GEOMORPHOLOGY I

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 What is geomorphology?
Definitions
• geo = earth

• morph = form

• -ology = study of

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 What is geomorphology?
Definitions
• Surface features

• Surface processes

• Surface materials

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 What is geomorphology?
Definitions

Study of landforms and landscapes

– Types of landforms

• Hills, valleys, floodplains, sinkholes, moraines, etc.

– Types of landscapes

• Karst, Fluvial, Glacial

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 What is geomorphology?
Definitions

• Study of surface processes responsible for

landforms / landscapes

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6 What past processes created this relict landscape?

What modern processes are modifying it?

Were the processes that created the relict landforms
destructional or constructional?
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Are the modern processes modifying this landscape

destructional or constructional?
What is geomorphology?

• Study of landforms and landscapes (the

“what”).

• Study of surface processes responsible for

landforms / landscapes (the “why”).

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 Topography refers to the elevation and relief of

the Earth’s surface.

 Landforms are the topographic features on the

Earth’s surface.

 Geomorphology is the study of earth surface

processes and landforms.
10 Topography

 Topography is a term used to describe the Earth’s

surface. Topography includes a variety of different
features, collectively referred to as landforms.
 Topography is measured by the differences in
elevation across the earth’s surface.
 Differences between high and low elevation are
referred to as changes in relief.
 Scientist examine topography using a variety of
different sources ranging from paper topographic
maps to digital elevation models developed using
specialized geographic information systems
commonly referred to as a GIS.
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12 Landforms

 Landforms are the individual topographic features

exposed on the Earth’s surface.

 Landforms vary in size and shape and include features

such as small creeks or sand dunes, or large features
such as the Mississippi River or Blue Ridge Mountains.

 Landforms develop over a range of different time-

scales. Some landforms develop rather quickly (over a
few seconds, minutes, or hours), such as a landslide,
while others may involve many millions of years to
form, such as a mountain range.
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 Landform development can be relatively simple and

involve only a few processes, or very complex and
involve a combination of multiple processes and
agents.

 Landforms are dynamic features that are continually

affected by a variety of earth-surface processes
including weathering, erosion, and deposition.

 Earth scientists who study landforms provide decision

makers with information to make natural resource,
cultural management, and infrastructure decisions,
that affect humans and the environment.
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I. First Order or Relief: II. Second Order of Relief:
Continental Landmasses and Ocean Basins Major Continental and Ocean Landforms

III. Third Order of Relief:

Genetic Landform Features

Beaches Rivers and Flood Plains Mountains

15 ROCKS AND THE ROCK
CYCLE
 Geologists group rocks into three categories on the
basis of how they form:
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
16 Igneous Rocks
 An igneous rock forms when magma solidifies. About
95 percent of the Earth’s crust consists of igneous rock
and metamorphosed igneous rock.
17 Sedimentary Rocks
 A sedimentary rock forms when sediment becomes
cemented or compacted into solid rock.