Analysis of Spontaneous Exodynamic Processes in the Dghviora River Basin Taking into Consideration the Perspectives of the Shovi-Glola (Georgia) Tourist Agglomeration

Merab Gongadze; George Lominadze; George Khomeriki; George Kavlashvili

doi:10.52340/ggj.2024.04.01.04

Analysis of Spontaneous Exodynamic Processes in the Dghviora River Basin Taking into Consideration the Perspectives of the Shovi-Glola (Georgia) Tourist Agglomeration

Authors

Merab Gongadze Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7905-2525
George Lominadze Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0630-2739
George Khomeriki Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7264-4348
George Kavlashvili Tbilisi State University https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5171-043X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52340/ggj.2024.04.01.04

Keywords:

Exodynamic processes, rockslides, mudflows, threats to tourism

Abstract

River Dghviora originates from the much-modified cirque of the vanished glacier on the northern slope of the Shoda-Kedela mountain range, parallel to the Central Caucasus. The glacial and erosive-glacial relief of the nival zone is developed here, with clearly defined troughs, moraines, individual erratic boulders. At relatively low hypsometric levels, alpine and subalpine landscapes are represented. The building rocks of the valley, along with the slope of its bed and climatic conditions, are the main factors of the formation and development of exodynamic processes. The material coming from Dghviora river, and its parallel valleys flows into the Chanchakhi valley and forms a large withdrawal cone at the confluence, on which the village of Glola is built. From here, destructive mudflows arise during heavy rains, because of which this and other settlements are damaged. In July 2020, because of heavy rains, due to the overflow of Rioni, Chanchakhi, its abovementioned and other tributaries, destructive mudflows were formed, which destroyed the infrastructure, highways and bridges of the villages of region Zemo Racha. The purpose of the article is to analyse the mechanism of occurrence of natural processes and to assess their impact on the tourist agglomeration of Shovi-Glola, as well as to predict the further development of these processes as much as possible and to present preventive measures.

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