Toward an understanding of human responses to environmental change in the Caspian-Black Sea-Mediterranean Corridors (IGCP 610 final report) (original) (raw)
The Project commenced on 1 April 2013. Since that time, it has served as a focal point for correlation of scientific data obtained by research projects dealing with environmental change and human response in a variety of settings within the CORRIDOR during the Quaternary. In general, six years of IGCP 610 activity have been carried out in strict agreement with the Working Plan [http://www.avalon-institute.org/IGCP610/work\_plan.php\].
Today, the network of IGCP 610 includes about 260 scientists from 22 countries: Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Germany, China, Greece, France, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Romania, Russia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UK, Ukraine, and the USA. The Project provides a friendly platform for participants to communicate their own research results, to bring together global experts and research facilities to reach the main goal.
Plenary Conferences, Field Work, Workshops, and Training Schools of IGCP 610
Six IGCP 610 Plenary Conferences and Field Trips were carried out in the following regions: 2013 – Western Georgia; 2014 – Azerbaijan; 2015 – Russia (Northern Caspian); 2016 – Eastern Georgia (Inner Kartli and Kakheti regions); 2017 – Palermo, Italy; 2018-Antalya, Turkey (Fig. 1).
The Caspian-Black Sea-Mediterranean “CORRIDOR”: in yellow are the locations of IGCP 521-INQUA 501 meeting and field trip sites (2005-2011); in other colors are sites studied by the ongoing IGCP 601 Project: 2013 – Tbilisi, Western Georgia; 2014 – Baku, Azerbaijan; 2015 – Astrakhan’ (Volga Delta), Russia; 2016 – Tbilisi, Eastern Georgia; 2017 – Palermo, Italy; 2018 – Antalya, Turkey.
Map of Georgia with geological and archaeological sites visited during the Field Trips of IGCP610 in 2013. Field Trip I: Mtskheta, Chiatura Paleolithic sites, Sataplia dinosaur footprints, and cave state reserve. Field Trip II: Mtskheta, Chiatura Paleolithic sites, Sataplia dinosaur footprints, and cave state reserve. Field Trip III: Paliastomi Lake, Tsvermagala Chaudian Black Sea Terrace, Batumi seashore. Field Trip IV: Dzirula massif, Borjomi, Vardzia Cave Town and Quaternary Abul-Samsari volcanic ridge (Okrostsvaridze et al., 2013).
The Field Trips carried out after the Plenary Sessions enabled participants, under the guidance of local experts, to visit many relevant sites in the “CORRIDOR” that would otherwise have been very difficult to see, and discuss important scientific issues about these sites with colleagues (the Field Trip Guides can be downloaded from http://www.avalon-institute.org/IGCP610/meeting\_past.php). During the Field Trips participants studied the reference Quaternary type sections, including the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary. Obtained data were treated in related laboratories over the world.
The First Plenary Conference and Field Trip of IGCP 610 was organized by the Institute of Earth Sciences, Ilia State University, and the Avalon Institute of Applied Science, Winnipeg, Canada, and hosted by Ilia State University, on 12-19 October 2013, in Tbilisi, Georgia (Yanko-Hombach, 2016). One hundred and fifty-one scientists from 19 countries contributed to the conference; 66% of them were from developing countries. Their peer-reviewed contributions are assembled in a 182-page Conference Proceedings volume (Gilbert and Yanko-Hombach, 2013).
Four days were devoted to the Field Trips (by bus) and were led by prominent Georgian geologists and archaeologists (Okrostsvaridze et al., 2013).
The Second Plenary Conference and Field Trip of IGCP 610 was organized by the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and the Avalon Institute of Applied Science, Winnipeg, Canada, and hosted by the former on 12-20 October 2014, in Baku, Azerbaijan. One hundred and twenty-four scientists from 18 countries contributed to the conference; 71% of them were from developing countries. Their peer-reviewed contributions are assembled in a 186-page Conference Proceedings volume (Gilbert and Yanko-Hombach, 2014).
The meeting was focused on the whole spectrum of Quaternary geological sequences exposed in the terraces and ridges of the Caspian region.
