RECENT GEOMORPHOLOGIC REGIMES OF THE URAL

Abstract

The territory of the Ural neotectonic structural zone consists of several areas with highly different recent geomor-phologic regimes. For the mountainous regimes of the North and Polar Ural the typical are high values of neotectonic 4* 83 uplift, deep and dense erosion dissection, high gradients of elevations, glacial landforms. The regimes of plain type are characterized by insignificant dissection under condition of low uplift; they occupy Pai-Khoi, the eastern margin of the Ural and Transural plateau. The intermediate regimes have intermediate values of neotectonic uplift, elevations, and erosion dissection, but high intensity of karst and landslides, and large amount of woodland; they are situated on the west slope of the North and Middle Ural and in the NW part of the South Ural. The Ural is usually classified as a single mountain morphostructural type with subtypes. We suppose there should be three or at least two mor-phostructural types: the properly mountain, the transitional, and platform plain types of morphostructure within the Ural neotectonic region (the last two may possibly be merged into one transitional type). These types manifest the different stages or different intensity of the Ural's rejuvenation (or regeneration). The distribution of recent geomor-phologic regimes is governed not only by the Hercynian meridional tectonic structures but by the latitude climatic zones and neotectonic features as well.