Relief-forming processes in the southeastern periphery of the Bulgarian continental microplate

Abstract This study presents a comprehensive review of the orogenic processes contributing to the development of the contemporary relief and its characteristic morphostructural features in the southeastern periphery of the Bulgarian continental microplate. The analysis is grounded in current plate tectonic theories concerning the geodynamic evolution of the Balkan Peninsula as part of the Neoeuropean continental margin of Eurasia. Special attention is given to the present-day morphostructural configuration of the terrain and the significant role of listric tectonics in its formation. The examined relief-forming processes are interpreted as a complex interaction between endogenous (tectonic and orogenic) forces and exogenous (denudational and depositional) processes, reflecting the dynamic nature of landscape evolution in the region.