Zonal features of the West Caucasus recent denudation

Abstract

Mechanical, chemical and total denudation values were calculated at 57 drainage basins of West Caucasus from measurements of solid and ionic runoff, which permitted to estimate the denudation rate within the belts of low, middle and high mountains separately. All the indices are appeared to increase regularly from low to middle mountains and then decrease in high mountains. The following ratios show the denudation changes from one of mentioned belts to another: for mechanical component - 1:1.52:1.03, chemical component - l:1.45:0.80, total denudation - l:1.50:0.97. Average value of the transitory denudation layer for the whole regions amounts to 0.256 Mm per year. Almost all the denudation indices are twice as high at the southern slope as at the northern one. Double value of the index (0.512 mm per year) may be taken as reasonable estimate of the total denudation rate of the West Caucasus. The denudation meter duration is about 2000 years.