THE GREAT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHER, GEOMORPHOLOGIST AND PALEOGEOGRAPHER KONSTANTIN KONSTANTINOVICH MARKOV (TO THE 110th ANNIVERSARY)

Abstract

Leader of the geomorphological education and an outstanding, different-sided scientist, Professor of Moscow State University academician K.K. Markov has made a signifi cant contribution to the development of physical geography, paleogeography, Quaternary Geology, geomorphology, geography of the World ocean. We briefl y described two of the fi rst monographs of K.K. Markov, “The main problems of geomorphology” and “Paleogeography” and forgotten, but serious and important course of lectures on military geography read in 1941–1945, in which he stressed the ideas of Russian military geographers P. Yazykov and D. Milyutin. Some attention is paid to the main ideas of a little known works by K.K. Markov on arid geomorphology: “Problems of paleogeography of Morocco”, “History of the Dead Sea” and “The History of the Lake Chad”. In conclusion, the article provides an example of solving by K.K. Markov some fundamental problems of the origin of mountain denudation surfaces. The scientist reasoned the existence of one, at least two planation surfaces, he has shown that the hypsometric characteristics of the levels must be supported by age dating; considered the age of the surfaces to be Alpine and pre-Alpine; identifi ed two types of peneplain: primary – low levels in the platform areas and relict, palaeotype raised levels in the mountains.