Assessment of the Vulnerability of the Coast of Lake Alakol to Modern Geomorphological Processes of Relief Formation
Medeu A. Valeyev A. Akiyanova F. Lyy Y. Issanova G. Ge Y.
July 2023Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Land
2023#12Issue 7
Over the last few decades, increasing water levels of Lake Alakol have led to the activation of processes of modern relief formation of the coastal territory. This study will make it possible to assess the vulnerability of the lake shore to modern relief-forming processes, which pose a threat to the economic and infrastructural development of the coast. Through a combination of field research methods, analysis of the archival materials and satellite images, GIS mapping, as well as the application of the Coastal Vulnerability Index, developed by Gornitz, a map of the modern relief of the coast of Lake Alakol was created, where 13 geomorphological types of relief were identified, and a map of relief-forming processes and leading exogenous processes were identified. The values of the assessment of the degree of vulnerability of the coast to dangerous processes by the Gornitz method were obtained, where a high vulnerability covers 67.4% of the coast, an average vulnerability covers 2.9%, a weak vulnerability covers 13.3%, and low vulnerability occupies 16.4% of the coast. The degree of vulnerability of types of relief in the study area, the coast of Lake Alakol, was determined. High degree occupies 42.8% of the study area, medium—30.7%, weak—25.4%, and low 1.1%. A map of the complex assessment of the degree of vulnerability of the coast of Lake Alakol was created. It was revealed that low accumulative types of relief of the northwest and northeast coasts and alluvial-proluvial types of relief are highly vulnerable due to waterlogging and the intensity of abrasion processes. Identified natural features of the relief formation of the coast of Lake Alakol are recommended as a basis for making decisions on the planning and implementation of any economic activities on the coast, including infrastructure development of the coast and strengthening of the shores.
coast of Lake Alakol , exogenous processes , relief types , vulnerability assessment
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Institute of Geography and Water Safety, Science Committee, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
International Science Complex “Astana”, Institute of Geography and Environmental Research, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Research Centre of Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Urumqi, 830011, China
Institute of Geography and Water Safety
Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences
International Science Complex “Astana”
Research Centre of Ecology and Environment of Central Asia
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology
CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia
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