Typology of countries of the world according to the development level of international tourism

A multifactor tourism typology of countries of the world having a structural-functional character has been developed. It provides insight into the typological features of the global spatial structure of international tourism, reflecting the intensity of international tourism flows, their geography, the importance of the tourism industry for the national economy as well as the general attributes of territorial organization of international tourism, and the dynamics of its development. Five main types of touristic types of countries have been identified. The following indicators were used for characterization of the countries and their comparison: the size of the territory, and the population size; the general level of socioeconomic development; the level and character of development of international tourism; the characteristic properties of touristic demand; the orientedness of tourism flows; characteristics of touristic offer; the degree of influence of international tourism on the national economy; characteristics of the state policy in the sphere of tourism, and touristic specialization. The first type includes the economically highly developed countries with mature national systems of international tourism forming the center of the world’s touristic space. The second type is represented by countries belonging to the semi-periphery of the world’s touristic space with an intensely forming state-supported polyfunctional system of international tourism. The third type includes moderately developed countries of the semi-periphery of the world’s touristic space with a polyfunctional system of international tourism in the stage of transformation and formation of a civilized travel market. The fourth type comprises small island states of the Caribbean Basin which belong to the semi-periphery and, in part, to the “advanced” periphery of the world’s touristic space. The fifth type combines developing countries belonging to the periphery of the world’s touristic space, with a weakly developed market of international tourism.     

Comparative analysis of marine paleogene sections and biota from West Siberia and the Arctic Region

The analysis of the main biospheric events that took place in West Siberia and the Arctic region during the Early Paleogene revealed the paleogeographic and paleobiogeographic unity of marine sedimentation basins and close biogeographic relations between their separate parts. Most biotic and abiotic events of the first half of the Paleogene in the Arctic region and West Siberia were synchronous, unidirectional, and interrelated. Shelf settings, sedimentation breaks, and microfaunal assemblages characteristic of these basins during the Paleogene are compared. The comparative analysis primarily concerned events of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and beds with Azolla (aquatic fern). The formation of the Eocene Azolla Beds in the Arctic region and West Siberia was asynchronous, although it proceeded in line with a common scenario related to the development of a system of estuarine-type currents in a sea basin partly isolated from the World Ocean.     

First data on technetium-99 content in the ecosystem of the Yenisei River

The content of a long-lived technogenic radionuclide ⁹⁹Tc in the Yenisei within the territory of radioactive effluents of the Rosatom mining chemical combine (MCC) has been studied. In 2008–2009 the maximal ⁹⁹Tc content in water was registered near the dumping site of the MCC and came to 33 mBq/l. According to analysis of filtered water samples, technetium in the Yenisei water is presented as pertechnetate ion (TcO₄). When moving away from the MCC downstream, the ⁹⁹Tc content in water is decreased, which is caused both by dilution of waste water and by ⁹⁹Tc accumulation by aquatic plants. The ⁹⁹Tc content in the biomass of the aquatic plant Potamogeton lucens came to 82¹⁵ Bq/kg, and the concentration factor (CF) to 8200, which is three times more than the maximal values of the CF of ⁹⁹Tc by the plants in laboratory conditions (2700).     

New data on the lithology of coastal facies of the Turtas formation (Upper Oligocene,Southwestern Siberia)

Peculiarities of the material composition and microstructure of coastal facies of Turtas Lake–Sea were studied in its marginal southwestern part for the first time. Interpretation of the lithological data showed that the deposits considered were formed under the conditions of a slightly saline basin and nearby full-flow river network. Based on the lithological, geochemical, and micropaleontological studies of clay–siliceous rocks of the Lower Turtas Formation (the boundary zone between the Tyumen and Sverdlovsk regions), additional support for the freshwater lake regime of the Late Oligocene Turtas basin is given.     

Late Paleocene-Early Eocene diatoms and dinocysts from biosiliceous facies of the middle Trans-Urals region

The Paleocene-Eocene transition is one of the most remarkable Cenozoic periods coinciding with the global thermal maximum (PETM). Based on the complex biostratigraphic analysis of diatoms, silicoflagellates, and dinocysts, this global event is revealed in three sections of the Middle Trans-Urals region (Kamyshlov, Korkino, Chumlyak) represented by marine biosiliceous sediments of the Serov and Irbit formations. The interval of the Trinacra ventriculosa-Hemiaulus proteus-Coscinodiscus uralensis diatom zones is marked by the appearance of new genera Moisseevia, Solium, Fenestrella, Craspedodiscus, Podosira, Pseudotriceratium, intense radiations of Grunoweiella and Coscinodiscus, and development of extreme morphotypes among silicoflagellates. The defined diatom assemblages differ slightly from their coeval counterparts from the Middle Volga region, which casts doubt upon the assumed stable water exchange between these basins. On the contrary, the dinocyst assemblages are lacking zonal index species (Appectodinium homomorphum, A. augustum) and Apectodinium acme characteristic of the transitional Paleocene-Eocene strata in many worldwide localities. The facies settings of his period with intense vertical mixing and relatively low temperatures and salinity are characterized by the dominant role of dinocysts belonging to the genera Areoligera, Deflandrea, Spiniferites, and Operculodinium.     

Natural and technological typomorphic associations of trace elements in carbonaceous rocks of the Kimkan noble metal occurrence, Far East

The results of mineralogical-technological studies of carbonaceous rocks of the Kimkan noble metal occurrence are reported. New typomorphic associations of trace element are revealed using mathematical statistics.     

Paleogene of the southwestern Volgograd region (Borehole 13, Gremyach’e Area). 1. Biostratigraphy

The stratigraphy of Paleocene-Eocene rocks based on assemblages of dinocysts, benthic and planktonic foraminifers, nannoplankton, diatoms, and nummulites was refined in the sedimentary sequence penetrated by borehole (BH) 13 in the Gremyach’e potassium salt deposit. The rocks were subdivided into local lithostratigraphic units with refined ages and more substantiated reference to the general and regional scales. In addition to formations of the Volga-Caspian region: Saratov, Kamyshin, Tsaritsyn, Mechetka and Elshanka, for the Paleogene of the southwestern Volgograd region there were used formations of neighbor regions as well: Eisk Formation (Paleocene) in the eastern Donetsk Basin and the Sergeevka, Tishki and Kas’yanovka formations (Middle and Upper Eocene) in the Voronezh Anteclise. The presence of the Oligocene in the section of the Maikop Group has been established for the first time. New biostratigraphic units based on dinocysts and foraminifers were suggested.     

The preventive destruction of a hazardous asteroid

One means of countering a hazardous asteroid is discussed: destruction of the object using a nuclear charge. Explosion of such an asteroid shortly before its predicted collision would have catastrophic consequences, with numerous highly radioactive fragments falling onto the Earth. The possibility of exploding the asteroid several years before its impact is also considered. Such an approach is made feasible because the vast majority of hazardous objects pass by the Earth several times before colliding with it. Computations show that, in the 10 years following the explosion, only a negligible number of fragments fall onto the Earth, whose radioactivity has substantially reduced during this time. In most cases, none of these fragments collides with the Earth. Thus, this proposed method for eliminating a threat from space is reasonable in at least two cases: when it is not possible to undergo a soft removal of the object from the collisional path, and to destroy objects that are continually returning to near-Earth space and require multiple removals from hazardous orbits.     

Numerical modeling of the formation,orbital evolution,and distribution of fragments of space debris in near-Earth space

This paper describes the numerical models designed by the authors to investigate the formation, orbital evolution, and spatial distribution of fragments of space debris emerging in orbits as a result of space-craft fragmentation. It cites the results of the testing of the models and the data of their use.