Relief Structures Research Articles

Active Deformation Patterns in the Northern Birjand Mountains of the Sistan Suture Zone, Iran

In this paper, faults, one of the most important causes of geohazards, were investigated from a kinematic and geometric viewpoint in the northern part of the Sistan suture zone (SSZ), which serves as the boundary between the Afghan and Lut blocks. Furthermore, field evidence was analyzed in order to assess the structural type and deformation mechanism of the research area. In the northern Birjand mountain range, several ~E–W striking faults cut through geological units; geometric and kinematic analyses of these faults indicate that almost all faults have main reverse components, which reveals the existing compressional stress in the study area. The northern Birjand mountain range is characterized by four main reverse faults with ~E–W striking: F1–F4. The F1 and F2 reverse faults have southward dips, while the F3 and F4 reverse faults have northward dips. Moreover, the lengths of the F1, F2, F3, and F4 faults are 31, 17, 8, and 38 km, respectively. These faults, with reverse components that have interactive relationships with each other, form high relief structures. The study area’s main reverse faults, including F1 to F4, are extensions of the Nehbandan fault system, while their kinematics and geometry in the northern Birjand mountain range point to an N–S pop-up structure.

THE INFLUENCE OF WINTER-SPRING TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION ON THE SPRING FLOOD WAVE

The complex influence of meteorological conditions on the first (April) wave of spring-summer flooding of the mountain rivers was studied by the example of 34 mid-size and small rivers of the Altai-Sayan mountain country covering more than 2,000,000 km2 of the Central Asia territory. System-analytical modeling was employed to describe the complex dependence of April river runoff on air temperatures and precipitation for December-April. The impact of factors was quantitatively assessed through solving the inverse mathematical problem and using 1,760 values of river runoff for 1951-2019, meteorological data and carto- graphic information on the relief and landscape structure of river basins calculated in ArcGIS 10.2. Precipitation accumulated in December-March as snow cover had a positive effect on runoff only in case of proximity of winter temperatures to their long-term mean values. At low April temperatures, river runoff increased along with the growth of current precipitation, while at temperature rise it decreased. The established dependencies of the first flood wave on meteorological factors are of great importance for effective preventing adverse effects of spring floods in the mountain regions.

Modeling The Microrelief Structure of Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloy Surface After Exposure to Femtosecond Laser Pulses

A method of mathematical modeling of the ordered surface relief of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V after femtosecond laser treatment is proposed, which allowed obtaining the informative signs of the self-organized surface irregularities, taking into account the stochastic and cyclic nature of this process. An algorithm has been developed, and a package of computer programshas been created based on the proposed mathematical model. These methods make it possible to analyze the zone-spatial two-dimensional structure of the cyclic relief of the modified surface. They are also the basis for creating the specialized software forthe automated profilometric diagnostic systems.

Formation of periodic relief structures in thin chromium films using laser interference lithography

Subject of study. The formation process of contact masks in thin films of photoresist and chromium using laser interference lithography was investigated. Hence, the photoresist films were structured by exposure in the interference field followed by the transfer of the formed microrelief to the chromium film using a plasma method. Method. The investigation is based on the use of laser interference lithography for the formation of protective masks in the layer of high-resolution photoresist. The photoresist was deposited via spin coating and subsequently dried. Lloyd’s interference scheme was used for photoresist exposure. After exposure, the photoresist was developed in a standard base developer specified by the manufacturer. The distribution nonuniformity of thickness of the photoresist film with microrelief over the substrate surface after development was determined as a ratio of difference in photoresist thicknesses at the substrate edges obtained using profilometry to the maximum thickness. Microrelief in the photoresist layer and chromium film was investigated via scanning probe microscopy. The etching uniformity and process of the microrelief transfer to the chromium film via the protective mask in the photoresist layer were investigated using a setup for reactive ion etching in inductively coupled plasma. Main results. The periodic relief structures in chromium films were obtained for the first time via laser interference lithography for photoresist structuring and transfer of microrelief by reactive ion etching. The obtained depth of microrelief in the photoresist layer corresponded to 350 nm. This depth is sufficient for microrelief transfer to the metal film. We established that the interference field in the recording area enables the formation of the microrelief in the photoresist layer with a coefficient of film thickness nonuniformity of 5% over the surface of the substrate with a diameter of 25 mm. Practical significance. The conducted investigation is initial and the aim involved identifying the principal possibility of formation of contact masks in metal films using laser interference lithography. If the lithographic setup is modified, this method can be applied to form contact masks for diffractive optical elements on substrates with sizes exceeding 25×25mm.

