Regional analysis of the occurrence and spread of engineering-geological processes in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

The relevance. The issues of studying the scale of distribution and causes of engineering-geological processes in the Republic of Belarus are positioned as one of the priority issues among the wide range of geoecological problems. Obtaining such information allows identifying and analyzing the factors of human economic activity that impact the geological environmental state, identifying the emergence and presence of threats in urbanized territories, leading to decrease in the safety and living conditions of humans. The aim of the research is to analyze the causes and degrees of manifestation of the most noticeable in the regional plan engineeringgeological processes occurring in Belarus. Objects: urbanized territories, mineral extraction and processing facilities, reclaimed land, phenomena and processes resulting from engineering and geological human activity. Methods: research and classification engineering-geological processes developing on the territory of Belarus; expert and comparative methods were used to systematize and analyze the main factors of their occurrence and development on the territory of the country, based on the results of earlier published works and present time field investigations carried out by the authors. Results. The author's expert evaluation and field methods of research have established that the most common factors of occurrence and activation of engineering-geological processes in the Republic of Belarus include: land reclamation, open-pit mining and subsurface mining, groundwater overexploitation, static and dynamic loads from structures and transport, engineering and human economic activities in urbanized areas, natural climatic conditions, and the genesis and composition of rocks. Engineering-geological processes and the phenomena such as groundwater table drawdown, gravitational processes, local earthquakes, suffusion, frost heaving, flooding, and waterlogging are identified and characterized. The spread of engineering-geological processes and phenomena has both a local character within settlements and covers vast areas of dozens of square kilometers. As a result of the study, the mapping of sources of technogenic impact on the geological environment and the manifestations of engineering-geological processes in the territory of Belarus were compiled.