Geological evidence of Megafloods in the upper Ob region

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Abstract

The article is devoted to a critical analysis and revision of ideas about the geological structure, genesis and history of the formation of sediments filling the upper Ob valley from Biysk to the mouth of the Tom River. The formulation of the problem is due to the fact that existing ideas about the alluvial staircase of terraces, integrated with ideas about periglacial alluvium and giant glacial-dammed basins in the south of Western Siberia, contradict the accumulated volume of factual material. It is shown that in the Upper Ob region there are widely developed deposits of terraces V and IV, composed of Monastic and Biysk catafluvial strata. Each of them begins with boulder-pebbles with rounded blocks, is built on with cross-layered gravel sands with pebbles, and ends with parallel interlayered sands, silty sands, and silts. Their total thickness often exceeds 100 m. The Monastyrskaya sequence is correlated with the Ininskaya sequence of the Altai Mountains; its age is tentatively determined as the end of the Middle Neopleistocene. The Biyskaya sequence is correlated with the Saljar sequence of the Altai Mountains; its age is tentatively determined as corresponding to the second stage of the Upper Neopleistocene. The catafluvial breakthrough of the end of the last glacial maximum corresponds to the Bolsherechenskaya sequence (III4), the parallel layered sands of which in sections of the Upper Ob region reach 20 m in thickness. The Bolsherechenskaya sequence correlates with deposits of the Chibit glaciocomplex of the Altai Mountains. Facies-genetic and stratigraphic analogues of super-flood deposits of the Ob valley are deposits that fill ancient drainage basins that cut the Ob-Irtysh interfluve.

About the authors

I. D. Zolnikov

Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch RAS; Novosibirsk state university

Author for correspondence.
Email: zol@igm.nsc.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

E. A. Filatov

Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch RAS

Email: zol@igm.nsc.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk

A. V. Shpansky

Tomsk State University

Email: zol@igm.nsc.ru
Russian Federation, Tomsk

N. V. Glushkova

Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch RAS; Novosibirsk state university

Email: zol@igm.nsc.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

D. A. Danilson

Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch RAS; Novosibirsk state university

Email: zol@igm.nsc.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

E. A. Bordyugova

Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch RAS; Novosibirsk state university

Email: zol@igm.nsc.ru
Russian Federation, Novosibirsk; Novosibirsk

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2. Fig. 1. Research area. 1 – cities; 2 – reference sections (1 – Ikonnikovo, 2 – Biysk monastic strata (V fluvial terrace) in the base-ment of the Biysk terrace, 3 – Biysk (IV fluvial terrace), 4 – Bolshaya Rechka, 5 – Shcherbakovo, 6 – Meret, 7 – Malyshevo, 8 – Kargopolovo, 9 – Taradanovo, 10 – Krasny Yar); 3 – ancient valleys of super-flood runoff on the Ob–Irtysh interfluve; 4 – hydro grid; 5 – glacial–podprudnye paleoozers in the Chui and Kurai basins; 6 – temporary paleoozero super-flood breakthrough in the Biysk–Barnaul depression along the contours of the IV fluvial terrace; 7 – lines of sections through the Ob valley.

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3. Fig. 2. Reinterpreted sections of the Upper Ob region (constructed by I.D. Zolnikov according to O.M. Adamenko and V.A. Panychev with changes by the author). 1 – boulders and pebbles; 2 – gravel; 3 – sand; 4 – aleuropes; 5 – siltstone; 6 – clay; 7 – locations of remains of large mammals (a – middle quaternary; б – upper quaternary); 8 – paleosols; genesis: 9 – alluvium, 10 – limnium, 11 – catafluvial; 12 – subaerial complex. Names of sections: 1 – Ikonnikovo; 2 – Biysk Monastery strata (V fluvial terrace) in the base of the Biysk terrace – drilling data on the bank of the Biya in the same place where the cliff section, designated № 3 – Biysk (IV fluvial terrace) – section of the cliff above the Biya level; 4 – Bolshaya Rechka; 5 – Shcherbakovo; 6 – Meret; 7 – Malyshevo; 8 – Kargopolovo; 9 – Taradanovo; 10 – Krasny Yar.

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4. Fig. 3. Scheme of relationships between Quaternary deposits through the Ob valley in the Biysk region according to O.M. Adamenko (1974) in the interpretation of I.D. Zolnikov. 1 – boulders and pebbles; 2 – sand; 3 – subaerial cover; 4 – silts and clays; 5 – aleuropes (sandy loam); 6 – alluvium; 7 – limnium; 8 – catafluvial; 9 – subaerial cover.

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