Relief and geological structure of Vyzhnytskyi and Cheremoskyi national natural parks (Ukrainian Carpathians)

Purpose. Analysis of the relief and geological structure of Vyzhnytskyi and Cheremoskyi national natural parks (NNP) as important components of natural complexes, which, as well as biota, are objects of nature conservation institutions. Methods. Field research, geological-tectonic and general geomorphological analysis of the NNP’s relief, review of regional descriptive materials and maps. Results. Vyzhnytskyi NNP and Cheremoskyi NNP are located in the South-Eastern part of the Ukrainian Carpathians within the Chernivtsi region. The analysis of the morphostructure and morphosculpture of NNPs is carried out taking into account the longitudinal (N-W – S-E) and transverse divisions of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The longitudinal division is associated with morphostructures of higher orders, such as second and third, and the transverse is associated with fourth and fifth orders of morphostructure. The analysis of morphosculpture of NNPs shows the types characteresed the Carpathian Flysch and Сrystalline Carpathians. Mountain ranges and ridges such as Bukovyna med-mountains, Pneve-Yarovytsi and part of Chyvchyn mountains are characterized by an asymmetrical structure – steep northeastern slopes and declivous southwestern slopes. The relic morphosculpture is represented by: 1) fragments of denudation surfaces of different ages such as Polonynska and Pidpolonynska within Cheremoskyi NNP as well as Karmaturska (analogue of Pidbeskid) within Vyzhnytskyi NNP; 2) extra glacial landforms within Cheremoskyi NPP; 3) areas of ancient longitudinal valleys. The inherited morphosculpture is represented by river valleys with a complex of terraces of different ages. The premountain part of Vyzhnytskyi NNP includes the relict ("dead") morphostructure of Bagno river valley. Modern morphodynamic processes represent a height (tier) differentiation. The highest tier of apical surfaces in the subalpine zone (1,450–1,600 m) of Cheremoskyi NNP is characterized by processes of slow displacement of debris and manifestations of gravitational, avalanche and nival processes. In the tiers of strongly dissected mеd-mountain and low-mountain relief of NNPs, the processes of planar erosion, deflux, and linear erosion play an important role in the modelling of the relief. The lower tier of the terraced and non-terraced bottoms of the valleys are associated with the processes of leaching and erosion as well as a significant accumulation of erosion products and mudflows. Among gravitational processes and block motions, stabilized and active displacements are the most recorded. Conclusions. In general, the territories of Vyzhnytskyi NNP and Cheremoskyi NNP fully represents the features of geological structure and relief of the south-eastern part of the Ukrainian Carpathians. In conjunction they form a fairly transverse conservation profile of the region from the premountain uplands to the highest ridges of the Marmarosy (Crystal) Carpathians.

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals an unprecedented rise in hunger: The South African Government was ill-prepared to meet the challenge

