятник. The article examines archaeological materials, burial rite, burial structures of the Verkhnerutkhinsky / Kumbult necropolis of the Koban archaeological culture, located in the mountainous part of the Irafsky district of the RSO - Alania, provides new data on the elements of the funeral rite of the population who left this monument.

Application of the time transgrassive aerospace information for assessment of avalanche activity and hazard (Central Caucasus)

На основе дешифрирования разновременных аэрофотоснимков с 1957 г. по 1988 г. и космических снимков с 2005 г. по 2020 г. приведены данные о лавинопроявлениях в районах Центрального Кавказа (бассейны рек Баксан, Черек и Мамихдон). Факты схода лавин устанавливались в результате сравнения разновременных аэрокосмоснимков и их GIF-анимаций по особенностям теней заснеженных поверхностей от неровностей отложений лавин, наличию лавинных снежников в весенне-летний период, по характеру и ареалам растительности, а так же по уникальному космоснимку в момент схода ла- вины. Based on aerial photographs interpretation from 1957 to 1988 and satellite images interpretation from 2005 to 2020, data on avalanche phenomena in the regions of the Central Caucasus (basins of the Baksan, Cherek and Mamikhdon rivers) are presented. Avalanche facts were established as a result of comparing different-time aerospace images and their GIF animations on the features of shadows of the snowy areas from the irregularities of avalanche deposits, the presence of avalanche snow-patch in the spring-summer period, in nature and vegetation ranges, as well as on a unique space image at the time of avalanche.

Sosruco Rockshelter: revision of materials of the excavation by S.N. Zamiatnin and the Upper Horizons Radiocarbon Chronology

Recently new investigations of Sosruko site have been conducted. Unfortunately, the materials of the site have not been interpreted in the proper way. The main task of the article is to clarify the origin of stone industries of the Sosruko complexes. We suggest that complexes of the Layers M1 and M2 are related to the Kobuleti Culture of the Transcaucasia. This cultural phenomenon appeared in beginning of the 10th millennium BC as a result of the migration of the carriers of the M’lefaat Culture from the Middle East. Transcaucasia was not the end point of the M’lefaatian migration. Its further expansion resulted to the appearance of the Kukrek Culture in the Steppe zone of Ukraine and Moldova. The common elements of this material culture include the usage of pressing flaking, the presence of bullet-like cores, backed bladelets, bilateral burins, and the sporadic usage of microburin technique for manufacturing of the truncated facetted points. Some of the late materials from the M1 layer are associated with the Darkveti culture of the Transcaucasus. This culture appeared at the beginning of Boreal. The migration of carriers of the Darkveti Culture to Eastern Europe, which started in the 8th millennium BC, led to formation of the Matveev Kurgan and Grebeniki Cultures in the basins of Don, Dnieper, South Bug and Dniester. The common elements of these three cultures are the presence of the flat one- or two-platform monofrontal cores for obtaining the pressing blades and bladelets, symmetric trapezes. The materials from the layers M3 and M4 of Sosruko site demonstrate complete similarity with the Shan-Koba Culture of the Final Pleistocene – Early Holocene. The connection of the Shan-Koba Culture with the Karein B Culture in the South-West of Asia Minor is also considered. We see the similar geometric complexes in both cultures, the presence of low trapezes, symmetric lunates, triangles. Carriers of both cultures use the microburin technique for geometric microliths manufacturing. The migration of the Asia Minor inhabitants began during Bølling interstadial. The migrants reached the Central Caucasus in Allerød. The migration flows at the end of Pleistocene and the beginning of Holocene were the prelude of the Neolithization processes of Eastern Europe and Transcaucasia. The Shan-Kobian migration started a succession of movements of the Near East and Middle East populations to the East Europe and to Caucasus. The migrations of the carriers of the M’lefaat (Kobuleti) and Darkveti cultures led to the appearance of the global zones of informational continuity (Cultural-Historical Regions) in the frames of which the Neolithic innovations were spread in the area. The materials from the Sosruko Grotto give us an opportunity to reveal the chronology of the very beginning phases of the Neolithization in Eastern Europe.