Methodology for Preparing Special Geographical Atlases on Channel Morphodynamics and Geomorphology of Estuarine River Systems in Russia

The article discusses the methodology of compiling highly specialized thematic geographical atlases. The need for this arose when trying to present in print a huge field material of the expeditionary work of the N.I. Makkaveev Scientific Research Laboratory of Soil Erosion and River Channel Processes of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Geography and the Laboratory of Bottom Sonar of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, conducted jointly in estuaries and river deltas on the coasts of marginal and inland seas of Russia during the period 1969–2015. In total, five atlases were compiled, and four were published. When creating the atlases, developments in the content, structure, design of the atlas, and the construction of a legend of geomorphological maps were used, taking into account the available array of field data, modern technical and software capabilities. In each atlas, cartographic and special illustrative content was represented by geomorphological maps, satellite images, diagrams of horizontal channel deformations, echo-sounder profiles and sonar images for selected areas. Each section represented a separate subsection, called a "sheet", which had its own serial number and was reflected in the table of contents. Geomorphological cartographs were compiled on the basis of large-scale topographic maps using satellite images that are publicly available. The genesis of the relief has traditionally been shown by a qualitative background, and the age by geological indexes. All monograph atlases published and prepared for publication are special thematic scientific reference works, which summarize in a colorful and accessible form the vast natural material on geology, geomorphology, hydrology and geophysics of estuaries and deltas of large rivers flowing into the marginal and inland seas of Russia.

1. Atlas of riverbed morphodynamics of the Lower Volga (Volgograd-Astrakhan) / Edited by V.N. Korotaev, D.B. Babich, R.S. Chalov. Moscow: Publishing House of Moscow University, 2009. 232 p.

2. Atlas of the Volga Delta: geomorphology, riverbed and coastal morphodynamics / Edited by V.N. Korotaev, G.I. Rychagov, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Moscow: APR, 2015. 128 p.

3. Atlas: morphodynamics of estuarine systems of large rivers of the Arctic coast of Russia / Ed. by V.N. Korotaev, G.I. Rychagov, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Moscow: APR, 2017. 148 p.

4. Atlas: geomorphology of estuarine systems of large and small rivers in the South and Far East of Russia / Editors: V.N. Korotaev, G.I. Rychagov, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Moscow: Publishing House of the Zhukovsky Academy. 2020. 152 p.

5. Korotaev V.N. Geomorphology of river deltas. Moscow: Moscow University, 1991. 212 p.

6. Korotaev V.N. Essays on the geomorphology of estuarine and coastal systems (Selected works). Moscow: Geographical Faculty of Moscow State University, 2012. 540 p.