Geomorphology

Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them. Geomorphologists seek to understand why landscapes look the way they do, to understand landform history and dynamics, and to predict future changes through a combination of field observation, physical experiment, and numerical modeling.

Landforms evolve in response to a combination of natural and anthropogenic (man-made) processes. The landscape is built up through tectonic uplift and volcanism. Denudation (the removal of material) occurs by erosion, weathering, and mass wasting, which produces sediment that is transported and deposited elsewhere. Landscapes are also lowered by subsidence, either due to tectonics or physical changes in underlying sedimentary deposits. Practical applications of geomorphology include measuring the effects of climate change, hazard assessments (landslide prediction and mitigation), river control and restoration, coastal protection, and assessing the presence of water on Mars.

Modern geomorphology focuses on the quantitative analysis of interconnected processes, such as the contribution of solar energy, the rates of steps of the hydrologic cycle, plate movement rates from geophysics to compute the age and expected fate of landforms and the weathering and erosion of the land. Primary surface processes responsible for most topographic features include wind, waves, weathering, mass wasting, ground water, surface water, glaciers, tectonism, and volcanism.

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