Geomorphology

Abstract

The Earth had liquid water oceans for most of its history, has a highly mobile crust, and a dynamically convecting interior. Its surface has been constantly driven by the movement of the interior causing the periodic conglomeration and separation of continental landmasses, the opening and closing of oceans, and the construction and destruction of mountain ranges. Such globally dynamic geomorphology profoundly impacted the global climate and thus biological evolution in general, and specifically human habitation patterns and the development of civilization. Given that as a species we have been shaped and affected by (and now, ourselves, shape) the patterns and intensity of surface geological processes – geomorphic processes – it is hard to overemphasize the importance of geomorphology as a discipline that offers environmental insights significant to our continued well-being as Earth inhabitants. New emerging techniques and approaches to landscape analyses using remote sensing on a planetary scale offer additional significant advantages for unification of regional geomorphological insights into an emerging global science (Baker, 1986; Short and Blair, 1986; Church, 2010). Such knowledge will most likely be even more important as we try to cope with and mitigate the effects of global climate change on society.