Geological heritage of Valerian Domger in the Middle Dnipro Region

Abstract

The paper looks at the significance of the scientfic geological studies of the famous geologist Valerian Domger and their importance for the development of geotourism in the region and Ukraine in general. We analyzed his works in the historical aspect from the beginning of his work as a geological practitioner to his becoming a reseracher of stratigraphy, paleontology and lithology of sedimentary deposits and geology of Precambrian formations of the Ukrainian Shield. We focused on the geological routes he took when travelling along the lines of railroad construction, including Orenburg, Ural, Mariupol (Donetsk) and Katerynoslav, analyzing the conclusions on the structures of those territories, as well as perspectives of finding natural resources in them. We characterized the most important routes V. Domger travelled when he was conducting geological surveys of the 47th sheet of the ten-versta map on the area of about 13 thou versts in Verhniodniprovsk and Katerynoslav powiets of Katerynoslav governorate, and also Kherson and Oleksandria powiets of Kherson governorate, which led to his most notable discoveries, namely the Nikopol deposits of manganese ores, a unique location of the Mandrykivka fossil fauna of the Upper Eocene and others. The achievements of V. Domger as a paleontologist were ahead of his time and – despite attempts of some notable researchers to refute the Late Eocene age of the Mandrykivka layers, the first identifications of the researcher were accurate and have been convingcingly confirmed by modernday studies. Despite their high popularity, the layers had no status in the stratigraphic resarch until 2000. The Commission of the Stratigraphic Classification and Nomenclature of National Stratigraphy Committee of Ukraine had examined the application from the author of this article regarding the Mandrykivka layers and recognized them as an individual stratigraphic unit (layers with a geographic name). For the first time, we noted the importance of the V. Domger’s routes and the outcrops he described when creating the data base of those geological heritage objects, their further inclusion to the Nature-Protection Fund of Ukraine and their use in the development of the region’s geotourism.