Saida Nigmatova

This article reconstructs the Early Miocene climate of the Turgay Trough in Central Asia, using the Coexistence Approach (CA) and paleofloristic data from Kushuk. Its main goal is to determine climatic parameters and ecosystem changes in the Early Miocene. Results indicate a warm-temperate climate with mild winters and sufficient rainfall, featuring a mean annual temperature of 14.2°C and mean annual precipitation of 898.5 mm. These conditions supported diverse forest ecosystems, including broadleaf and mixed woodlands. A comparison with the modern climate shows a strong contrast, suggesting increased continentality and reduced moisture availability. This evidence supports a gradual climatic cooling and drying during the Miocene, driven by global and regional factors such as tectonic uplift and oceanic currents.The study underscores the climatic evolution of Central Asia and validates the CA method as an effective tool for paleoclimatic studies. Findings can be applied to climate modeling and assessing how shifts in temperature and precipitation influenced Neogene ecosystems. Planned research will examine the interplay of climatic and geological factors, focusing on how changes in precipitation patterns shaped habitat distribution and species composition. These data provide a basis for refining paleoclimatic models and reconstructing biosphere dynamics in the Neogene, thereby advancing our understanding of how climate influenced regional development and biodiversity.

Бұл зерттеу Шығыс Қазақстандағы Қиын-Керіш аймағындағы «Кораблик» қимасының ерте олигоцен дәуіріндегі флорасына негізделген палеоклиматтық реконструкцияға арналған. Зерттеудің мақсаты – Coexistence Approach (CA) әдісін қолданып, сол кезеңдегі климаттық жағдайларды анықтап, аймақтық экологиялық өзгерістердің өсімдік жамылғысына әсерін бағалау. Нәтижелер аймақта ерте олигоценде жылы және ылғалды климат басым болғанын және бұл жағдайлардың флора құрамындағы түрлі таксондар арқылы көрініс тапқанын көрсетті. Жұмыстың ғылыми маңызы – аймақтың климаттық тарихы туралы деректерді байытуында, ал практикалық маңызы – осы реконструкция әдісін Қазақстанның басқа қималарын зерттеуге қолдану мүмкіндігін қамтамасыз ету.

Studying paleoclimatic conditions across geological epochs is essential for understanding climate evolution and its influence on Earth’s biosphere. Leaf macrofossils serve as a crucial data source for reconstructing ancient climates due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. Advanced analytical methods, such as the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) and the coexistence approach (CA), enable precise assessment of past climatic parameters using fossilized leaf remains. The Erzhilansay locality, dated to the early Miocene, represents a remarkable site with exceptionally preserved and diverse plant fossils, making it pivotal for paleoclimatic reconstructions. This study reveals that mean annual temperatures and summer temperatures in the early Miocene were relatively stable over millions of years. In contrast, winters were notably milder, exhibiting warmer and more consistent conditions. Precipitation levels were significantly higher, fostering the development of dense vegetation, unlike the arid environment seen today. These findings underscore the importance of employing integrated methodologies to reconstruct ancient climates and interpret geological-scale climate changes. The study also offers critical insights into climate dynamics, supporting the development of strategies to mitigate current environmental challenges.

This article is devoted to the study of geoheritage objects and the scientific justification for the creation of a geopark in the Ulytau region of Central Kazakhstan. This region is the largest copper-bearing province in the world and has a unique natural and cultural heritage. The purpose of this article is to show the scientific and tourist significance of geoheritage objects of the potential Ulytau Geopark. The geological history of this area tells about no less than 500 million years of the planet’s development. Geological, historical and sacred objects make this area extremely interesting for the development of geotourism and the creation of geoparks as a basis for the sustainable development of the area. The research methods included a bibliographic method, which made it possible to collect information on the geoheritage of the territory; field survey techniques; and methods based on the evaluation of the criteria for eligibility for UNESCO Geoparks. The methodology included five main blocks of assessment (geology and landscape, structure and management model, interpretation and environmental education, geotourism and sustainable development at the regional level) and represents an integrated interdisciplinary approach to present regional features in the context of the geological heritage of the world. Despite the length of time geology has been studied and the resources actively used, geoheritage sites have not been previously studied and characterised. Geoparks in Kazakhstan are at an early stage of development and this article aims to show the potential for establishing geoparks in the Ulytau region.

