Quaternary fluvial sediments in the Russian Arctic and Subarctic: Late Cenozoic development of the Lena River system, northeastern Siberia

This study summarizes the results of research spanning many years on the Late Cenozoic fluvial sequence of the Lena River in the NE Siberian Arctic, illustrating the present state of knowledge regarding how its deposits correlate with those in other parts of the world. The Lena is a very ancient river system; Upper Cretaceous fluvial sediments deposited by this river are recorded in parts of its course. However, the present course of the lowermost Lena (the so-called Lena ‘pipe’ or ‘truba’) is very young, having developed during the Pleistocene. Reasons for the observed course changes, including glaciations and crustal deformation, are discussed.