The paper discusses intra-continental and continental-oceanic mobile zones which in addition to certain geomorphic, geological and geophysical difference have essential similar features resulted from their position between lithospheric plates pushed together. Morphostructures evolution within an intra-continental zone proceeds under conditions of predominant compression (plates collision). Morphostructures of a continental-oceanic zone develop under conditoons of predominant tension (within deep-sea basins), compression being confined to insular arcs regions (plates subduction).

At the northern continental shelf of Eurasia a submerged network of branching valleys still exists, which was formed between Miocene and Pliocene under conditions of the Ocean level lowering not less than 300 meters below the present one. Later on the valley pattern was slightly changed in connection with Early and Late Pleistocene regressions. The Pliocene-Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene trangressions resulted in the «flight» of graded abrasion-accumulative surfaces at the shelf. Two glaciations (in Pliocene and Late Pleistocene) can be distinguished at the submarine margin of Norway and northern archipelagos of the Eurasian Arctic shelf.

The paper deals with features of placers in connection with the type of stream channel where they were formed. Some correlation has been established between metallic grain size and stream order and maturity of channel forms. The distribution of metal .grains in the vertical section is studied. The grains weight is proved to be related to the stream morphometry. The results reveal the significance of the channel process and hydrodynamic conditions for placers formation and vertical and horizontal ore dispersion in a placer.

The paper deals with differences in valley density and quartz crystals concentration at buried Mesozoic and Oligocene depression slopes of different exposure. Considering some regularities of the present-day gullies formation and Oligocene and Miocene gully network the author came to the conclusion about rich crystal-bearing placers being situated at southfacing slopes of the depressions.

Sites with prospects for oil searches were found on the basis of geomorphological studies including the analysis of erosional dissection and pattern of lineaments of drainage net. Geological data and boring records mostly corroborate the oil presence estimation by geomorphological methods.

New data are given on the widespread once ferruginous weathering crusts in the Crimean mountains at planation surfaces of different ages. Intensive uplift of the Crimean mountains at the beginning of Pliocene resulted in the erosion of the crusts and their evacuation out of the mountain area. Nevertheless the remnants of the crusts show scale of their distribution and suggest the Crimean mountains to be main source of iron-bearing material during the formation of the Cimmerian (Middle Pliocene) iron-bearing deposits at the Kerch Peninsula and Western Azov region.

The paper briefly describes methods of paleo-relief reconstruction taking as a case study the Middle Pliocene relief of the Lower Volga region. The Neogene time in the region was characterized with continental environment, development of most important landforms, partly existing till now (buried or exposed), partly reworked and eroded. The very complicated structure of buried surface as well as of the overlaying series of Neogene and Quaternary deposits reveals development of relief and its repeated changes throughout the Neogene.

The structure of marginal formations is considered, situated westward of Slavgorod and marking the Moscow (Sozh) ice sheet boundary. With respect to genesis three geomorphological subzones are distinguished, following each other in a distal direction: «push» subzone, subzone of glaciofluvial accumulation ridges and subzone of stagnant ice relief. In the formation of «push» subzone the leading was ice movement of scaly thrust type. Later on, while the glacier activity decreased the ice movement came to be laminated. Both glaciodynamic processes took place during the advance of glacial stream from north-west to south-east which is indicated by the orientation of elastic material in a moraine as well as by the direction of brecciation in detached masses of bedrock.

The sand desert of the southern Low Kara-Kums and Kopet-Dag piedmont plain has been studied using paleogeomorphological, morphological and hypsometric analysis as well as geological-geomorphological and hydro geological interpretation of aerial photographs. Some morphogenetic varieties of relief and their spatial pattern were revealed as well as elongated swell at the Kopet-Dag foreland, the South Kara-Kum depression was traced, a number of buried structures were distinguished controlling the probable oil and gas deposits, disjunctive dislocations were also traced and revealed.

As a result, a detailed gravimetric survey and seismic prospecting is recommended with the purpose of checking the availability and the structure of the revealed forms.

