Neotectonic structures 'of the Altai, Tien-Shan and Dzungar Alatau have much in common, the mountain regions forming a single Central Asian belt. Its main structural elements are zones of linear deformations, large basins and the central Dzungarian intermountain plain. Morphology of the tectonic relief suggests that lithospheric blocks within the mountain belt underwent strong horizontal crushing and longitudinal flow. Arch-block orogenesis (of Gobian type) prevails, mountains growing at the expense of depressions.

A bilateral symmetry (due to the Altai and Tien-Shan similarity) is typical for the mountain belt structure, as well as longitudinal and transversal translations of structural elements and their combinations. The Central Asian mountain belt was formed in the zone of continental collision by horizontal compression directed submeridionally.

Platform areas of each continent show series of planation surfaces equal in number and in the age. The similarity can be attributed to the f act of general isostatic equilibrium of the continents; planation surf aces are formed due to changes of ocean level. Each surface corresponds to epoch of a global transgression: the Late Jurassic -- Early Cretaceous surface developed during the «Great Cretaceous transgression» when the ocean level was 300 to 350 m above the present one, the Eocene - Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene surfaces correspond to smaller transgressions.

A special method was developed for identification of morphostructural nodes (areas of most dense network of tectonic fissures) and applied to morphostructural subdivision of West Siberia. Already known lagre oil and gas fields appeared to be located within the morphostructural nodes. Local prognosis of oil and gas prospects was made using algorithmic recognition. An example of local prognosis is discussed.

The authors argue in favour of erosion-preventive melioration of the technogenous relief by means of a system of dynamic equilibrium channels. The system is theoretically proved to function steady.

General volume of soil moved in the process of human activity at the territory of Byelorussia is estimated to be about 25*10⁹ m³. The data were used to calculate coefficients of the anthropic transformation of the surface. Mean thickness of the soil layer reworked each year is 0.2 to 0.7 mm (up to 73.7 mm per year if ploughing effect is- taken into account) which surpasses by f ar the total effect of all the rest geologic and geomorphic factors.

The digital model of erosional topography takes into account changes of tectonic movements in space and time, changes of humidity and lithology within the area which is set up by digital matrix of elevations. Experiments with the model on a computer show that individual regimes of influence on the system are imprinted on the system's elements and its structure. To apply the simulating model to concrete tasks (such as testing hypotheses of topographic evolution, forecasting its development under human impact, reconstructing the history of relief) it is necessary to transform initial data to digital matrix. Realisation of the algorithm of the inverse problem (proceeding from topography obtained by direct simulation on the computer) produced the results which were in reasonable agreement with the- present topography. Errors estimation methods are discussed.

On tile slope erosion rate studies by microieveliing on the test site «Voron» (Eastern Crimea)

Field stidies in the Protva drainage basin elucidated the drainage network evolution. Some small valleys and erosional landforms date back to Pre-Quaternary time. Erosion and alluviation stages alternated throughout the Pleistocene, erosion took place early during interglacial or warm phases, alluviation proceeded mostly during early glacial, full glacial and late glacial time. Erosion - alluviation alternation was mostly controlled by climate and in lesser degree by isostasy and neotectonics. Most of the valleys were inherited from Pri-Quaternary forms and developed continuously. A few cases of changes in drainage pattern are known to occur during cold phases. The data obtained suggest that small and large rivers of the Russian Plain have much in common, though small rivers are somewhat quicker in their response.

The marine geomorphological survey of the White Sea floor using echo sounding revealed landforms different in origin and structure. Large glacial landforms which encircle the deep basin suggest an ice mass filling the central depression for a long time. Traces of glacial erosion are distinct in the Kandalaksha Bay, central depression and near the Karelian coast, the ice moved from NW. Various glacial and glaciofluvial hills and depressions are mapped on the floor of the Onega Bay, as well as shoals and ice-polished bedrock knobs. On the Dvina Bay floor glacial till was deposited and later covered with the alluvium af the Severnaya Dvina river, which built the delta front and numerous islands within the limits of the delta. Within the strait connecting the White Sea and the Barents Sea the floor topography is modelled by tidal currents.

The paper considers hanges in areal ratio between the hydraulic component of the river flow (expressed in terms of the mean stream velocity in vertical) and the size of lag deposits («channei pavement»), the latter can be numerically presented through values of velocity required to set the bottom deposits in motion, depending on the phase of the hydrological regime. A change in phases of the stream regime results in the reversal of the channel process, which also causes changes in the channel morphology.

Variations in the loose mantle thickness have been traced along 24 test pit profiles across convex and convex-concave slopes in the Lower Amur drainage basin. The analysis revealed that the loose mantle thickness on the slopes of mass movement depended on dynamic state of the slopes and not on their steepness. Most typical of the slopes in the region is the state close to erosional equilibrium, the state being achieved by the way of periodical changes in the direction of slope processes and deposits budget at the base of the slope.

On the Holocene tectonic studies in Byelorussia using rivers'long profiles analysis

Regional structural-geomorphic and tectonic features within the rift zone of the North Atlantic Ridge

Planation surf aces are well pronounced in the topography of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. They came into being during the Late Alpine macrocycle of the relief formation. Two planated surfaces belong to the African stage (Late Cretaceous - Oligocene) 'and are designated as Early and Late African respectively. Since Miocene a post-African pediplain formation begins which marks the epoch of global pediplanation. The process proceeded along with erosion and alluviation in river valleys. Early African surface remnants persist only in the South-East of the country. The Late African surface is widespread in eastern regions. Post-African pediplain can be found practically all over the country. Eriosional-alluvial surface distribution is mostly controlled by long-existed faultlines of NE and NW directions. Each surface is fixed by a special type of hypergenous autochthonous or allothigenic formations; the latter's structure and composition having been determined by the climate at the time of their formation.

Summary of the present-day knowledge on the Earth's mountains

XIX Plenum of the. Geomorphological Commission of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR