On the volume budget method of the study of present-day relief-forming processes

Abstract

A new volumetrical method is introduced of the investigation of present-day geomorphological processes. The volume-forming processes include the volume increase due to vertical rise and bringing the lithospheric blocks into region under study by tangential crust movements, accumulation, volume decrease due to down-warping and blocks' movement out of the region; erosion. Quantitative study (in terms of volume) of main geodynamic processes results in definition of trend of the relief evolution (uprising, equilibrium, descending) and its rate, the latter being calculated using the following equation: И=Vтп+Va-Vту-Vд, where И - rate of relief evolution; Vтп - volume of lithosphere brought by tectonics above a conventional level, Va - volume of built-up forms, Vту - volume of lithosphere removed by tectonics below the conventional level, Vд - volume of matter removed by erosion from the surface and interior parts of the present-day morphostructures. All values are reduced to area units per year.