Recent research has shown increasing household food and nutrition insecurity in South Africa, indicating weaknesses in the national food system due to historical and current socioeconomic inequalities. The lack of inclusive governance and collaboration among actors and institutions to develop long-term strategies increase the problem. Such weaknesses intensify the government's ill-preparedness to provide food relief during disasters. We drew upon two rounds of the longitudinal University of Johannesburg and the Human Sciences Research Council's COVID-19 Democracy Survey to illustrate how ill-preparedness has resulted in increased hunger. The rollout of food relief was slow because the state ignored established non-governmental food relief structures. Delayed tender processes and corruption have worsened local distribution and access to food relief, increasing households' hunger. Individuals reported higher experiences of hunger above pre-COVID-19 figures of 11% attaining highs of 42% in 2020. We argue that COVID-19 has emphasised the South African food system's inequalities, particularly the state's inability to ensure integration, inclusiveness and rapidly provide emergency food relief. We focused on individual and households’ experiences of hunger and economic circumstances. Challenges were evident where access to food was provided in-kind or through financial aid. The pandemic food relief interventions and the lack of food price controls were serious challenges. The state and stakeholders must prevent high transitory food insecurity levels from resulting in chronic food insecurity. The state's practices and challenges during lockdown must be examined to ensure this situation does not reoccur. Some essential foods require subsidisation and price regulation to ensure long-term access for the poor. To ensure zero hunger and increased food security, these elements of the NDP must be re-examined. Research is required on vulnerabilities in the system, ways to overcome these and the understanding of factors contributing to system-wide resilience, including at individual and household levels.

Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors in the Development of Geodynamical Processes in Racha

The work describes and assesses the main physical-geographical and anthropogenic factors in the development and characteristic activation of geodynamic processes in Racha. The morphometric (hypsometric, mountain sloping, slope aspect) values are calculated and described. The paper also touches on the quantitative data that give the characteristics of the relief, climate, soil and vegetation cover and influence the development and activation of geodynamical processes. For studying the tasks mentioned above, we selected the mountainous region – Racha (municipalities of Ambrolauri and Oni). For the studies, together with literary material and different sources, we used cartographic material, the landscape maps (1970, 1983) and the topographic map (scale; 1:100 000) of Georgia and Transcaucasia and the observation materials of the field expedition made in 2019-2021 in Racha. Racha is a mountainous region characterized by complex relief and geological structure. Here, nearly all kinds of hazardous geodynamical processes such as landslides, mudflows, erosion, rock flows, avalanches, karst and suffosive phenomena are observed, though the most frequent are landslides, mudflows erosive processes and washing-off of river banks. The activation of the geodynamical process and the hazard of large-scale development of gravitational phenomena are extremely increased because the whole region territory is prone to earthquakes of intensity VII-IX. Among the most critical factors in geodynamical processes are geological, geomorphological, climatic, and anthropogenic factors. The data on the triggering factors of the main geodynamical processes – erosion, landslide, mudflow, etc. in Racha are given in the tables and diagrams of the paper.

Origination of free-form micro-optical elements using one- and two-photon grayscale laser lithography.

We discuss and describe the development of an origination process for planar free-form micro-optical elements from a given optical design. The targeted masters serve as origination structures for a roll-to-roll mass fabrication process. Specifically targeted are complex, optically smooth, surface relief structures with variable structure heights in the range of 1-20 µm, with typical lateral sizes of more than 5 µm. The area of the targeted masters is in the range of 1cm2. The main part of the paper is devoted to the description of a self-developed grayscale laser direct-write platform enabling one- and two-photon absorption lithography, also in combination on one and the same sample. In the following, we describe both methods and show that both lead to excellent structural quality of surface micro-relief structures. As a showcase of what the system can do in principle, we designed and fabricated free-form micro-optical elements to project light from an LED as a defined light pattern onto a wall. The proper optical functionality of the fabricated element was shown within a demonstrator setup.

Optical microstructure fabrication using structured polarized illumination

A versatile system for the fabrication of surface microstructures is demonstrated by combining the photomechanical response of supramolecular azopolymers with structured polarized illumination from a high resolution spatial light modulator. Surface relief structures with periods 900 nm - 16.5 µm and amplitudes up to 1.0 µm can be fabricated with a single 5sec exposure at 488 nm. Sinusoidal, circular, and chirped surface profiles can be fabricated via direct programming of the spatial light modulator, with no optomechanical realignment required. Surface microstructures can be combined into macroscopic areas by mechanical translation followed by exposure. The surface structures grow immediately in response to illumination, can be visually observed in real time, and require no post-exposure processing.

