Regularities of delta formation processes at river mouths are considered. Hydrological-morphological model of delta formation has been worked out. The model includes four units. The first unit considers process of sediment accumulation due to decrease of velocities in river flow, the second one deal with sediment balance at river mouth and the mouth cone formation. The third unit describes vertical changes of the channel within a delta; the fourth one describes interconnected processes of delta network dynamics and redistribution of water and sediment discharges between delta branches.

Oscillations of Caspian Sea level, neotectonic structure and climatic changes were the main factors of coasts' formation. Phased development took place in Pleistocene in accordance with major stages of transgressions and regressions: Prebakynian (Tyurkyanian), Bakinian, Urundgiksko-Singilian. Early-Khazarian, Chernoyarsko-Late-Khazarian, Atelian, Khvalynian, and Late-Khvalynian (New-Caspian). Most of the stages have complex structure: some minor transgressive maxima, which coincide with warm climatic epochs may be marked in every regressive stage.

Ecological evaluation of territory based on compilation and analysis of ecological-geomorphological map is represented. The evaluation is being fulfilled by the determination of ecological-geomorphological risk (by 5-mark scale) of certain geomorphological system, taking into account the possibility of intensification of processes existent.

Geomorphological map covers the whole territory of the Moscow within its recent boundary. The legend of the map is based on genetic and morphological principles; the major exogenous processes are characterized. The zoning by the degree of erosion hazard and intensity of accumulation-denudation processes are fulfilled. Large geomorphological regions of the city are characterized: Northern watershed plain, Submoscow plain, Tieplostanskaya upland. The valley of the Moscow River and its tributaries are especialaly accentuated.

In this region glacial thermokarstic relief is widespread and its formation is running on as may be seen from remote sensing materials and from analysis of late glaciation's relics in the cryolithozone. The structure of glacial forms stamps on lake distribution and shape. Thermokarst is generated by reducing of ablation protective cover, by growth of seasonal thawing layer, by thermal erosion, by influence of other water bodies which appear due to melting of other types of ice. It was especially intensified in the Early Holocene and during climatic optimum because of high level of insulation.

The slopes with inclination close to the angle of repose constitute a specific group and present an intermediate stage in the transformation of steep slopes made of solid rocks into less steep slopes covered by soil. In the climate that is transitional from Mediterranean to temperate continental they develop being controlled by the intensive deluvia demolition and creep.

Evolution of main morphostructural region of Bulgaria and Balkan peninsular is considered on the basis of Plate-tectonic conception. There were four stages of alpine orogenic activity with intensive lateral movements. The significance of vertical and subvertical movements enlarged in the neotectonic epoch only. Liminar (contact) morphostructural lineaments are characterized by tectonic deformations of high amplitudes; they have certain similarity as well as important morphological discrepancies.

The initial and five sequential stages of free meanders' evolution are distinguished. Up to the critical value I/L=1.6 the meander is forming as segmented with growing curvature and with predominance of longitudinal displacement. Afterwards the cut-off meander appears or transformation of segmented meander into loop-shaped or sinusoidal one happens, which depends on particular conditions. At the fifth stage the meander is aligned and old channel appears, in the new channel meandering is being renewed.

The most part of the rivers in the Upper Volga basin are small ones less then IG km long. The rivers of this kind are under strong impact of surrounding conditions especially in the spring. Upper elements of small rivers' network are located in the hydrological-geomorphological centers - peculiar landscapes of the upper parts of the elevations and their slopes. The hollows of initial run-off are disposed in the marginal parts of elevations. Drainage of these centers and their margins leads to the die-away of the important parts of river basins - their upper elements. Water protection zones of river basins should therefore comprise small rivers, rivulets, and their headstreams.

Structural-geomorphologic mapping is shown to be one of the methods of buried paleozoic structures prospecting. By this method new transversal morphostructural elements - indicators of deep structures were revealed. The junctions of longitudinal and transversal morphostructural elements are the important criterion for gas- and oil-bearing structures exploration.

Gully's dissection in the depressions of the region is weak to moderate. Farming land of the piedmont tilt plains and slopes of the mountain spurs are most erodible. Four types of gully's evolution are established: l - hasty growth during short period of time and rapid decrease of the rate of development, 2 - active growth during several decades, 3 - thickening of gully because of growth of branches (gully's system formation), 4 - changeover from regressive stage of development to active one.

During two decades the monitoring of 160 gullies at 26 test sites was carried out. According to the data obtained and comparisons of aerial data for different years, gully erosion in Udmurtiya appears to be in degressive stage. Natural and human induced factors of this tendency are analyzed.

Gully erosion development in the easter over Kama region is compared with that of the other regions of Tatarstan. Drainage density and depth of erosion cutting in the region are of maximum values in Tatarstan, the slopes are very large, but the gully density is of minimum value. The main causes of this peculiarity are shown.

Gullys and balkas of European Middle Russia have many features of their distribution and structure, which are predefined by relief formation during multifold periglacial epochs of Pleistocene. Solifluction had especially large impact. It developed on the slopes of valleys and balkas, where erodible loams accrued, and resulted in asymmetric profile of erosion forms. Regeneration of normal erosion relief occurred at final stages of periglacial epochs.

Scientist, teacher, engineer, soldier - professor of Department of geography Nikolai Jovanovich Makkaveev and his laboratory (to the 90th birthday and 30th anniversary of scientific laboratory of soil

Рецензия на книги:

Михайлов В.Н. Гидрология устьев рек. Методическое пособие. М.: Изд-во МГУ, 1996. 87 с. Тираж 800 экз.

Михайлов В.Н. Гидрологические процессы в устьях рек. М.: ГЕОС, 1997. 176 с. Тираж 400 экз.

Михайлов В.Н. Устья рек России и сопредельных стран: прошлое, настоящее и будущее. М.: ГЕОС, 1997. 413 с. 400 экз.

Рецензия на книгу: Czudek T. Relief Moravy a Slezska v kvarteru. Sursum. Tisnov. 1997. 214 s.

Рецензия на книгу: "Город - экосистема", рук. проекта д.г.н. Э.А. Лихачева, отв. ред. д.г.н. Д.А. Тимофеев, М.: Медиа-Пресс, 1997. 336 с.

Рецензия на книгу: І. Ковальчук. Регіональний еколого-геоморфологічний анализ. Львов. Інститут українознавства. 1997.

Channel processes investigating in China

Anatoly Pavlovitch Sigov (1904-1998)