Cenozoic evolution of relief formation in the West Priokhotie

Abstract

During Late Cenozoic the lead geomorphologic processes in the Western Priokhotie changed together with relief and climate evolution. Plains with areas of hummocky topography have been transformed into deeply dissected low and middle mountains. Climate has changed from humid subtropical (Oligocene) into frigid (subarctic) with tundra development (Late Pleistocene). All these conditions have formed recent surface pattern. Many processes are now very slow, but they changed many times in the Late Cenozoic. Each time interval was characterised by specific set of lead geomorphologic processes and of extreme, catastrophic, ones, which were locally distributed. Analysis of relief evolution allows to date the formation of the ground features' main types.