Surface Profile Studies of Photoinduced Gratings Made with DCG Films with Optional Papain Development.

The use of surface relief structures is increasing in the field of optics. A study of photoinduced relief using dichromated gelatin films with different thickness is described in this paper. Two light sources were used: a laser (λ = 468 nm) and an ultraviolet mercury-metal halide lamp. Gratings with low spatial frequencies were contact-copied on the DCG (dichromated gelatin) films. Two development processes were used, one included washing the plates with just water and the other with a mixture of water and papain. This enzyme is used to improve the gratings’ relief which was studied with a profilometer. For the development process with just water, it was found that when gratings were recorded using visible or UV light, the height profile inversely correlated to spatial frequencies. For short exposure times, the reliefs showed a sinusoidal profile. When visible light was used, the DCG areas where the Ronchi grating had transparent slits showed a flat relief and the areas where the Ronchi grating had opaque slits showed a round peak, with the peak being taller than the flat surface. In contrast, when UV light was used, the flat surfaces were taller than the peaks. The relief height increased up to seven times when papain was used.

Research the effect of additives on tribological characteristics of lubricant material and morphology of friction surfaces

At present, special attention is paid to the issues of increasing the wear resistance of the surface layers of the material of rubbing parts and reducing the energy consumption for friction. It is possible to form surface films with high tribological properties by introducing various metal-containing additives into the base oil, which, depending on the design and technological features of the friction pair and operating conditions, can differ significantly. In order to study the mechanism of action of various additives to oils from the point of view of the formation of surface layers with effective operational properties, the tribological properties of experimental lubricating compositions were determined and the morphology of the friction surfaces of machine parts was investigated. For comparative tests, the following additives were chosen as samples - MOTOR DOKTOR (MANNOL) and the metal-cladding additive Cluster. As a result of laboratory tribological tests of friction samples on pure MS-20 oil and containing tribological preparations MANNOL (MOTOR DOKTOR) and Cluster, it was found out that the use of the Cluster nanoadditive led to a decrease in the friction moment by 80% in comparison with the additive MANNOL (MOTOR DOKTOR) and 1.48 times compared to MS-20 oil. During the test, the wear of the pad of the model friction pair operating on MS-20 oil with the Cluster additive decreased by 3 times compared to the wear on MS-20 oil with the MANNOL additive (MOTOR DOKTOR) and 26 times compared to the base oil MS-20. On the working areas of the friction surfaces of the model samples after their operation on MS-20 oil with MANNOL (MOTOR DOKTOR) and Cluster additives, the formation of films of various nature and secondary structures is observed, which are manifested by a specific relief structure. Such a change in the surfaces of the working sections is associated with the peculiarities of the influence of various compositions of additives in the oil not only on the processes of friction and wear, but also on structural and phase changes in the surface layers of metals in friction samples.

Analogs of Ridge Skin and Papillary Patterns in the Nature and the Significance of Their Study for Forensic Science and Forensic Examination

Patterns similar to the papillary patterns of human fingers, palms, and soles can be found in living and inanimate nature. Studying such patterns and the structure of the ridged skin of humans and primates in comparison with similar formations on other objects is necessary for forensic science, forensic traceology, fingerprinting, and biometric identification. The article analyzes the history of the study of the ridged skin of humans, primates, and other animals by forensic scientists, zoologists, anthropologists, and representatives of other sciences.The author proposes systemizing and classifying the information about the analogs of papillary patterns and ridged skin on such grounds as the genus and type of carrier objects, relief structure, degree of comparability with the papillary pattern of human hands and soles.The article presents the most indicative varieties of analogs of papillary patterns in mammals, birds, fish, insects, corals, plants, and fungi. The author has studied and systemized structural features of the striped pattern of the skin of tigers and zebras, crests and stripes in corals, stripes and ridged patterns in fish. The data obtained on ridge formations, which are similar in structure and shape to the papillary patterns of human fingers and palms, will help to avoid expert errors during fingerprinting examination or erroneous placement of images of such formations in forensic databases.Knowledge of the structural features and properties of striped patterns of skins of specially protected wild animals, as well as the crest surface of paleontological museum objects, should be used for their identification by photo and video images in cases of embezzlement, smuggling, illegal hunting, and illegal trafficking.

