The general direction of the discharge of the groundwaters of the Pre-Talysh plain, which are
formed within
the Lankaran foothill alluvial, alluvial-proluvial and deluvial-proluvial plains, are everywhere
in the direction of the Caspian Sea. The level of groundwater lies from 0 m to 26 m below the surface of
the Earth, decreasing from the foothills to the shore of the Caspian. Absolute height of their level ranges
from 63 m to –27 or –28m. Waters of soil and Khvalin-Khazar aquifers in the contact strip zone of the
plains and foothills are mostly fresh or slightly saline, while their mineralization ranges from 2 to 1 g/l.
Toward downstream these waters become brackish and saline with a dry residue up to 25-32 g/l. Water
supply of many cities and other settlements is carried out due to wells where these waters are
accumulated. It can be noted that the change in the level of salinity of groundwater is reflected also in the
nature of the natural-techongenic landscapes. Contemporary landscape complexes from
the foothills of
the Talysh Mountains towards the Caspian Sea are gradually changing and becoming more halophytic, as
clearly observed in the north-eastern part of the Lankaran lowland, to the north of the Villashchay river
valley.
Unlike other regions, the groundwater in the territory of Absheron peninsula is not widely spread.
Thus, the groundwater table is fixed along its northern and eastern coasts as well as in the territory of
Baku, while in the western part of the peninsula they are developed in forms of ruptured areals, and their
influence on modern geosystems is less stable. Mineralization extent of them is different: fresh – with a
dry residue up to 1 g/l, slightly saline – 1-3 g/l, strongly saline – from 3-10 g/l, saline – from 10-50 g/l and
brines over 50 g/l.
In western Absheron, groundwater salinity varies from 6.4 to 88.6 g/l. In the waterless
valleys occupied by drying strongly salty lakes, salt-marsh semi-desert landscapes are developed. An active
role the formation of these landscapes is played by mud volcanoes that are the sources of migration of
various toxic salts.
A significant role in the desertification of landscapes of coastal territories is played
by relief and
lithological complexes of sediments that form it. The relief of the pre-Caspian areas of Azerbaijan as a
result of multidirectional new tectonic movements is characterized by a complex altitudinal-spatial
differentiation, and is represented by wide intermountain (Kura-Aras) and foothill (Samur-Davachi and
Lankaran) plains altitudes of which range from –27 to 500-600 m (Budagov et al., 1993).
The Kura-Aras plain in a structural sense corresponds to the eastern part of the Transcaucasian
depression, which within the study area is represented by slightly inclined, weakly split and flat
accumulative plains. The process of accumulation of the sediments of continental and marine genesis and
the formation of the modern relief in the Kura-Aras plain have occurred on the background of a general
differentiated absolute deflection in the latest tectonic stage (Shirinov, 1975).
The Samur-Davachi lowland stretches along the foot of the northeastern slope of the Greater
Caucasus (to the south of the Samur River) along the Caspian coast, extends, the height of which ranges
from –26 to 200 m (in some places to 500 m). Its northwestern sector (to the north of the Velvele River),
called
the Shollar Plain, is mainly composed of alluvial and alluvial-proluvial sand and pebble sediments,
and is represented by cones of removals of such mountain rivers as Samur, Gusarchay, Gudialchay, etc.
Due to favorable tectonic-lithological and hydrogeological conditions, there are flatland forest landscapes,
developed within the Shollar Plain on the background of arid climate and semi-desert landscape. In most
part of the territory, various
transformed agro landscapes, more resistant to the process of desertification
may predominate as well. To the southeast of the Velvele River, a narrow and slightly inclined plain is
stretched along the sea. The plain is characterized by an arid climate and the presence of toxic clayey
sandy loamy deposits of toxic salts (Mikailov, 1970; Guliyeva, Kuchinskaya, 2005).
The Lankaran lowland is composed mainly of alluvial and alluvial-proluvial materials, brought by the
rivers of the Talish Mountains. Here, in conditions of a humid subtropical climate, intense
anthropogenization of landscapes occurs (Ismailov, 1990).
Discussion
The analysis of actual materials shows that in recent years, as a result of the rise of the Caspian and
the intensification of anthropogenic impact, the influence of the geomorphologic-hydrogeological factor
on the geosystems of the coastal territories increases. The areas of halophytic and hydromorphic
landscape complexes are
expanding, and desertification processes are activated. This means that there is
a replacement of the relatively productive natural-technogenic landscapes by less-fertile ones. Eventually,
this sharply worsens the landscape and environmental conditions, destroying the natural and resource
potential in the coastal zone.
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The intensive uplift of the Caspian Sea (up to 2 m) in 1977–1998 caused a strong swamping of its
coasts. The rise in the level of the Caspian Sea (with the flooded territories at about 800 km
2
in total)
caused intensive reformation of the relief of the coastal strip, and facilitated abrasion
processes on steep
banks. The sharp rise in the groundwater level due to the rise of the absolute basis of the erosion of the
Caspian contributed to the formation of marshes and salt-marshes, and also salinization of soil in the
Caspian lowland region and the Kura-Aras lowland, which in turn leads to degradation and desertification
of the dominant semi-arid landscape. The length of the flooded areas is more widespread in the
Gyzylagach Bay and the Sarah Peninsula.
With the rise in the sea level and the groundwater waters table in
the coastal areas of the
Southeastern Shirvan Plain and Gyzylagach bay, the area of development of the "old" meadow-marsh,
salt-marsh and meadow-salt-marsh landscapes has expanded considerably. New meadow-marsh and salt-
marsh complexes were formed as well. While the level of the Caspian Sea is currently high, and the
formation of new salt-marshes in the coastal strip of the Kura-Aras lowland continues, the areas of
deserted landscapes will increase, since salinity is the main property of the soils of the Kura-Aras lowland.
To restore the biopotential and maintain the ecological balance, it is necessary
to organize detailed
landscape and reclamation studies. This would enable conducting of engineering and landscape planning
that may allow specifying the measures for optimizing the landscape-ecological situation.
References
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Gulieva, S.Yu. (2010). Specific features of landscape transformation of the coastal zone of the Caspian Sea in
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Ismayilov, M. (1990). Dynamics of lowland forest landscapes of the Shollar and Lankaran plains and ways of
their rational use. Abstract of the dissertation of candidate of geographical sciences. Baku.
Guliyeva, S.Yu., Kuchinskaya, I.Ya. (2005). Landscape-ecological features of geosystems of the zone of
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