The article is devoted to the study of geoheritage objects and scientific justification for the creation of a geopark in the Ulytau region of Central Kazakhstan. This region is the largest copper-bearing province in the world and has a unique natural and cultural heritage. Purpose of the article: to show the scientific and tourist significance of geoheritage objects of the potential Ulytau Geopark. The geological history of this area tells about no less than 500 million years of the planet's development. Geological, historical and sacred objects make this area an extremely interesting object for the development of geotourism and the creation of geoparks as a basis for sustainable development of the area. The research methods include a bibliographic method, which made it possible to collect information on the geoheritage of the territory; field survey techniques; and methods based on the evaluation of the criteria for eligibility for UNESCO Geoparks. The methodology includes five main blocks of assessment (geology and landscape, structure and management model, interpretation and environmental education, geotourism, sustainable development at the regional level) and represents an integrated interdisciplinary approach that allows to present regional features in the context of the geological heritage of the world. Despite the length of time geology has been studied and resources actively used, geoheritage sites have not been previously studied and characterised. Geoparks in Kazakhstan are at an early stage of development and this article aims to show the potential for establishing geoparks in the Ulytau region.

The Ulytau region located at the heart of Kazakhstan is one of the promising territories for setting up geopark. Here, in the centre of Kazakhstan is a geographical and economic region which consists of desert-steppe landscapes with small, steep low-mountain massifs. This is one of the largest regions of Kazakhstan in terms of industrial potential, wealth of minerals and raw materials, natural and cultural heritage. The world's largest copper-bearing province is located here. The geological history of this area tells of no less than 500 million years of planetary development. Despite the lengthy time that geology and the active use of resources were in focus, geoheritage objects were previously lacking attention and any characterization. In the Ulytau region, many preserved archaeological and ethnographic sites indicate that the Saryarka steppes were included in the trade and cultural sphere of the Great Silk Road. Geological, historical and sacred objects make this territory an extremely interesting object for the development of geotourism and the creation of geoparks as the basis for the sustainable development of the region.

The study and identification of regularities of geological and paleogeographic development of Central Kazakhstan in the Cenozoic is fundamentally important for understanding the geological processes of Eurasia as a whole, as they were reflected in the marine and continental landscapes of the adjacent regions of Western Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Western Siberia. Practically from the beginning of the Cenozoic, a continental mode of sedimentation was established here, with landscapes of denudation plains and low highlands. Organic remains make it possible to dissect the Cenozoic continental strata and reconstruct the stages of landscape development from typically tropical and subtropical in the Paleocene and Eocene to steppe and savannah landscapes by the beginning of the Quaternary. The Goose Flight fauna locality is a stratotype of the Pliocene Pavlodar Formation. It is one of the largest localities of Miocene Hipparion fauna of Eurasia, located in the north-eastern part of Central Kazakhstan, on the Irtysh River, within the city limits of Pavlodar. The location «Goose flight» is comparable to such widely known localities of Hipparion fauna as Taralyk-Cher and Kholu (Russia, Tuva), Baode fauna in Shansi province in China, Grebeniki and Berislavsky in Ukraine, Taraclia in Moldova. The locality needs protection and defence as it is destroyed due to erosion of the banks of the Irtysh River and uncontrolled sampling. The article provides a description of the Pavlodar Formation sediments, its geological and palynological characteristics, as well as the history of the study of the Goose Flight locality, the most complete list of fossils, gives their environmental characteristics and concludes on the conditions of accumulation of the Pavlodar Formation strata.

The article provides an analysis of Cenozoic floras collected and studied at different times in the valley of the Uly-Zhilanshik River (South Torgai Depression, Kazakhstan), and also discusses the prospects for reconstructing the Cenozoic paleoclimate based on the study of fossil floras. The Uly-Zhilanshchik River valley is a key area for understanding the processes of environmental change in the Paleogene and Neogene. These studies of these paleofloras make it possible to reconstruct paleogeographical conditions: paleolandscapes and climate change. It was shown that floras of the same age were not of the same type and had their own regional characteristics. Floristic composition represented in floras from sediments of different ages along the river. Uly-Zhilanshik, allows us to trace the stages of retreat of the Chegan Sea and further aridization of the territory. The article was prepared during the implementation of the grant project AP19677563 “Study of paleoflora and climate of Central Kazakhstan at the boundary of the Oligocene and Miocene and the initial stage of desertification of the region” (2023 – 2025)

G. S. Jumabekova, S. A. Nigmatova, E. K. Altynbekova, K. Altynbekov, G. A. Bazarbayeva (Almaty, Kazakhstan)