Lopota Marble Mine(Telavi Municipality): Geology, formation conditions and geoecological assessment.

This master’s thesis studies the issues of structure, petrology and genesis of the famous Marble Deposit of Lopota and the accompanying ecological problems of exploitation, against the background of the geological structure of the region. This piece of work consists of two parts. The first - general part deals with the history of geological study of the deposit region, stratigraphy, magmatism, tectonics and as well as, focuses on the sedimentological processes of sediments accumulation in the region. The second - the detailed part is dedicated directly to the deposit. A brief physical-geographical description of the deposit area and the history of the study are given; The geological structure of the deposit is discussed; Characteristics of the sites are given on the basis of structural-lithological data performed directly during the field geological study; The petrological characterization of the differences in the type of marble, building the deposit and the issue of genesis of Lopota marble are discussed. Ecological problems related to the exploitation of the deposit are discussed separately. The paper ends with conclusions and a list of references.