Surface washing as a mirror of exogenous processes (on the example of the Lankaran natural region of Azerbaijan)

Abstract

At the present time, the study of the influence of global warming on the change in the intensity of surface runoff deserves special attention, because the occurrence of landslide processes in complex and heterogeneous regions, which includes the territory of the Lankaran natural region, increased. Due to this, the areas of protected territories, characterized by the intensity of surface washing and the regularity of the manifestation of these processes, have increased. The purpose of the study is to compile a map of the intensity of surface runoff, as well as the regularity of river watersheds in the Lankaran natural region. The conducted zoning of the territory of the Lankaran natural region according to the intensity of washing and its specific distribution characteristics has a special importance in agriculture. A variety of physical and geographical factors allowed us to draw up a map of the surface wash intensity in high altitude zones. An increase in surface runoff from the flat parts to the middle mountain belt has been revealed. The largest amount of surface runoff is observed in rivers with a flood regime in the lower border of the middle mountains, and with a mud regime – higher borders of the middle mountain belt. The intensity of surface runoff within the territory ranges from 0.011 to 0.14 mm/year. The analysis of the map of surface erosion shows that, starting from a height of more than 800 m, the amount of surface erosion gradually decreases from 0.09 mm/year due to the widespread distribution of difficult-to-erode rocks.