Balkas – a new look at a common landform of the East European Plain, from a Quaternary perspective

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Balkas (large Quaternary gullies) of the south-western part of the East European Plain (and their analogues in Central and Western Europe) are considered in terms of their geomorphology, lithology, sedimentology, modern surface processes, stratigraphy and palaeogeography. Features attributed to balkas in comparison with regular gullies and small river valleys are described. Different ideas concerning the increase of surface runoff and erodibility of soils that might favour active balkas under conditions of land-ice decay and permafrost, including its degradation, are discussed. The active and inactive phases are related to climatic oscillations and were to some degree independent of fluvial processes affecting the permanent streams. Most of the Middle-Late Pleistocene balkas retained their primary features, having subsequently been incorporated into the erosional network. In contrast, some of them were totally infilled and disappeared from the landscape.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2012, vol. 37, n°. 14, p. 1489-1500, nombre de pages : 12, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2012

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley