Multi-proxy studies of loess-soil sequences in the eastern Azov Sea region (Beglitsa‑2 section) and the northwestern Loess Plateau of China (Caoxian section) let us to suggest the correlation of the main stratigraphic horizons and to provide the comparison of landscape and climatic changes in these regions during the last interglacial-glacial climatic macrocycle. It was found that the Loess Plateau was characterized by a steady accumulation of loess during both glacial and interglacial epochs, when the so-called “warm” loess was formed. In the NE Sea of Azov region, the main loess accumulation corresponded to cryoarid conditions of the glacial phases, while during the interglacials, loess accumulation became ten times slower. The average sedimentation rate of loess material calculated for Caoxian section was more than 5 times higher than the one calculated for the Beglitsa‑2 section. Late Pleistocene paleosoils in the Beglitsa‑2 section are of the steppe type and correspond to the Salyn (MIS5e), Krutitsa (MIS5c), and Bryansk (MIS3) climate phases. Morphology of the Azov paleosoils is much better expressed than that of the paleosoils at Caoxian, where only the S1SS3 semidesert paleosoil (MIS5e) can be seen directly in the section. Climatic fluctuations in the southern East European Plain within the last interglacial-glacial macrocycle had significantly greater amplitude than that in the north-west of the Loess Plateau. In the latter, cryoarid glacial conditions alternated with warm semiarid interglacial conditions. In the northwestern Loess Plateau, the main climate dynamics was associated with the hydrological regime changes under the influence of the East Asian monsoon activity, which was at its lowest during the glacial stages (drier climatic phases) and increased during the interglacial and interstadials (wetter climatic phases).

River suspended sediment yield (R) is one of the proxies of erosion activity and mechanical denudation in river basins, that can vary greatly both in space and time. A number of R-databases have been collected and permitted to reveal regional and global patterns of erosion. One of the main shortcomings of these databases is the high presence of relatively short time-series, which influences greatly the reliability of resultant assessments of spatial erosion patterns. It is necessary to determine the minimum time-series length reliable for assessment of suspended sediment yield spatio-temporal variability, erosion rate mapping and theoretical issues. The author’s original method was used to analyze long term time-series from 84 hydrological stations over the former USSR and determine the t values of 9.1±1.2 and 7.6±1.2 years for assessment of spatial and temporal variability of R, respectively. In case of spatial variability of R in small river basins, reliable time series are 10+ years in lowland landscapes and 6–7 years in highlands, for medium and large basins the t-values are 5 and 10 years respectively. Given that the majority of hydrological stations are located in lowlands and low mountains, the author recommends to base regional and global hydrogeomorphological studies on suspended sediment yield time series not shorter than 10–11 years.

Large fallout of 137Cs caused by the Chernobyl accident resulted in radioactive contamination of vast areas in the East-European Plain. Adsorption of the radionuclide by soil particle makes erosion processes the main driver of 137Cs redistribution in the landscape. In turn, radioisotope 137Cs is widely used to evaluate soil erosion rates and erosion-driven transport of sediments and associated contaminants. The paper presents the overview of more than two-decade long investigations of erosion and associated 137Cs migration in Chernobyl-affected areas in European part of Russia as well as the specific scheme of field data collection required for proper assessment of modern radioecological risks. The main result is that the most part of the transported 137Cs was deposited in the upper reaches of fluvial networks.

Algorithm is described for modeling of flow lines from a gridded elevation model. The algorithm is based on looking for the optimal way for a step-by-step downward moving. Vector (flow) lines are especially relevant in geomorphological studies of polar regions. Joint analysis of subglacial topography and ice flow lines allows revealing the areas of occurrence of glacial erosion. Vector (flow) lines provide an important mathematical tool in the development of evolutionary models of continental denudation. A number of examples are provided from one of the regions in the East Antarctica.

Reconstruction of river palaeodischarges based on the morphology of modern rivers meets the following requirements to the empirical regime equations in use: 1) they should cover the broad range of environment conditions to include the ancient conditions of river formation; 2) they should be controlled by a small number of variables selected according to the needs of the problem; 3) the option must exist to use a relationship that is suitable for the palaeoenvironmental conditions. These principles were applied to calculate discharges that formed the Lateglacial palaeochannels 5–15 times wider than the present-day rivers. The calculated mean annual palaeodischarges were only 2–4 times larger than those of the modern rivers. These palaeodischarges have been produced by an annual rainfall of about equal to or only slightly larger than the recent one. The main environmental conditions were: 1) a long winter, the accumulation of sufficient (300–700 mm) amount of water equivalent in snow; 2) short and sharp flood; 3) small water losses during this flood due to low soil permeability under permafrost conditions; 4) long low-water period, when these large channels were almost dry. Therefore, the mean annual discharge appeared to have risen substantially less than did the flood discharge.

