Ecologically safe development of a large region – the Volga basin

The UNESCO Chair and the Department of Geoinformatics, Geodesy, and Cadastre (GGC) conducted two field trips to the Chkalovsk District to study the impact-related red breccias of the Puchezh-Katunki crater

The UNESCO Chair and the Department of Geoinformatics, Geodesy, and Cadastre (GGC) conducted two field trips to the Chkalovsk District to study the impact-related red breccias of the Puchezh-Katunki crater. These breccias are located along the shores of the Gorky Reservoir.

They were formed as a result of an asteroid impact during the Jurassic period (193 ± 1 million years ago). The Puchezh-Katunki structure has the potential to become a key feature of a UNESCO Global Geopark in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

The research was carried out using photogrammetry and aerial photography. The data obtained were used to construct a digital model of the studied slope on the right bank of the Gorky Reservoir. Detailed and systematic analysis of this site will enable the modeling and forecasting of erosion processes along the right bank of the Gorky Reservoir, as well as at other similar locations with comparable characteristics. This study serves as an initial step toward monitoring unique geological sites to ensure their preservation.

Fig. 1. Deputy Head of the UNESCO Chair Dr. Alexander Ivanov and Senior Lecture Denis Malyshev at Katunki on the Gorky reservoir beach.

Fig. 2. Denis Malyshev, Alexey Kosarev, and Nikita Zhogalev near the village of Matrenino, in the Chkalovsk urban district

Fig. 3. View of the surveyed geological outcrops

Fig. 4. Digital twin of the surveyed geological outcrops