Baer Knolls and the Landforms of the Northern Caspian Lowland as a Key to Identifying the Paleoenvironments of the Volga

The relevance of this study is that no alluvial deposits of the Khvalynian time (Late Pleistocene) are found in the geological outcrops along the Lower Volga river. In this regard, the question arises of where the Volga channels were located in the NW Caspian Lowland at that time. Baer knolls are widespread in the northern Caspian Lowland. The spatial location of the knolls and their morphological preservation provided evidence for the reconstruction of the palaeo-flow network. There were western branch of the Volga located along the foot of the Eastern Ergeni slopes, as a result of which the Sarpa-Davan paleochannels were formed, the eastern branches of that delta flowed into the solonchak Khaki. In the positioning of the modern Volga-Akhtuba floodplain there was probably a small central branch. At that time, the Lower Volga had multiple terminal distributary channels at different scales. There was a large delta, the size of which was much larger than the modern one. Its area was comparable to the Lena Delta. Main branches were interconnected by an extensive system of small rivers, the relief of which is still preserved. Thus, Volga had another channel net during the Khvalynian time.