About 550 rock glaciers of different types were identified on the basis of remote sensing and field studies in the Southern Part of the Providenskiy mountain massif (the Chukchi Plateau). The measured occurrence frequency of rock glaciers of about 8 units/km2 is the highest in the North-East Asia. All known morphodynamic types of rock glaciers were found: tongue-shaped cirque-associated, lobate-shaped slope-associated and complex ones. Rock glaciers were found over the entire elevation range starting from the sea level. The slope-associated multi-lobate rock glaciers of abnormal sizes, as well as the ice-ground dams are the most widespread ones and they concentrate in linear zones along the sides of neotectonic grabens and fracture zones. They were distinguished as a particular type of fault-associated rock glaciers. A specific feature of rock glaciers of the Providence massif is the thawed bed that causes water infiltration under the front generations, which is similar to “warm”ˮ glaciers and rock glaciers of Europe and Central Asia, while in the Mountains of Northeast Asia within the continuous permafrost zone rock glaciers have frozen bed, and their temperatures are significantly below zero. The age of active rock glaciers of Povidenskiy massif is not more than 2–2.5 kyr. We attribute their formation to the specific features of the Last Glaciation decay under the conditions of Marine Arctic climate. The increasing role of cryogenic mass movement during the Late Glacial Stage promoted the burial of ice and frozen moraine blocks in the glacial cirques and at valley sides and predetermined their subsequent transformation into rock glaciers.

The article presents a comparative analysis and discussion of the results of the calculation of mineral dust blowing from the active surfaces of the Kyzyl-Syr tukulan. Numerical modeling and mapping of dust transportation patterns provided the conclusion that total amount of dust produced by different parts of the tukulan depend on the areas occupied by vegetation-devoid dry surfaces. Dust precipitation depends on wind velocities and wind direction. South- and southeastwards winds are most active in terms of transportation distance and area of dust precipitation. Results of mathematical modeling need verification by field observation data.

Mean annual rates of gully head retreat were assessed based on the results of monitoring (period 1978–2014) of more than 120 gully heads located within 28 sites over the Vyatka-Kama interfluve area. The main attention was given to evaluation of the ratio of snowmelt- and rainstorm-induced erosion in the total figure of gully head retreat in the entire period of observation. The other focus was the evaluation of the relative contribution of different soil and climatic factors to the gully growth rates in the period 1998–2014. It was found that the mean annual gully head retreat rates had decreased from 1.3 m/year in 1978–1997 to 0.3 m/year in 1998–2014. Observations at a number of locations nearby the Izhevsk city allowed to estimate that the total amount of gully head retreat associated with the snowmelt season had decreased from 80% in 1978–1998 to 53% in the following period. This decline was driven by the considerable decrease of snowmelt water runoff, which in turn was caused by warming of winters and in particular by the decrease of recurrence of winters when the average depth of frozen soil exceeded 50 cm. In the Udmurt Republic, the number of rainstorms capable of production of surface water runoff had increased in 1983–2014 by 20% compared to the period 1962–1982. Therefore, one can suggest that before 1982, the contribution of rainstorm runoff to the mean annual gully head retreat rate was even less than 20%. Rainstorm frequency was found to have not changed significantly during 1983–2014. The most important contribution to gully growth during the warm part of the year comes from rainstorms with the amount of precipitation above 40 mm per one event.

Paper is devoted to the study of seasonal features of sediment run-off formation of the Sukhaya Elizovskaya small river, flowing on the active volcanoes Avachinsky and Koryaksky slopes (the Kamchatka region). Informations about diurnal (at 5–10 minutes interval) and seasonal fluctuations of water and sediments run-off in different geologic-geomorphologic conditions, specific for the basin, are provided, based on the field observations and MUSLE erosional modelling. Within the upper sections of the river network – on the volcanoes slopes and submontane territories with mean steepness – the sediment run-off is characterised 10-fold diurnal variations and is relatively low (less than 0.1 t/km2 per day). Within lahar valleys the maximal sediment run-off is noted (during given periods of studying – more than 10 t/km2 per day), which compounds more that 90% of solid run-off outward the Sukhaya Elizovskaya river basin. 100-fold variations of water silt content and extraordinarly high rates of material repedosition within the river valley are noted in these water streams (during given periods of studying – up to 11.3 t/day).

The monograph devoted to Ethiopia was published in 2015 in the book’s series “World Geomorphological Landscapes”. The book consists of three parts: “General Introduction to the Geomorphology of Ethiopia” (5 chapters), “Local Studies” (14 chapters) and “Applied Aspects” (2 chapters). The book is perfectly illustrated, which allows to get a full impression of geomorphology of the country. In this review, the general structure of the book and content of each of the three chapters are provided as well as several regional chapters are overviewed that describe the most interest geomorphic features of the country, such as formerly glaciated landscapes, Adwa plugs, Amba structural interfluves, travertine dams in Tygray mountains, morphology of the Afar depression and the Ogaden region.