Do Oil and Gas Lease Stipulations in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Need Expansion to Better Protect Vulnerable Coral Communities? How Low Relief Habitats Support High Coral Biodiversity

The continental shelf of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico harbors extensive reefs and banks that support diverse coral reefs and mesophotic communities. Mesophotic communities range in depth from 40 to 200 m and, in this region, foster some of the densest coral forests [aggregations of mesophotic octocoral, antipatharian, and branching stony coral communities] reported in published literature (10.23 ± 9.31 col/m2). The geologic features underlying the exposed substrates that harbor mesophotic communities are targeted for extensive hydrocarbon exploration and extraction, as they often contain oil and/or natural gas. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management regulates offshore energy development in the United States and is tasked with protecting sensitive biological communities from impacts related to oil and gas activities. This study analyzed alpha and beta diversity of mesophotic coral forests on fourteen topographic banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The objective of the study was to examine differences in structure and community in relation to lease stipulations established by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management. It was determined that dense and diverse mesophotic coral forests and carbonate producers exist in present regulatory zones that prohibit oil and gas activities; however, the coral communities exist in higher densities, diversity, and richness in low relief substrates outside of these regulatory zones. Our findings suggest low relief hard substrates serve as important habitat for mesophotic coral forests; thus, we suggest the expansion of current stipulations should be considered to provide better protection to vulnerable coral communities on low relief features. Furthermore, additional studies to refine the relationship between low relief structures and biodiversity are needed to develop more meaningful habitat definitions to support resource management and improve resource protection in the future.

Humanitarian crisis in German occupied Vilnius, 1916-1917

ABSTRACT Based on newly published witness accounts, the article gives an insight into the civilian experiences of the humanitarian crisis that took place in the Ober Ost in 1916–1917. Vilnius, a city of 140,000, became an epicentre of famine and an epidemic of typhus that resulted in the death of several thousand civilians between November 1916 and October 1917. The article explores causes and dynamics of the crisis, survival strategies of local population and the emergence of a vast network of local relief agencies among Poles, Jews, Lithuanians and Belarusians. The author argues that the humanitarian disaster in Vilnius was part of the broader home front crisis of Central Powers. The food shortages that hit Germany and Austria-Hungary from mid-1916 led to the tightening of the exploitative occupation policy in the Ober Ost. Increasing requisitions, including confiscations of full harvests, food rationing, restrictions on free trade and population movement produced the famine that German authorities were able to control only with great difficulties. The humanitarian crisis destroyed the political credibility of the occupation regime in the eyes of the city’s population which had to rely for help mostly from their own relief agencies. It was during this crisis that numerous relief societies that have emerged among Poles, Jews, Lithuanians and Belarusians grew and extended their influence among city’s residents. Eventually they also helped to set the stage for nationalist and revolutionary political agendas of the city’s ethnic groups. These relief structures became early vehicles for their political aspirations and provided an early organizational setup for their post-WWI political programmes.

Photo-Embossed Surface Relief Structures with Improved Aspect Ratios and Their Applications in Liquid Crystal Devices.

Photo-embossing has been developed as a convenient and economical method for creating complex surface relief structures in polymer films. The pursuit for large aspect ratios of the photo-embossed structures has never stopped. Here, we demonstrate a simple strategy to obtain improved aspect ratios by adding a quick solvent developing step into the photo-embossing process. A good solvent for the monomer is used to remove unreacted monomers from the unexposed region, resulting in deepened valleys of the surface reliefs. In a polymer film as thin as 2.5 µm, the height of the surface reliefs can be increased by a factor of three to around 1.0 µm. This strategy is also shown to be compatible with other methods used to improve the aspect ratios of the photo-embossed structures. Lastly, we employ these surface relief structures in the fabrication of liquid crystal (LC) devices and investigate their performances for visible light regulation.

