Geomorphology

Geol 1012

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 Chapter One Introduction

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 Introduction

Definition:
Geomorphology: is the study of the land form of the earth and the processes which create and
modify these landforms.
Focus of Geomorphology:
To understand the geologic processes currently acting on the landforms. But, many
landforms can’t be fully understood by the nature and intensity of processes acting now! It
is important to consider the past processes. “The present is the key to the past; James
Hutton, 18th century; and =>>the past is the key to the future!”

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 Geomorphology ….

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 Geomorphology ….

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 Geomorphology ….

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 Geomorphology and Other Sciences

The land surface is located at the interface between the hydrosphere, the Biosphere and the
Atmosphere. Hence, Geomorphology is related with other sciences.
Geology – Mechanisms & rates of tectonic uplift
Sedimentology – reconstruction of past erosional events from sedimentary sequences
Hydrology – frequency & intensity of runoff & flooding
Climatology – Effects of climatic change on nature and intensity of geomorphic processes
Pedology – Effect of soil properties on slope stability
Biology – Vegetation controls on erosion rates
Engineering – techniques for analysis of slope stability.

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 Spheres of Interest:

Pedosphere

Atmosphere Hydrosphere

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Biosphere Lithosphere
 Relevance of Geomorphology

Geomorphology is important because people live on landforms and their lives are affected
(sometimes catastrophically) by geomorphic processes:
- Slope determines whether soil accumulates and makes arable land
- Slope stability controls landslides
- Mountains drastically affect the weather: rain shadows, monsoons

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Human action is one of the major
processes of geomorphic evolution:
- People have been building terraced
hillsides for thousands of years
- People dam rivers, drain
groundwater, engineer coastlines
- People plant or burn vegetation on a
huge scale
- People are paving the world
- People are changing the climate

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 Geomorphic Processes

Exogenic processes: processes that affect the surface of the earth.

Endogenic processes: processes that act and affect the interior of the earth.
Exogenic processes:
Exogenic processes include the action of water, wind, glaciers. These are involved in
denudation or erosion processes, and removal of materials.
Cause reduction of elevation and relief ( elevation is height above some datum, and relief
is difference in height )
Source of energy for exogenic processes is solar energy, gravitational energy, the
hydrologic cycle and atmospheric circulation.

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 The Hydrologic Cycle

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 Endogenic Processes

Processes that act and affect the interior of the earth

- Cause increase in elevation and relief
There are three major endogenic processes,
Igneous activity- movement of magma
Orogenesis/orogeny- mountain building
Epeirogenesis- upheaval/depression of large areas of a craton
All related to tectonics, deformation, and faulting of the earths surface

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 ---

Morphotectonics: applies to the interaction between tectonics and landform genesis.

Tectonic/geotectonic forces are divided in to two:
1. Diastrophic forces: lead to the folding, faulting, uplift, and subsidence of the
lithosphere.
Two categories of diastrophism:
Orogeny- mountain building due to uplifting
Epeirogeny- upheaval or depression without significant folding or fracturing, but
due to denudation/erosion

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 ---

2. Volcanic forces and plutonic: lead to the extrusion of magma in to the earths surface as
lava and to minor intrusions e.g. dykes and sills in to other rocks. Plutonic forces, originate
deep in the earth, produce major intrusions (plutons) and associated veins.

Neotectonics: refers to tectonics and processes of recent tectonics

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 Source of Energy for Endogenic Processes

- Geothermal processes/geothermal gradient of the earth

U 238 Th 232
- Radioactive energy, and have longer half lives, so they are presently the -
principal sources of radiogenic heat.
- Residual heat of the earth

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 Geomorphic Concepts

Elevation: height above sea level

Slope: spatial gradients in elevation
Relief: the contrast between minimum and
maximum elevation in a region
Slope controls the local stability of hillsides
and sediment transport
Relief controls the regional erosion rate and
sediment yield
Important: a mountain is a feature of relief, not
elevation (a high area of low relief is a plateau)

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Uplift/subsidence
- Vertical motions of the crust (i.e., of material points)
Accumulation/denudation
- Vertical change in the position of the land surface with respect to material points in the
bedrock.
Important: the net rate of change in elevation of the land surface is the sum of
uplift/subsidence rate and accumulation/denudation rate.

Denudation elevation =
Uplift + Denudation
Elevation

Uplift
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 Methods Used to Study Geomorphology

Field methods: morphological and geomorphological mapping e.g. lithological mapping,

slope angle, drainage area.
Remote sensing methods: aerial photo and satellite image interpretation e.g. alluvial fans,
showing erosion and deposition processes
Laboratory methods: e.g. grain size analysis, sedimentary petrology: aeolian sediments-well
sorted sediments…

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 A satellite image showing
the drainage pattern
of a river basin.

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 THANK YOU!!!
THE END

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