Five days were devoted to the Field Trips (by bus) and were led by prominent Azerbaijani geologists and archaeologists. They were focused on the Apsheronian stage sediments, the classic stratotype of the Mountain of Bakinian stage, examples of the rapid Caspian Sea level changes in the Pleistocene successions, Azerbaijan mud volcanoes, Western Azerbaijan and the Greater Caucasus continuous outcrop of Quaternary continental sediments of the Ajinour, the reference outcrop of the marine Bakinian sediments at Bozdag, as well as archaeological sites of Gobustan, Gabala, and historical sites of Baku and Lagich (Fig. 3; Aliyeva and Kangarli, 2014).
Map of Azerbaijan with geological and archaeological sites visited during the Field Trips of IGCP 610 in 2014 (Aliyeva and Kangarli, 2014).
The Third Plenary Conference and Field Trip of IGCP 610 was organized by the Astrakhan Museum-Reserve, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Astrakhan State University, Russia, and the Avalon Institute of Applied Science, and hosted by the former. One hundred and seven scientists from 14 countries contributed to the conference; 77% of them were from developing countries. Their peerreviewed contributions are assembled in a 220-page Conference Proceedings volume (Gilbert et al., 2015).
Five days were devoted to the Field Trips (by bus and boat) and were led by prominent Russian geologists and archaeologists. The Field Trips were focused on the spectrum of Quaternary geological sequences exposed within sections of the Lower Volga area (Cherniy Yar – Nizhnee Zaimische, Kopanovka, Lenino, Seroglazka). The conference participants were able to see deposits of the Bakinian, Early Khazarian, Late Khazarian, Khvalynian, and Novocaspian transgressions, and the continental sediments separating them: Singilsky, Chernoiarsky, and Atel. They also observed the Baer knolls, a unique natural formation that has no analogues in the world (Fig. 4; Yanina et al., 2015).
Map of the Lower Volga region with geological and archaeological sites visited during the Field Trips of IGCP 610 in 2015 (Yanina et al., 2015).
The Fourth Plenary Meeting and Field Trip of IGCP 610 was organized by the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Ilia State University, Georgia, and Avalon Institute of Applied Science, and hosted by the by the former. The Meeting and Field Trips were held in Tbilisi and Eastern Georgia, respectively (Fig. 5; Gamkrelidze et al., 2016).
Map of the Eastern Georgia region with geological and archaeological sites visited during the Field Trips of IGCP 610 in 2016 (Gamkrelidze et al., 2016).
The meeting focused on the pre-Pleistocene and Pleistocene geological history of the Eastern Paratethys remnants within Eastern Georgia. This subject is very important in achieving a better understanding of a possible mechanism of separation of the Eastern Paratethys into the individual seas leading to formation of the Black and Caspian Seas.
Four days were devoted to the Field Trips (by bus). The Field Trips were focused on large sequences of freshwater-continental sediments of the Miocene, Pliocene, and post-Pliocene that fill all major depressions of the Kartli and Kakheti depressions as well as s variety of uplift regimes during the Quaternary. They we investigated by conference participants in the Mtskheta-Uplistsikhe, Kakheti regions, and Mount Gareja areas while a good cross-section of marine Akchagylian sediments was observed on the left bank of the Iori River, at the foot of Qvabebi mount.
The 218-page Proceedings of the Fourth Plenary Meeting (Gilbert and Yanko-Hombach, 2016) contain contributions from 107 scientists from two continents and 17 countries; 89% of the contributors were from developing countries. About 50% of the participants were female. This particular conference was characterized by an especially high number of young scientists and students.
A special volume of Quaternary International “IGCP 610 III” collected about 15 articles presented at the meeting, and was published in 2018.
The Fifth Plenary Meeting and Field Trip of IGCP 610 and the First Meeting of POCAS was organized by the University of Palermo, and the Avalon Institute of Applied Science, Canada, and hosted by the University of Palermo. The Meeting and Field Trip were held in Palermo and southern Italy (Sicily and Calabria), respectively (Fig. 6; Caruso et al., 2017).
Map of the Southern Sicily with geological and archaeological sites visited during the Field Trips of IGCP 610 in 2017 (Caruso et al., 2017).
The movie and photo gallery of these Field Trips can be seen at http://www.avalon institute.org/IGCP610/public_outreach.php. The Conference and Field Trips focused on the Plio/Pleistocene geological history of the central Mediterranean of southern Italy (Sicily and Calabria). This subject is very important in achieving a better understanding of climate evolution during the Plio/Quaternary.
