The system of «recent movements of the earthcrust» includes several hierarchically subordinate types of movements differing in duration (from few years and tens of years to millenia). «Background» movements are also distinguished, which are resultant of all the types, they control to a considerable extent the exogenous processes direction and rate throughout commensurate time intervals. Geomorphological methods can and must be applied to study of all types of movements, in each case a technique should be chosen considering its precision with regard to the movement's rate. Most precise techniques call for further elaboration so as to be able to detect the earthcrust oscillations of short duration.

Studies of neotectonics in Siberia were carried out by a number of specialists and resulted in map of neotectonics (scale l:2500000) as well as in monograph «Neotectonics of oil and gas bearing regions of Siberia». Main neotectonic elements are described in relation to platformian sedimentary mantle structures, the characteristic is based on the analysis of geomorphology and geology. Neotectonics is discussed with view to prospects of oil and gas.

Destructive topography is presented in Mongolia with Gobi peneplain (due to denudation) and large intermountain depressions due to tectonics. Concepts of exogenous (denudational) and endogenous (tectonic) destruction are introduced; the former proceeds together with the matter desintegration and landforms demolishion while the latter does not involve a desintegration of the substance and only changes landforms appearance. An importance of the concepts for geomorphological analysis is emphasized.

Morphometric indices calculated on the basis of cartographic materials and geodetic profiling data processing proved to be essentially different within marginal zones of the Valdai, Moscow and Dnieper glaciations, this allows to estimate relative age of glacial relief as well as to make a guess at trends of the relief re-modelling. Slope processes acting universally tend to planate topography and to destroy small landforms. Another factor of great importance is linear erosion which acts locally and results in dissecting the surface and finally in elimination of all relict glacial landforms. To delimit marginal zones of heterochronous ice sheets these indices should be used which reveal a tendency towards flattening such as: «rhythm of topography» index, number of small closed contours, slope angles, contourlines length, index of planation. The values of the indices change regularly as one passes from younger to older glacial topography.

Ancient planation surfaces are represented in different ways within mountain and foothill zones of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Poloninskaya, Beskidskaya and Prirechnaya (upper and lower) surfaces are spread in mountains, Krasnenskaya and Loevskaya surfaces - in eastern foothills (Predcarpatye), Skrideyskaya, Boronyavskaya and Veliko-Kopanskaya surfaces-in western foothills (Zacarpatye). The Upper Prirechnaya surface of the Central Carpathians corresponds to Krasnenskaya and Skrideyskaya ones at the foothills, and Lower Prirechnaya corresponds to Loevskaya, Boronyavskaya and Veliko-Kopanskaya ones.

Planation surfaces were formed due to lessening of the tectonic uplifts rate at the end of early erogenous and in middle erogenous stages as well as at the beginning of the late erogenous stage of the Ukrainian Carpathians evolution, which are Late Helvetian (Poloninskaya surface), Pannonian (Beskidskaya), Late Pliocene (Upper Prirechnaya, Krasnenskaya and Skrideyskaya) and Early Anthropogene (Lower Prirechnaya, Loevskaya, Boronyavskaya and Veliko-Kopanskaya ones) correspondingly.

The paper states the results of first attempt to estimate in retrospect the gullies quantity growth due to deforestation at the South of the former Tula province (area about 6000 sq. km) during more than 200 years up to early XXth century. Maps of forests and forest soils of different age were compared with gullies' map (dated at 1909). The comparison revealed the gullies' number to grow concordantly with increase of deforestated area till the middle XIX century, later, after the land reform in 1961, sharp acceleration of gullies growth was recorded as compared with deforestation.

A new map of basement topography of Indian Ocean has been compiled using the data of geological geophysical and geomorphological studies carried out by International Expedition to Indian Ocean as well as other data. Main features are described of the basement surface and their resemblance is marked with recent submarine morphostructures. It indicates the single trend of relief-forming processes throughout the whole period of Mesozoic and Cenozoic evolution of the ocean floor.