Перспективы создания атласной информационной системы на территорию ООПТ мегаполиса с использованием краудсорсинговых ресурсов (на примере парка Покровское-Стрешнево)

The article discusses the possibility of creating an atlas information system for a specially protected area of a metropolis based on crowdsourcing resources. The Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo park, the smallest natural and historical park in Moscow (∼2.2 km²), was chosen as the object of study. It is distinguished by a harmonious and original cultural landscape that has developed since the end of the 18th century, and high biodiversity, the presence of protected species of plants and animals. Beavers, muskrats, squirrels, weasels, ducks, shelducks and other birds (about 50 species), various fish and insects, forest and meadow landscapes are a valuable recreational resource located not far from the city center. Improvement work has been repeatedly carried out in the park, however, in 2022, the most large-scale radical reconstruction work began, which caused profound changes in the natural environment and put ecosystems at risk of destruction. Such events aroused active resistance from environmentalists, regular visitors to the park, and residents of the surrounding areas, who organized constant interaction to exchange information on environmental issues. Relying on these activists became the basis for designing an atlas information system based on crowdsourced resources. As an example, a map of factual material on plants is given, compiled in the Google Map Maker environment based on field observations of interested persons with photographs and descriptions. In addition, a table has been compiled on plants, including their useful, decorative and dangerous properties of plants, as well as habitat features in the park. In the process of joint research with environmentalists, the following adverse impacts and changes in the natural environment were identified: the destruction and oppression of trees and bushes, the destruction of natural grass cover and its replacement with lawns, the oppression of the animal population, the destruction of the soil layer, the construction of unnecessary roads, incl. paved, changes resulting from the use of construction and transport equipment, incl. severe, excessive lighting of the park, the introduction of building materials and debris into the natural environment, an increase in sealed areas, deformation of slopes, violation of the relief and landscape structure of the park, changes in the hydrological regime. The atlas information system of the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo park on a crowdsourcing resource has good development prospects.

Friction and deformation at convergent contacts in geotribological systems

Geotribology reveals the application of a tribological approach to natural, e.g. nonmechanical inorganic tribosystems in the Earth's crust. It aims an integrated view over frictional phenomena in the Earth's crust and tracks the interweaving between the immense seismotectonic energy brought in and generated in the geotribological zones, and the evolution of destructive and constructive contact processes ending with the emergence of new mineral structures preserving system's life. A tribological application concerns the convergent contact deformations in geological objects with different rheology, in the movement of tectonic plates, leading to the emergence of obduction relief structures. Convergent geotribological contacts are places of tectonic collision between large rock plates forming the planetary zones of most active, both seismic and volcanic activity. A typical example is the obduction and subduction zones of two ongoing rock plates, one pushing under the other. Studies of the contact process in geotribozones provide an opportunity for tribology to explain new phenomena in the variety of contact deformations and their full cycle of evolution. Considering the necessity of using a tribological approach to geology when describing friction-induced deformations, the role of rheology, mechanisms of preliminary contact displacement and distribution of energy and energy density in the contact body is shown.

Controlled Bi-Axial Buckling and Postbuckling of Thin Films Suspended on a Stretchable Substrate with Square Prism Relief Structures

Stretchable electronics have spurred rapid developments from curvilinear devices to bio-integrated diagnostic and therapeutic devices. The wavy configuration in the device components on a stretchable elastomeric substrate surface plays a prominent role in simultaneously achieving high areal coverage and stretchability without compromising the electric performance, resulting in unique applications in stretchable and flexible light-emitting diodes (LEDs), batteries, supercapacitors, and photovoltaics. In this study, we investigate the buckling behaviors of stiff thin films on the top surface of a biaxially pre-strained elastomeric substrate with square prism micro-patterned structures. Based on energy minimization, a theoretical model is established to study the buckling profiles and the maximum strain for different pre-strain levels along two directions, which agrees reasonably well with those obtained by the finite element analysis (FEA). After revealing the effect of the center-to-center distance in micro-patterned structures and the interfacial contact width between the film and substrate on the buckling behavior, the elastic stretchability of the system is studied.

