The structure of the Moksha River floodplain as a key to the Late Pleistocene history of the valley development

E. Yu. Matlakhova; V. Yu. Ukraintsev

doi:10.31857/S0435428122050108

The structure of the Moksha River floodplain as a key to the Late Pleistocene history of the valley development

E. Yu. Matlakhova, V. Yu. Ukraintsev

https://doi.org/10.31857/S0435428122050108

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Abstract

The noticeable geomorphic feature of the Moksha River valley (middle Oka River basin) is the occurrence of numerous large palaeomeanders that evidence a several fold rise of river discharges. To establish the history of valley development, the key study in the lower part of the Moksha River valley was organized between the mouth of the Tsna River and the mouth of the Moksha River. Based on the results of mechanical coring, geomorphological and lithological analysis, and radiocarbon AMS-dating we reconstructed the following main stages of the Moksha River valley development in the end of the Late Pleistocene. 1) About 40–30 ka ago the increase of the river runoff associated with climatic changes led to the river incision deeper than the present level. 2) After that the drying up of the climate and a lowering of the river runoff led to the filling of the valley (the strongest drying was in LGM time, about 23–20 ka ago). 3) Between 18.5–12 ka ago the river runoff increased and caused macromeanders formation and widening of the valley bottom. 4) In the Holocene runoff decreased again and the channel parameters became close to the modern ones.

Keywords

macromeanders (large paleochannels), the history of river valleys development, Pleistocene paleogeography, fluvial geomorphology

About the Authors

E. Yu. Matlakhova

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography, Moscow
Russian Federation

V. Yu. Ukraintsev

Institute of Geography RAS, Moscow; Institute of Water Problems RAS, Moscow
Russian Federation

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Review

For citations:

Matlakhova E.Yu., Ukraintsev V.Yu. The structure of the Moksha River floodplain as a key to the Late Pleistocene history of the valley development. Geomorfologiya. 2022;53(5):127-133. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0435428122050108