THE POTENTIAL OF CREATING AND USING NEW PROTECTED AREAS OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL INTEREST IN THE RYAZAN REGION
The research conducted in 2004-2018 singles out four protected areas of geological and geomorphological interest which should be set aside to protect natural monuments of regional significance. Among these natural monuments there is the Topky Menyok Stream valley known for its acid peat soils (Ukhlovo region), marsh solonchaks in the Verda River Valley (Saraevo region), a sand quarry near the village of Maly Prolom in the Cenomanian deposits in the Upper Cretaceous where one can see shark teeth and fish vertebrae (Shatsk region), the Zmeinka worked-out quarry exposing 20 meters of the Meso-Cenozoic deposits, including 15 meters of the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) fossil fauna (Mikhailovo region).