ABSTRACT
Using the example of the Eastern Ciscaucasia, where there are extremely favorable and at the same time contrasting combinations of geological – tectonic, hydrodynamic, geothermal, and also hydro-hydrographic conditions, it seems possible to trace the main geological and physico-chemical processes that determine the formation and distribution of various types of groundwater associated with different zones and structural - hydrogeological floors and the dependence of the degree of their protection from surface pollution in connection with these especially features.
When considering this issue, first of all, it should be noted that all the main scientific hypotheses of the formation of groundwater are not groundless and depending on the geological conditions of the region, there are various options.
In particular, there is no doubt that the fresh and weakly mineralized warm groundwater of the Tersko-Kum artesian basin and groundwater of the aeration zone of the mountain-folded regions of Dagestan, in their overwhelming part, are waters of infiltration origin.
The processing of enormous factual material on hydrodynamics, hydrochemistry, gas geochemistry, geothermy, hydrological and climatic conditions, collected from the results of drilling about 3000 artesian wells, allowed us to conclude that the Tersko-Kum artesian basin of Pliocene and anthropogenic deposits is a hydrodynamically open flowing natural system with modern natural resources in the amount of 0.6 km³/year and potential resources of about 6.0 km³/year.
