Map of mudflow formation factors: Gerkhozhan-Su basin, Central Caucasus

Original scale 1:10 000

Below is a reduced copy of the map, originally at 1:10 000 scale (in this copy each pixel corresponds to roughly 85 x 85 m on the ground). A map extract at the scale close to the original shows the actual level of detail achieved for this 80 km² basin.

This map was compiled by S.S. Chernomorets, I.V. Krylenko and D.A. Paramonov, and designed by D.A. Paramonov. The digital base map was prepared by O.V. Tutubalina.

Colours and symbols in the map relate both to some of the traditional palettes for geomorphological and geological mapping and to the specific purpose of this map. In particular, all mudflow forms are shown in red, slopes and watersheds in shades of brown, morainic forms in shades of violet, glaciers in light-blue.

The map legend lists two main groups of the mudflow formation factors:

1. those connected with geology and geomorphology of the area;
2. those connected with its hydrogeology, glaciology and cryolithology.

Fifty four types of objects on the map relate to the factors in the first group. These objects include watershed surfaces (5 types), slopes (9 types), valley forms (40 types, including 19 specific mudflow forms). Another six objects, including glaciers (2 types), ground water and underground ice (2 types) relate to the second group of factors. In addition, man-made infrustructure is shown, including vulnerable objects, as well as stations belonging to geodetic and hydrometeorogical monitoring networks.

Here is a small extract of the map at a scale close to the original:

In this extract, a part of the dramatically incised mudflow channel is shown in red. Various red-coloured patterns show different genetic types of the mudflow channel (e.g. a line with red circles denotes an accumulation-type channel of 2000 whose shape continues to develop, a line with red triangles shows a similar channel of 2000, overlaid by slope deposits). Encircled numbers show width (m), depth (m) and inclination of the mudflow channel as surveyed in September 2000. The channel is surrounded by shields of scree fans (yellow), areas of scree slopes (brown), of mudflow deposits of 2000 (pink) and of moraines (violet).