В книге сведены воедино все данные по геоморфологии и истории развития рельефа Казахстана и Средней Азии. Приводится геоморфологическое районирование и дается характеристика рельефа по основным его генерациям и типам.

Книга является учебным пособием по курсу «Геоморфология СССР», а также представляет интерес для широкого круга географов и геолоюв.

Our realm of study is the outer part of the earth, and our subject is its evolution, principally from the Mesozoic era to the present day. In a spirit of patient enquiry we seek to find order, system and if possible explanation amid the major topographic features of the globe <...>

Области покровного и горного оледенения находятся в центре внимания наук о Земле. Это связано с рядом научных, экономических и политических факторов. В частности, одной из важнейших задач государства является обеспечение развития территорий Арктики – зоны стратегических интересов России. Не менее важной геополитической задачей является обеспечение присутствия Российской Федерации в Антарктическом регионе. Серьезным политическим инструментом становится доступ к источникам пресной воды, которыми являются горные ледники.

Arid environments may not be the most hospitable places n Earth, but the 30 % or more of the global land surface that they cover does support an ever-growing human population and has fascinated travellers, explorers and scientists for centuries. Early geomorphological studies were frequently carried out indirectly, sometimes even unwittingly, by those whose main purpose and motives lay elsewhere: inevitably, but with some notable exceptions, their accounts were descriptive and unscientific. Some would even argue that these traits persisted and dominated desert geomorphological studies well into the second half of this century.

Along with storms, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, landslides are one of the most severe natural hazards. Even though they cause fewer victims than other hazards, landslides are responsible for huge economic damage around the world, with losses of hundreds of millions of Euros per year. In addition, differently from other hazards, even small magnitude events represent a serious threat, deeply affecting transportation corridors and disrupting movements of men and goods. Finally, landslides can cause strong geomorphological modifications inducing permanent changes in the landscape.

Earth surface processes, landforms, and sediment deposits are intimately related – involving erosion of rocks, generation of sediment, and transport and deposition of sediment through various Earth surface environments. These processes, and the deposits and landforms that they generate, have a fundamental bearing on engineering, environmental and public safety issues; on recovery of economic resources; and on our understanding of Earth history.