Dmitriy Nikolaevich Anuchin and beginnings of the Russian Academical Geography and Geomorphology (1843–1923)

Abstract

Anuchin developed a doctrine on earth surface. He wrote a book about the land relief generally and about the Russian Plain relief in particular. He considered the land relief from progressive scientific points of view: earth surface is formed by the interaction of interior and exterior forces; polarity between land and ocean began to compose in old periods of the crust history, although land and ocean scopes mat with varied changes during geological epochs. Anuchin gave some cases: 1) land consists of some stages – levels, at that each part of the world is characterized by its own levels variety; 2) mountain levels are advanced from equator to thirties parallels, and decreased to poles after them; 3) depending on geological structures and mountain relief denudation Anuchin divided land surface into three types – mountain, hilly and plain relief – and inside them he separated genetic forms – homotypic and geterotypic; 4) he gave the first classification of river valleys, tranches and karst forms.