Development of the Theory of Geosystems: The Geophysical Paradigm Landscape Science

The methods for developing the theory of geosystems are analyzed. The postulates necessary for physical and mathematical modeling of the structure and functioning of geosystems are formulated. The differentiation of landscapes is formalized on a grid of digital elevation models using statistical methods based on morphometric parameters describing the redistribution of geophysical fields (gravity and insolation) and digital values of the brightness of remote sensing channels and NDVI index values. The reality and rank of boundaries are verified using spatially continuous geophysical methods. Field digital methods of ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography complement each other: they are based on measuring various physical properties of sediments and differ in depth and resolution. The methods demonstrated the reliable identification of lithology, significantly complementing drilling data. Modeling of the functioning processes of geosystems in terms and expressions of continuum mechanics is closely related to the structure of landscapes through boundary conditions and distributed geophysical parameters of transport processes. The multiplicity of approaches to describing the structure and functioning of geosystems (methods of thermodynamics, continuum mechanics, multivariate statistics, synergetic approach, fractal geometry, landscape “patterns” using statistical distributions, stochastic differential equations of the theory of Brownian motion, etc.) is due to the real complexity natural processes. Based on the parameters of physical models of the transfer of radiation, heat, moisture and nutrients in the environment and within plants and models of photosynthesis, respiration, and the redistribution of assimilates, the most important biogeophysical processes of transformation of matter and energy for the self-development of landscapes are considered, including production processes in the vegetation cover and processes of decomposition of organic matter. The description of the landscape as a dynamic system makes it possible to formulate and solve the problem of the optimally managing natural resources.