This book provides a comprehensive overview of the geomorphology of Georgia. It describes a country characterized by geological, geomorphological and geographical diversities, located in the Caucasus region at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. This book is based on the results of several years of geomorphological studies and research in Georgia, published for the first time in English, and covers a gap in research in the field of world regional geomorphology.
The landscapes of Georgia consist of high glacial mountains, medium and high mountains with deeply fragmented features, narrow and deep gorges and canyons, seaside lowlands, volcanic cones, uplands and mountain ranges, intermountain plains, hollows and highlands. The peculiarity of the landscape greatly affects the natural conditions. In several chapters, Geomorphology of Georgia describes the diversity of climate, hydrographic network, vegetation cover, soils, fauna, exogenic processes, natural and anthropogenic landscapes.
This volume provides the readers with the opportunity to explore the variety of landscapes and landforms in this diverse and fascinating country through informative texts illustrated with many colour maps and photographs. Geomorphology of Georgia appeals to scientists, scholars, teachers and any readers interested in geology, physical geography, geomorphology, tourism and environmental protection. It is a rich resource for field trips and a comprehensive guide for travellers interested in the geomorphology of Georgia.
Part I: Introduction to the Geomorphological Landscapes and Landforms of Georgia
Chapter 1. Long Term Geomorphological History of Georgia
Chapter 2. Climate, hydrography and soils of Georgia
Part II: Landscape Types of Georgia
Chapter 3. Coastal (Abrasive) Landscape of Georgia
Chapter 4. Karst Landscape of Georgia
Chapter 5. Nival-Glacier Landscape of Georgia
Chapter 6. Urban Landscape of Georgia (on the example of large cities)
Part III: Main Landscapes and Landforms of Georgia
Chapter 7. Morphological division of the Landscapes of Georgia
Chapter 8. Western Greater Caucasus
Chapter 9. Central Greater Caucasus
Chapter 10. Eastern Greater Caucasus
Chapter 11. Western Georgia (Kolkheti)
Chapter 12. Eastern Georgia (Iveria) Lowland
Chapter 13 Achara-Trialeti-Loki mountainous
Chapter 14. Volcanic Landscape of southern Georgia
Part IV: Exogenic processes occurred in Georgia
Chapter 15. General characteristics of exogenic processes
Levan Tielidze is a PhD of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University in the field of geomorphology-glaciology-cartography and a senior research scientist at Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography. He is also a researcher-scholarship holder of the Department of Earth Sciences of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences. The field of his research is mountain cartography and glacial-geomorphological studies of the mountainous areas in the Quaternary (Late Pleistocene and Holocene). He is a member of several international organizations. In 2014/2015 he conducted a research stay at the Climate Change Institute of the University of Maine, USA, and in 2015/2016-2017 at the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada. He is the author of about 40 scientific papers, maps and eight monographs.