FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSES (CREEP AND EROSION) IN MOUNTAIN AREAS: EVIDENCE FROM UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

Mountain environments in Uzbekistan are characterized by high relief energy, active neotectonics, and sharp hydro‑climatic gradients, which together create favorable conditions for slope deformation and accelerated denudation. This article synthesizes the spatial patterns and controlling natural factors of two key geomorphological processes—creep (including slow landslides and periglacial solifluction) and erosion (sheet, rill, gully, and channel erosion)—using evidence from published case studies and recent remote-sensing applications in the Western Tien Shan and Pamir–Alay sectors. A conceptual framework is proposed in which (I) lithology and weathering state set the threshold strength of hillslopes, (II) topography and structural discontinuities regulate stress and drainage pathways, and (III) hydro‑meteorological forcing (rainfall intensity, snowmelt timing, and groundwater response) triggers seasonal acceleration and episodic failures. The review highlights that most hazardous slope events cluster in foothill–mid‑mountain belts where loess and colluvial covers overlie weaker bedrock and where anthropogenic disturbances (road cuts, irrigation seepage, reservoir water-level fluctuations) amplify natural susceptibility.