The term «microcontinent» should be applied to small portions of continental earth-crust enclosed with continuous oceanic crust (microcontinent of the Seychelles, t. e.). A huge mass of continental crust which usually goes under the name of the New Zealand microcontinent comprises property New Zealand and other continental blocks such as Campbell, Challenger, Bellona, Chatem, Bounty. Its size about 4 million sq, km is comparable with the continent of Australia. The earthcrust thickness under the New Zealand «microcontinent» is up to 25 to 35 km. There are well pronounced continental shelf, continental slope and continental rise; at the west it is contiguous to a transitional zone of the Emerald Basin. The history of the megablock formation has much in common with this of other continents. The New Zealand «microcontinent» is in tact the seventh continent of the Earth, its main difference from other continents being smaller size and higher percentage of submerged area.

The author introduces the notion of «elementary morphological unit» (EMU) which refers to smallest uniform plots of surface which are characterised with-the same slope angle, morphology and exposition and limited with breaks in slope. The EMU is shown to be useful for better understanding not only of morphological and morphometrical pattern of topography, but of the relief genesis, evolution and morphogenetic dynamics in time and space. The problem of dynamical interrelation of watersheds, slopes and valleys is discussed from this point of view.

On the basis of geological and geomorphological data genetic morphostructural series (GMS) are distinguished at the Indochina and adjacent areas of the South-East Asia. The GMS are understood to be regular spatial combinations of different types of morphostructural complexes, each type belonging to certain geotecture of the Earth and reflecting a certain stage of tectonic evolution. Considerable differences are established between main topographic features of the eastern and western sectors of the SE Asia -as well aS between the northern and southern parts of the region. The differences result from tectonics (mostly the Cenozoic one) controlled by various deep processes and lithospheric plates movements.

Character and rate of denudation at platformian plains are discussed. Geological and geomorphological methods are used to estimate the annual denudation rate which varied from 0.001 to 0.01 mm during Middle Miocene-Quaternary. Primary sedimentary marine and deltaic plains which are composed of permeable rocks remain practically unchanged by erosion. The plains are spread between the Dnieper and Don rivers and covered mostly with Poltavian and Sarmatian sands. The erosion rate within the limits of erosional surfaces (which form low topographic levels) is about one order of magnitude higher and amounts to 0.01 to 0.02 mm per year. A scheme of denudation rate is compiled, erosional gaps within formations being taken into account. Among the denudation -factors most active are processes of marine abrasion. Stadial character of the denudation processes action is emphasized, and a possibility is considered to use to orographic levels for morphostructural studies.

Tidal currents impact is discussed on the submarine surface modeling at the north-eastern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. The authors note reversible character of the currents as well as their considerable speed. Sounding record revealed typical associations of tidal sea built-up forms such as sand waves ad ridges. A large negative form at the sea floor within the region - Shelikhov Trough - is supposed to result from tidal currents erosion.

In 1978, during the 21-st cruise of R/V «Dmitry Mendeleev» the detail geological and geomorphological investigations with the aid of submarine inhabited apparatus «Pisces» have been carried out in the region of land Hermit, New-Guinea Sea. The island is interpreted as a great volcano with two calderas surrounded with a ring of 'coral reef. Structural characteristics of submerged part of the island are described.

Mechanical, chemical and total denudation values were calculated at 57 drainage basins of West Caucasus from measurements of solid and ionic runoff, which permitted to estimate the denudation rate within the belts of low, middle and high mountains separately. All the indices are appeared to increase regularly from low to middle mountains and then decrease in high mountains. The following ratios show the denudation changes from one of mentioned belts to another: for mechanical component - 1:1.52:1.03, chemical component - l:1.45:0.80, total denudation - l:1.50:0.97. Average value of the transitory denudation layer for the whole regions amounts to 0.256 Mm per year. Almost all the denudation indices are twice as high at the southern slope as at the northern one. Double value of the index (0.512 mm per year) may be taken as reasonable estimate of the total denudation rate of the West Caucasus. The denudation meter duration is about 2000 years.

Five topographic levels (steps) are distinguished in the sand massives at SW Turkmenistan. The levels height corresponds the coastlines of early and late Khvalynian seas, the author considers them to be Khvalynian terraces reworked by wind after the sea regression. Searches for oil and gas should take into account the presence of the Khvalynian topographic levels of different age.

Sheet wash was studied at the Central Kopet-Dag slopes during 1966-1977; a complex oscillatory character of sheet wash has been observed, nevertheless the sediments budget appeared to be negative at all the slopes. Statistical treatment of data confirmed a generally positive correlation between slope wash rate, topographic conditions and precipitations.

A dike of more resistant to weathering rocks can be either exposed or covered with regolith, it depends on the ratio of weathering rate y to erosion rate D. The dike form is determined for a stationary case. If the dike l meter thick outcrops its height H is defined by equation H≈lD/2γ; the equation can be used to estimate indirectly the solid rocks weathering rate. Measurement of quartz porphyry dikes at the southern Far East of the USSR is in qualitative agreement with the calculations.

Present-day topographic surface of NE Baltic shield includes some heterogeneous and heterochronous topographic elements; some of them are dated back to Pre-Cambrian and have been recently exposed due to erosion of the overlying members. «Exhumation» of the ancient planation surfaces was of great importance in the evolution of the Baltic shield and probably other shields as well. In this connection a historical and genetic analysis of such areas requires the relict landforms to be identified and their genesis and evolution investigated.

Large lake basins in the Lower Amur drainage basin correspond to remnant elevations of basement and marginal steps within intermontane depressions. The lake basins and drainage pattern as well as recent tectonic movements indicate periodical accelerated sinking of the basement remnant elevations and the marginal steps due to densities heterogeneity within the intermotane basins structures.

Spatial distribution, paragenesis and geological structure of glacial and fluvioglacial topography at the Dnieper-Kasplya interfluvial area was considered, the ice sheet dynamics and structure being thus reconstructed. The glacial landforms form bands which indicate the Valdai ice margin position during its retreat. The marginal landforms appeared to be spread in the region much wider than previously thought. The bands are discontinuous which makes difficult their tracing over long distance. Most marginal features are small ridges, with the exception of the Vitebsk upland. Marginal features structure suggests the active ice deglaciation. The ice margin had no festoons which were probably due to the flat pre-Valdaian topography.

The gully topography evolution is controlled with two opposite processes: erosion and alluviation. The erosion control could be put into practice through measures directed to increase in the alluviation efficiency.