Kamaletdinov theorized that the horizontal movements of tectonic plates played a key role in the structure and development of the Earth's crust. In 1971, he and R.A. Kamaletdinov discovered that the formation of foredeeps was associated with the isostatic dip edge of the continental platform under the weight of orogenic structures. With Yu.V. Kazantsev and T.T. Kazantseva, he analyzed the tectonics of the Urals in comparison with the Crimean Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, the Pamir Mountains, the Himalayas, the Appalachians, the Rocky Mountains, and other orogenic zones. The results allowed him to forecast the prospects for oil and gas in undernappe zones.