Evolutionary analysis of the Pleistocene buried small erosional landforms

Abstract

A new method is introduced for studies of small erosional landforms buried in loess on the Russian Plain. The landform evolution in space and time (from its initiation through a series of stability stages and paleocatenas development to the final infilling) is reconstructed on the basis of two and more cross»protiles of the same landform exposed in a retreating wall of working quarry. Definition of age and morphology of fossil balkas, linear hollows and depressions is based on the interglacial catena developed in floors and slopes of the paleo-landforms. The method has been tested when studying the Mikulino buried balkas on the Central Russian Upland.