Shaping the Surface of Earth: Geomorphology in a Nutshell

Abstract

Landscapes are shaped by the uplift, deformation and breakdown of bedrock and the erosion, transport and deposition of sediment in a constant cycle of change that operate since the early stages of the formation of our home planet over four billion years ago. The forces of nature that drive these changes originate from processes operating within the Earth’s interior or are related to the four inter-connected “geospheres” that comprise the area near the surface of the Earth: the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Every now and then, objects from outer space leave behind their imprints in form of impact craters in the landscape and remind us that Earth is part of the great wonders of the universe. As scientists love to categorize, geomorphologists are not an exemption: We classify landforms as destructive or constructive depending on the forming processes involved. The first chapters introduce the reader to the concepts of geomorphology in a nutshell and explain the forming processes that shape and sculpture our landscape or are unique for our home planet.