The 239-page Proceedings of the Conference (Gilbert and Yanko-Hombach, 2017) contain contributions from 109 scientists from 14 countries; 61% of the contributors are from developing countries. About 50% of participants were female. The conference was characterized by a substantial number of young scientists and students.
Five days were devoted to the Field Trips (by bus) and were led by prominent Italian geologists and archaeologists. The 49-page Field Trip Guide describes the Messinian-Zanclean GSSP, the Capo Rossello area with one of the most beautiful and complete sedimentary successions of the upper Messinian to lower Pleistocene, and is particularly suitable for the study of the Plio/Pleistocene boundary, the Punta di Maiata natural cliff where calcareous and marly limestones of the Trubi Fm outcrop, the Punta Piccola-Zanclean/Piacenzian GSSP, the Gelasian GSSP, the almond field of Monte San Nicola with the local succession: cyclic sedimentation and sapropel clusters, the Nicola bed: a close encounter with the Gelasian GSSP, the Gibliscemi section, the Agrigento Valle dei Templithat is an archaeological area of Sicily characterized by its exceptional state of conservation and a series of important Doric temples of the Greek period (Caruso et al., 2017).
The Sixth Plenary Meeting and Field Trip of IGCP 610 and the Second Meeting of POCAS was held on 14-21, 2018 in Antalya, Turkey. It focused on the late Miocene-Plio/Pleistocene geological history of the eastern Mediterranean of southern Turkey along the central Taurid Mountains. This subject is very important in shedding light and achieving a better understanding of tectonic-climatic interactions during the Plio/Quaternary period in this region (Fig. 7).
Field trip locations visited during the IGCP-INQUA POCAS meeting in 2018 (Koral et al., 2018).
The 218-page Proceedings of the meeting (Gilbert and Yanko-Hombach, 2018) and Field Trip of IGCP 610 and INQUA IFG POCAS, Antalya, Turkey, contain contributions from 86 scientists from two continents and 15 countries; 86% of the contributors were from developing countries. About 50% of participants were female. The conference was characterized by a relatively high number of young scientists and students.
The Conference enabled those in attendance (1) to discuss the actual status of both projects and progress made by participants, and (2) to lay out a strategy for future collaboration.
Four days were devoted to the Field Trips (by bus and boat). The Field Trips were focused on the Upper Miocene-Pliocene deposits of the Aksu (Antalya) Basin with the aim of showing the units and geological evolution of the Aksu Basin in this tectonically active region; the Kocain Cave and tufa sediments; the ancient Roman site Sagalossos, and the sunken Roman cities of Simena & Teimussa, Kekova Bay (visited by boat) (Koral et al., 2018).
Overall, the Meetings and Field Trips provided an excellent opportunity for international discussion of different methods and interpretations used to analyze the history of a huge geographical area from the Caspian to the Mediterranean seas over the full duration of the Quaternary.
In addition to the conference and field trips, the IGCP 610 carried out field work in the Caspian Sea region (Supervisor T. Yanina), the Eastern Manych valley (Supervisor R. Kurbanov); in the Sea of Azov region (Supervisor T. Yanina), the Black Sea region (supervisor V. Yanko-Hombach); and in the Mediterranean Region (Supervisors H. Öniz and A. Frumkin).
Workshops were conducted in Sozopol (Bulgaria, September 2013), Kirklareli (Turkey, September 2014), Ahtopol (Bulgaria, December 2014), Moscow (Russia, April, and November 2015); all of them were devoted to stratigraphy, paleogeography, and geochronology of the “CORRIDOR”.
Training Schools were carried out in summer (Kalmykiya, May 2014; the Danube Delta on-board the floating laboratory boat “Halmyris,” Romania, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and winter (Youth Expedition–Field School in the Manych depression, 2016, 2017). In addition, a School-Seminar for young researchers “Methods of deltaic systems study in the South of Russia” was held at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University in March 2017, while the international youth School-Conference “Where East meets West: Pontocaspia, the historical dimension of the evolution of a unique biodiversity” took place in Azov, Astrakhan (Russia, 2017).