Karst denudation value is estimated to be more than half of the total chemical denudation value and exceeds the mechanical one at many karsted plain regions. Apparent insignificance of karst for landforms transformation is due to the fact that the karst action proceeds not only at the surface but in the interior of a massif as well. The karst facilitates rocks desintegration by lessening their cohesion. The karst processes themselves produce at the surface various erosional and built-up landforms. Apart from this action they change conditions of relief formation thus influencing the relief indirectly. At mountain the karst may «conserve» remains of ancient relief levels. With view to their unification the karstic forms should be subdivided into nanoforms, microforms and mesoforms which correspond to nanorelief, microrelief and mesorelief categories.

Some data are given on relative position of alluvial members in river valleys crossection at the upper Kolyma drainage basin. The lower terrasouval (0 to 70 meters high above the river channel) comprises Pleistocene alluvial members, those dated from Early Pleistocene (two of them) and from late Middle Pleistocene are buried. The Middle Pleistocene alluvium lays in the deepest part of the valley's crossection, its base being a few meters below the recent floodplain alluvium bed. An intricate structure of terrace series is concluded from the data analysis, the series are incomplete not only due to poor conservation but to the fact 3 (out of 7) alluvial members being buried and not pronounced in recent valley topography.

An indicative information for hydrology and engineering can be obtained by space photoes geomorphological interpretation with view to inter-relation of morphosculpture and neotectonics, lithology and hydrogeology. The term «exomorphogenous indication» is proposed for this trend of research in aerial and space photoes interpretation. A case of Southern Turgai depression morphosculpture demonstrates the exomorphogenous indication's capabilities applied to fresh ground water prospection and civil engineering conditions study.

A network of ancient dry channels exists at plains of East Mongolia. Space images and field studies revealed the network to be a part of Silin-Gol, Urgan-Gol, Adzarga-Gol drainage basins, the rivers now flowing from the Big Khingan and Nukut-Daban ridges. The rivers inflowed into Buir-Nur and Dalainor lakes. As geomorphological observations proved, the dry valleys were flooded when the high level of floodplain was forming, i. e. in early Holocene. Some dry valleys are associated with the 2nd terrace of the Kerulen River, Downstream from the knee-like bend near the Mongolia-China border the ancient valley of the river goes southward towards the Kurai solonchaks. The drainage took place during the Late Pleistocene.

Non-sorted spots (spots-medallions) are described with regard to their structure, spatial distribution, as well as conditions and mechanism of their formation. Three types of such forms are distinguished. A critical review of main concepts of the non-sorted spots origin is given. In the author's opinion they are due to action of needle ice and ice crust resulting from night frosts. If the hydrotherapy of soil changes so as to prevent needle ice and ice crust formation the spots begin to degrade.

Some results of studies are reported which were carried out in the Kursk model area with view to elucidate the human impact on topography and relief-forming processes. Some features of both natural and anthropogenous morphogenesis are discussed in regions differing in the degree of human intervention, dynamics of exogenous processes is analysed under natural and artificial conditions.

Neotectonic structures-topography relation has been revealed. Neotectonic Kungei, Trans-Ilian and Terskei uplifts correspond to mountain ridges of the same names. In the highest parts of the structures the alpinotype topography is prevalent. At the structures flanks broken with longitudinal and transversal faults an erosional topography is formed, separate fragments of planation Surfaces still existing. Aggradational topography dominates within the Issyk-Kul basin. Zones of mountain ridges-basin floor contact are of especially complicate structure and of higher seismicity.

Geographical zonality of sea coasts: Davies J. L. Geographical Variation in Coastal Development. N. Y.: Publ. Longman Inc., 1977. 204 p.

System approach in geomorphology

The 3rd All-Union Conference on problems of erosion and channel processes

Problems of neotektonics and lithosphere recent dynamics