A classification of planetary morphostructures must be based on the main differences of the structure of the earth’s crust. Proceeding from this principle, the following planetary morphostructures may be singled out: continent platforms, the ocean’s bed, gecsyn- cline and transition areas, and middle seamounts. The Cenozoic time is characterized by the further development of former and the formation of new geosynclines, by an inten­sive deflection of the oceanic floor and the development of groove genesis resulting in the formation of middle ridges. The deflection of the continent platforms’ margins in the Cenozoic era is conditioned either by the influence of the processes in geosyncline areas, or by the effects of the deflecting oceanic floor. Differentiated intensive vertical movements of the so-called activated platforms and the formation of mountain structures in the place of ancient platforms is, probably, associated w ith the spreading of the groove genesis onto the continental earth crust and with the latter's conversion.

The greater part of the earth’s surface (more than Г00 mln sq. km) at the present time is undergoing negative vertical movements indicatii g a contraction, rather than an enlargement of the Earth in the recent geological epoch.

Following W. M. Davis and Russian geologists of the older generation, the author considers peneplain as a levelling plain formed in the place of a highland as a result of denudation and weathering. He proves that the formation of peneplains reflects a cer­tain (postorogenic) stage in the development of folded regions predetermined by general development of the earth crust’s structure from geosyncline to a platform under the conditions of hot and humid climates. The peneplains are characterized: a) by an original complex of consedimentation and condenudation structural forms; b) by the fact that their formation is the formation of weathering crust; c) by a special combination of gene­tic types and forms of relief; d) by hypergenetic deposits of minerals peculiar solely of them.

A technique is considered for compiling a map of the extent of gully formation on the territory of the USSR; the map itself is presented and analysed. In accordance with the map, the extent of gully formation is characterised quantitatively, and its connection with different natural and economic factors is shown. The factors are the following: relief, climate, woodiness and the extent of plowing up of the territory. Presented are also tables and diagrams, illustrating the principal assumptions of the article.

Morphometrical methods made it possible to establish a block structure of the Sheet. Crystall outcrops are primarily associated with the lowered block. Most of the crystall- bearing plots (78 per cent) by their altitude location come close to the ancient peneplain formed in the Precambrian. At that period there began the opening of crystall-bearing; plots. Cambrian deposits covered them and preserved for a long time against destruction. The most perspective are those plots which are inclined towards the peneplain surface or its relicts. An attempt os made to define the forms of relief quantitatively, which is needed for classifying the crystall-bearing areas into different types.

Considered are the conditions of formation and perspectives for an artificial expan­sion of the beaches of the Tyulenii Island, in order to provide fur seals'with additional landing places. It has been proved that the beaches grow principally at the expense of the bottom deposition, so the author recommends that fragmental material be brought and distributed over the coastal zone.

Results are presented of a joint analysis of the tectonic structures of the North-East of the USSR and the gravitation field in the reduction of the Bug and Graaf-Khanter. Certain stages in the development of newest tectonic movements have been established and different relations between the relief and the level of gravitational field explained. The authors substantiate a division of the territory of the North-East into three geostruc- tural areas. Eventually the intensity of structural transformations grow in the direction of the Pacific.

The Caucasus and the Tien Shan are taken as an example to make a quantitative comparison of the intensity of the main exogenic processes in young mountain regions. The mud streams are most active, according to the volume of debris cones, as they surpass by one order the accumulation of mountain rivers with normal water regimes (with the exeption of delta debris cones of large waterways). The immense intensity is also characteristic of the abrasion and ablation of glaciers. According to the data by G. K. Gabrielyan on the rate of denudation of the Armenian volcanic upland and the Caucasus- as a whole, which have been obtained by the estimation of solid and chemical runoffs of rivers, the intensity of exogenic processes is one order behind that of the present tectonic movements.

Presented are results of a multiple study by oceanographic and geomorphological methods of recent and Holocene tectonic movements according to mareograph records of the levels of White and Barents Seas. A map of vertical shore movements of the White and Barents Seas has been compiled, reading the following: a) the rates of recent movements of the earth’s crust in mm per year; b) Holocene tectonic movements according to field geomorpfiological investigations; c) results of the comparison of recent and Holocene tectonic movements’ trends.

Taking North-West Turkmenistan as an example, the author consideres the opportunities for paleotectonic studies of the areas of wash-out by reconstructing and studying different types of ancient relief. The evaluation of movements of these regions in different epochs is suggested to be made by the comparison of average altitudes of the relief in subsequent geological epochs from the time when a given territory has risen above sea-level.

The article deals with one of the methods of a morphostructural analysis used for geomorphological surveying of mountain regions. The authors proceed from the following widespread concepts: 1) block tectonics is the principal geomorphic agent in mountain areas; 2) the river system forms in breaks and cleavage disturbances, which serve as «lines of least resistence» for a selective erosion. The technique is based on the analysis of topographic maps followed by a compilation of the relief’s principal morphological and morphometric indices. Analysing topographic and thematic maps the authors detected breaks and cleavage disturbances of different orders and then compiled a map of block: structural forms. The technique is simple and may be used for mountain regions with, great differences of altitudes. For other regions, both mountain and plain (all the more for the plain ones), more effective will, probably, be the methods suggested by V. F. Filosofov, which have afterwards been revised by A. A. Lukashov and Yu. G. Simonov, by L. B. Aristarkhova, N. G. Shubina and others, in accordance with the specificity of areas where they undertook investigations.

The separation of surfaces into components is used while carrying out structural geomorphological, paleogeographical, morphometrical, and other investigations. The purpose of separation is the defining of the principal (background) factor in a soatial spreading of the phenomenon and a secondary (residual) factor and their study, if possible, in a pure state. The authors formulate tasks of the separation, suggest analytical and graphoanalytical technique, present a classification of the existing methods of separation of surfaces into components. As an example, considered is the separation into components of deformations of the upper Quaternary geomorphological levels for one of the areas of the North Caspian Region.