At the Upper Pripyat drainage basin the ice lobe retreat was not unidirectional during the regression stage of the Dnieper glaciation. After the stabilization at the maximum phase the ice retreat changed into secondary advance (oscillation). During the growth of the Styr lobe the most active ice was confined to the lowest parts of the bedrock topography. Maximum deposition of debris was also selective at the lobe frontal part. The formation of stationary (Rafalov) end moraine ridge was finished at the beginning of humid conditions. At the marginal part of the lobe within the area of bedrock uplift the increasing warming resulted in the formation of glaciofluvial deltas, their crestal parts representing elementary esker cones and esker centers. Delta outwash growth was only stopped by ice margin stabilization during short cooling’s. Later, when deglaciation of dead ice took place under conditions of continuous warming, only outwash plains were formed.

Seismic studies at the western part of the deep Black Sea basin proved that the Moiseev Ridge (previously identified on the base of the sea floor topography) did not result from the deep tectonics being a form of turbidity current accumulation, genetically related to the Danube solid discharge.

«Pugi» is local term used for hills and ridges built of sand and gravel; they are frequent at interfluves within the limits of Volga-Vyatka and Vetluga drainage basins where Upper Permian and Lower Trias rocks are exposed at the surface. Morphology of the «pugi», their distribution and lithology give evidences of fluvial accumulation of the sediments they are built of, the material source were rocks exposed at the western slope of the Northern and Middle Ural. Basal horizons of the deposits forming the pug ridges at present (due to selective erosion at the Volga-Vyatka interfluve) were accumulated by large rivers at Early Trias.

Three weathering crusts of different age are distinguished at the South of the Far East, those related to Cenozoic regional stages of planation, i.e. Middle-Late Eocene, Middle Miocene and Early-Middle Pliocene. Paleo-geomorphic environments of the crusts formation indicate the weathering process all over the territory, both at ancient plains and mountains, however final planation of the territory was not achieved. During Eocene the weathering processes took place under climatic conditions similar to those of the present-day wet subtropics. The similar environment of chemical weathering existed also at Middle Miocene.

At plains and within basins at piedmonts and high plains residual crusts and redeposited waste are covered with coalbearing deposits, at mountains crusts being mostly preserved under lava sheets. Eocene and Miocene landscapes were likely favourable to hypergenous ore formation, including bauxites.

The total erosion at the Seim River basin (Middle Russian Elevation) has been estimated by calculation of the volume of concave erosional landforms. Coefficient of denudation, i. e. volume of eroded rocks to total volume of valley and interfluves ratio is equal to 0,54, which indicates the maturity of the relief under consideration. Erosion rate calculated for Neogene and Quaternary appeared to be 0,028 mm per year, the value being close to the contemporary solid discharge of the Seim River (0,026 mm per year).

The paper summarizes the continual studies (begun in 1963) of longitudinal profile evolution in the erosion forms cut by ephemeral streams into calcareous Caucasian slopes facing the Black Sea. The profile deformations depend on water discharge and alluvium thickness at the valley bottom. During years with average water supply the bed profile fluctuates around some average position as sand waves move downstreams. Years with severe channel-forming floods bring about considerable changes of the profile. Most of the studied channels have gorges and waterfalls which interrupt the sediment transport and sorting. Stream profile deformations are also controlled by the alluvium thickness which depend on weathering rate and scree and rockfall intensity, the latter being controlled by water supply and seismicity.

The authors object to most of the critical comments of Yu. P. Seliverstov on the paper «Principles and some methodical questions of compilation of special geomorphological maps intended for bauxite searches» («Geomorphology», n. 4, 1975). Main difference in their views results from the authors opinion (on the contrary to Seliverstov's one) that weathering crusts are not synchronous to planation surfaces formation, they think that once pediplain is uplifted and dissected the pediment slopes stop parallel retreat.

Contribution by N. A. Golovkinsky to the progress of geomorphology in our country

International conference of geomorphological mapping and international exhibition of maps of relief (Hungary, October 1977)

Answer to I. I. Krasnov's review of the textbook «Principles of geomorphology and geology of the Anthropogene»