Registration Number
0225U005116,
(0125U002875)
, R & D reports
Title
Geospatial assessment of the impact of warfare on the loess in Ukraine (within the steppe zone)
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Розробка методики оцінювання впливу бойових дій на лесовий покрив степової зони України.
Head
Bonchkovskyi Oleksandr S., Доктор філософії
Registration Date
25-12-2025
Organization
Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
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The aim of the project is to study the impact of warfare on the loess in the steppe zone of Ukraine as the main parent material of chernozems, as well as on loess geosites of international importance. Moreover, the project aims to highlight the importance of assessing the impact of military operations on the geological environment and on valuable natural sites as part of the overall assessment of the impact of war on the environment. The proposed project aims to develop a methodology for assessing the impact of hostilities on loess using the latest developments in geographic information systems and remote sensing data analysis. It is proposed to create a geodatabase of loess-palaeosol sequences located in the areas affected by hostilities, with an analysis of the current state of loess sections. The calculation of vegetation indices on multispectral satellite images will allow us to estimate the degree of mining near the loess-palaeosol sites, and their location relative to the current (and previously existing) frontline will allow us to identify the risk of shelling of loess geosites and the possible presence of unexploded ordnance. This will allow us to develop a classification of loess geosites according to their accessibility for study and focus the attention of the international scientific community on the loess sections lost. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a web platform with online maps of the affected loess geosites that have been or may be lost as a result of hostilities. Subsequently, the project authors will promote the idea of integrating the developed database of lost loess-palaeosol sequences into international loess geosites databases, in particular the DATESTRA database of the INQUA. The expected results of the project will be essential for the overall assessment of the impact of military operations on the geological environment.
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GEOSPATIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF MILITARY OPERATIONS ON THE LOESS COVER OF UKRAINE (WITHIN THE STEPPE ZONE).
The object of the research is loess-palaeosol sequences in the war-affected territories of Ukraine.
The subject of the research is the impact of military operations on the scientific and geotouristic value of loess-palaeosol sequences.
The aim of the work is to study the impact of military operations on the loess cover of the steppe zone of Ukraine as the parent material of chernozems, as well as on loess geosites of international significance.
Research methods include general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, modeling), interdisciplinary and specific scientific methods (scientific-statistical methods, geospatial analysis, remote sensing data analysis), comparative-geographical, complex palaeogeographical methods, and expert assessment.
The work is aimed at developing a comprehensive methodology for assessing the impact of military operations on the scientific and geotouristic value of loess-palaeosol profile sequences within the Pontic and Northern European loess belts in the steppe zone of Ukraine. The developed methodology provides a quantitative assessment of impacts on loess geosites, covering three integral parameters: the security situation indicator in the geosite area, the demining priority index, and the scientific value indicator of the loess-palaeosoil sequences. It is proposed to calculate the security situation indicator as the average value of four indices, specifically: location relative to the frontline, location relative to fortifications, fire frequency, and the agricultural land cultivation status index. The indices were calculated using GIS tools and open data sources. The developed methodology was successfully tested on 19 loess-palaeosol sequences in the Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, which allowed for the classification of loess-palaeosol sequences according to the degree of impact.
Product Description
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Leiberiuk Oleksandr M.
Shvaiko Volodymyr M.
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2025-12-25
