Ancient channel network of the Keltma hollow (Kama-Vychegda watershed)

Abstract

The bottom relief of the Keltma hollow (ancient river valley), which connects the modern basins of the Vychegda River and Kama River, was studied. For this purpose, traces of the Late Pleistocene overflow of water from the dammed glacial lake of the Vychegda River depression into the Kama River basin were analyzed using the factual materials on the southern (Kama) territory of the Keltma hollow. The ongoing discussion about the timing of this event fuels the interest in this problem: some paleogeographers believe that the last overflow took place at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene (Kalin time), while others date it to the end of the Late Pleistocene (Ostashkov time). Historically, supporters of both these versions investigated the bottom of the dammed lake (Vychegda River basin). With the help of the satellite images, the Vychegda depression deposits were analyzed and dated. The remote sensing of the Earth’s surface within the raised bogs and the alluvial-lake terrace showed traces of the ancient channel forms, occasionally not related to the Pre-Holocene rivers. Some of the ancient channel forms are traces of the overflow of water across the watershed rapids.

Keywords

• multispectral satellite images
• landsat
• digital elevation models
• remote sensing
• late pleistocene
• paleochannel
• keltma hollow
• morpholithogenesis
• raised bog