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MORPHOLOGY AND MORPHOMETRY OF BURIED NEOGEN-QUATERNARY VALLEYS WITHIN MIDDLE VOLGA AREA

Елена Петрова

Abstract

Buried Neogene-Quaternary river valleys are widespread within the Middle Volga region. The article presents morphology and morphometry data of paleovalleys on the territory of the Middle Volga region (northward of Samarskaya Luka). The material for study was obtained on the basis of the analysis of geological surveying in 1950-2000s. Information processing was carried out using the methods of geoinformation mapping, which are widely used in paleogeomorphological studies. Derived database allowed to operate with data during assessing process of morphometric features for paleovalleys. The morphology of buried paleovalleys reflects the conditions of the formation of the river network within Middle Volga region in the Miocene, Pliocene and early Quaternary periods. The size of the watercourse determines the main morphometric characteristics of the valley (the depth cut, the width of the valley). The lithological factor largely determines inclination of edges in Neogene valleys and, as a consequence, the morphological appearance of the valley. The inclination of edges in pre-Akchagyl valleys, cutted into clay rocks, does not exceed 5?-8?, in carbonate (limestones, dolomites) this value reaches 20?-26?. In the upper reaches of the valleys, these values increase in clayey, marly clay up to 9?-10 ?, in carbonate - up to 30?. The analysis of the transverse profiles allows us to conclude that the largest slopes were characteristic of the paleo-rivers on Miocene. With the subsequent development of the river network, the values of the slopes of the valley bottoms decrease, most approaching the modern ones in Akchagyl time.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2021/1.1/s01.011

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