Energy of relief

Abstract

Energy approach to the surface relief study calls for taking into account the potential energy of the topography, as well as estimating energy of endogenic and exogenic processes involved. The notion of «energy of relief» should be considered in two aspects: 1) as gravitational energy potential of the earth's surface, and 2) as volume energy potential of the relief, that is gravitational energy of mass of rock which composes relief and rises above the equipotential surface of its gravitation field. Both aspects of the relief's potential energy should be taken into account when considering the energy balance of relief-forming processes.