Geotourism Potential of Georgia, the Caucasus

Irakli Gamkrelidze is Doctor of Geological Sciences, Academician of Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Head of Earth Sciences Department of Georgian National Academy of sciences and Head of Department of Tectonics and Regional Geology of A. Janelidze Institute of Geology of Tbilisi State University. The field of his research is structural geology and geotectonics, geodynamic evolution of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt and geodynamic conditions of magmatic and metamorphic processes. He is a member of several international organizations. He is the author of more than 200 scientific papers, 10 monographs and 3 textbooks.  He is a Laureate of the Georgian National Prize.Avtandil Okrostsvaridze is Doctor of Geological Sciences and Professor of the Ilia State University, Tbilisi. Sphere of his scientific interests is granitoid magmatism and continental crust evolution, ore mineralization processes, natural hazard estimation, geological environment influence on human health and protection of geological monuments. He is the author of more than 190 scientific papers and 6 books. He is a Laureate of the A. Janelidze Prize of Georgian National Academy of Sciences.Kakhaber Koiava is Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) of Georgian National Academy of Sciences in the field of Paleontology and Stratigraphy. He is highly qualified and has a longstanding experience in stratigraphy and micropaleontology of Miocene deposits of Eastern Paratethys. Besides, his main sphere of interest includes oil and gas geology, mud volcanoes, structural geology, sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy. He is the author and co-author of about 50 scientific papers, English-Georgian Terminological Dictionary of Geology (38 300 terms) and 1 monograph.Ferando Maisadze is Doctor of Geological Sciences, a corresponding member of Georgian National Academy of sciences, and Chief Researcher at the A. Janelidze Institute of Geologyof Tbilisi State University. The field of his research is regional geology, paleogeography, tectonics and sedimentology. He is the author of more than 100 papers and 4 monographs. He is a Laureate of the A. Janelidze Prize of Georgian National Academy of Sciences.

• 1. Overview of the history and culture of Georgia / (author - Avtandil Okrostsvaridze).- 2. Geological Structure of Georgia.- 3. Geotourist routes of Georgia.- 4. Potential geoparks of Georgia.- 5. Dedoplistskaro- Vashlovani protected areas and mud volcanoes / (author - Kakhaber  Koiava) Summary