Morphosculptural Zones

zones on the earth’s surface that are distinguished by characteristics of mesoforms and microforms of relief and by the nature of the processes of relief formation, which are a result of climatic conditions. The specific forms of relief in morphosculptural zones give a particular appearance to the geomorphological landscape (for example, the complex of forms of glacial accumulation and exaration of the most recent continental glaciation in the glacial morphosculptural zone). The outlines of the boundaries of morphosculptural zones differ greatly from the boundaries of present-day physical geographic zones because relict forms inherited from previous ages (for example, the glacial relief forms on the East European Plain that developed in the age of Anthropogene glaciation) play an important part in the appearance of the morphosculpture. This is the case because morphosculptural zonation reflects not only present-day climatic conditions but also ancient conditions that no longer exist.