Ancient landform / Древние формы рельефа

This book is about the study of landforms, a science commonly called geomorphology or physiography, and it differs from almost all other books on the subject in the vast time-scale that is considered.
It is generally assumed that the landforms we see around us — the hills, valleys, mountains and plateaux — were largely formed in the Quaternary Period, that is in about the last two million years. The idea is furthered by the titles of some books and journals, such as Landforms and the Quaternary, a major abstract journal, or a leading Italian journal of earth science, Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria. The Kirk Bryan Award is given annually by the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division of the Geological Society of America. There is, of course, some truth in the assumption, and many small-scale features such as river terraces, sand dunes or coastal beaches really are Quaternary features, and often rather young Quaternary features at that. Indeed the trend in recent years has been to study actual processes operating on present day landforms, such as river channels or shingle beaches, and ignore the historical development of landscapes. But in reality, as I shall try to show, most of the major features of landscape, and some of the small ones, are older than two million years, and sometimes very much older. <...>