ABSTRACTS / RESUMES - Comitato Glaciologico Italiano

LOMBORINCHEN RADNA
Periglacial processes in the territory
of Khan-Hentei nature reserve, Mongolia
Institute of Geography, Mongolian Academy of Sciences,
Ulan Bator, 210620, Mongolia
The Khan Hentei nature reserve is situated in the north-east
part of Mongolia, not far from Ulaanbaatar, near the
southern boundary of permafrost of northern hemisphere
(fig. 1).
FIG. 1 - Investigated region.
The Hentei - upland is characterized by island, discontinuos
permafrost and continuous permafrost. 3/4 of the
territory occurs with permafrost. Temperature of permafrost
is at an average from 0 °C to -2°C. In highland it
can be lowered to -10°C. The average thickness of permafrost
is 50-120 m. On high mountains it can reach 500 m.
At present the permafrost of this territory is developing in
way of aggradation (Sharkhuu, 1995). In the territory of
Hentei-upland during the Pleistocene one to two periods
of Glaciation occurred. The Hentei- upland was subjected
to Glaciation, principally valley cirque glaciers and flatapex
glaciers. In the high Mountains of Hentei-upland are
observed evidences of such ancient glaciations as cirques,
thoughs and till sheets.
As regards of periglacial processes and phenomena, their
spreading is submited to altitudinal zonality. So the territory
of Hentei-mountains in consequence of work various
investigators is established:
1. The golets zone with mountain tundra (higher 2200 m
a.s.l.); 2. Mountain taiga (higher 1400 m a.s.l.); 3. Foreststeppe
zone (higher 1100 m a.s.l.); 4. Mountain - steppe
zone (to 1100 m a.s.l.).
In the golets zone are strongly developed the systems of
cryoplanation terraces. Here with a bigger intensity the
processes as frost weathering, frost sorting, solifluction,
kurums and so forth are active.
In the mountain taiga are proceeding frost weathering, frost
sorting, solifluction, and others, with middle intensity,
and icing in a bigger intensity.
In the forest-steppe zone periglacial processes are strongly
differenced on the northern and southern slopes. The
northern slope of mountains is covered by the forest (larch,
cedar), and southern slopes are naked. And therefore
the periglacial processes and phenomena are developed in
principle on the northern slope (frost weathering, solifluction,
frost sorting, icing and others ), and swampy bottom
of valleys (frost heaving, hummocks, frost cracs, non sorted
spots medal lions and so fort). Iu southern slope are
observed relict solifluction terraces and clayly-debris solifluction
lobes.
The mountain steppe is differed from others with the
scanty spreading of periglacial processes. In the rock of
mountains it is possible to develope frost weathering, in
the bottom of valleys are periglacial processes and phenomena
(hummocks, frost cracks and so forth).
R.K. RAl
Impact of coal. mining on land and water resource
environment in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India
Department of Geography, North-Eastern Hill University,
Shillong, 793 014, Meghalaya, India
TheJaintia Hills district of Meghalaya has been selected to
study the impact of coal mining on land and water resources.
The total area of the coal mining is about seventy five
km'. The coal deposits of this area are mainly of tertiary
period. The coal occurrences are scattered throughout the
district. Invariably all the coal seams are in general thin.
By and large the exploitation of coal is privately controlled
by small scale ventures with impoverished skills and techniques
in the state due to the prevailing land tenure/ownership
system. Being a tribal dominated district the land
belongs to individuals or community of the village.
The various environmental problems noticeable due to large
scale mining activity in general are land degradation,
soil erosion, surface run-off, increase in sediment load of
mine spoils, loss of vegetative cover and disturbance ofwater
bodies and quality of drinking water. Such land transformation
as a result of human activity were evident in the
study area which contribute to different changes in the
land and water resources as observed here. Soil and water
samples were collected and analyzed. The major conversion
of landuse has been in the transformation of good deciduous
forest cover to degraded forest cover. Some recommendations
have been made to restore the disturbed
land and water bodies.
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