RELIEF AND GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF HUTSULSHCHYNA AND VERKHOVYNSKYI NATIONAL NATURAL PARKS

Relief and geological structure of Hutsulshchyna and Verkhovynskyi national natural parks (NNP), located in the south-eastern part of the Ukrainian Carpathians, present four geomorphological regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Hutsulshchyna NNP is located in Skybovi Carpathians and Precarpathian Upland. Verkhovynskyi NNP is located in Marmaroski Carpathians and Polonynsko-Chornohirski Carpathians. The analysis of the morphostructure and morphosculpture of national natural parks is carried out taking into account the longitudinal (N-W – S-E) and transverse divisions of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The longitudinal division is associated with morphostructures of higher orders, such as the second and third, and the transverse is associated with the fourth and fifth orders of morphostructure. In the analysis of morphosculpture of NNPs, the types which are characteristic of the Carpathian Flysch and Сrystalline Carpathians are allocated. Mountain ranges and ridges such as Sloboda-Rungurska, Pokuttia med-mountains, Hryniava-Losova and Chyvchyn mountains are characterized by an asymmetrical structure – steep northeastern slopes and declivous southwestern slopes. The relic morphosculpture is represented by: 1) fragments of denudation surfaces of different ages such as Polonynska within Verkhovynskyi NPP as well as Karmaturska (analogue of Pidbeskid) within Hutsulshchyna NPP, and riparian; 2) extra and ancient glacial within Verkhovynskyi NPP and extra glacial within Hutsulshchyna NPP; 3) areas of ancient longitudinal valleys. The presence of relict ("dead") river valleys is characteristic of the premountain part of Hutsulshchyna NNP. Modern morphodynamic processes represent by height (tier) differentiation. In the tiers of strongly dissected mеd-mountain and low-mountain relief, the processes of planar erosion, deflux, and linear erosion play an important role in the modelling of the relief. The lower tier of the terraced and non-terraced bottoms of the valleys are associated with the processes of leaching and erosion as well as a significant accumulation of erosion products and mudflows. Among gravitational processes and block motions, stabilized and active displacements are the most recorded. Key words: National natural park; Ukrainian Carpathians; relief; morphostructure; morphosculpture.

Features of the Tien Shan newest orogen morphostructure

Research subject. The concept of morphostructure implies the presence of a relationship between the relief forms of segments of the Earth’s crust and their structural and material content. This article describes the geological ensembles of the Tien Shan orogen, the tectonic structure and modern relief of which differ in their parameters from the general morphostructural plan and which, therefore, belong to the category of morphostructural anomalies. Materials and methods. The data presented in the article were obtained in the course of field structural-geological and morphostructural study of key segments of the Tien Shan orogen, as well as an analysis of materials from previous research, including the results of geophysical sounding of the Earth’s crust and geodesical monitoring of relative modern movements of reference points on the surface.Results. The article demonstrates that, against the background of the general linear-wave morphostructure of the Tien Shan orogen, there are areas whose relief and tectonic structure do not agree with the general tectonic plan of the mountain. Wi thin the considered region, different types of morphostructural anomalies are identified and described, reflecting the speci fics of the evolution and geotectonic position of individual volumes of upper-crust rock complexes: zones of concentrated deformation and tectonic joining; centrally symmetric structures formed on the site of paleoatolls; neotectonic protrusions of the granite basement; trans-regional zone of the Talaso-Ferghana Fault and other structures. Conclusion. The formation of morphostructural anomalies is associated with the presence of non-trivial geodynamic environments operating against the background of the tectonic regime common to the Tien Shan. The modern morphostructure of the Tien Shan is the result of interference between various geodynamic regimes and settings: a regime common to the entire territory of the orogen and particular regimes that manifest themselves sporadically and are reflected in the modern relief.