Tsamarah Huwaida

22/494086/GE/09841
9 Fundamental Concepts of Geomorphology

1. The same physical processes and laws that operate today operated throughout geologic
time, although not necessarily always with the same intensity as now
- Known as Principle of Uniformitarianism (Hutton,1785)
“The present is the key to the past”
- Hutton argued that geologic process operated throughout geologic time with the
same intensity as now -> false
- Example :
● The wind deposited the Navajo sandstone during Jurassic times obeyed
different laws in wind flow.
● Karst topography of Permian periodis same as occur today

2. Geologic structure is a dominant control factor in the evolution of landforms and reflected
in them
- Structure, process, and stage are major control factors in the evolutions of
landforms - W. M. Davis
- Structure : Includes all way how the earth materials differ from one another in
their physical and chemcal attributes.
● Rock attributes
● The absence or presence of structures
● Rock massiveness
● Permeability of rocks
- The structural features of rocks are much older than the geomorphic forms
developed upon them
- rock may be resistant to one process and nonresistant to another and under
varying climatic conditions may exhibit different degrees of resistance.
- Example : Recumbent fold control exogenik process of landforms

3. Geomorphic processes leave their distinctive imprint upon land forms, and each
geomorphic process develops its own characteristic assemblage of land forms.
- Process : physical and chemical ways by which the earth’s surface undergoes
modification
 - Exogenic (worn down) : weathering, mass-wasting, erosion
- Endogenic (bulid up) : diastrophism/slow movements, volcanism, earthquake
- Example : Individual process responsible leave their stamp upon the earth
surfaces

4. As the different erosional agencies act upon the earth's surface there is produced a
sequence of land forms having distinctive characteristics at the successive stages of
their development.
- Geomorphic cycle : the various changes in surface configuration which a land
mass undergoes as the processes of land sculpture act upon it
- Davis and metaphorical terms : youth, mature, old are commonly used to
designate the stages of development
- Example : River stage (erosion)

5. Complexity of geomorphic evolution is more common than simplicity.

- Rare to find an landscape that influenced by single geomorphic process
- Multicyclic is more common then monocyclic landscapes
- Exhumed or resurrected : older topography which also seen on the new
landscapes
- Example : The erosion of claystone hills in the top of sandstone
Sedimentation below the sea-> uplift-> errossion
6. Little of the earth's topography is older than Tertiary alld most of it no older than
Pleistocene
- Topographic feature so ancient are rare but they do exist. They are more likely
exhumed forms due to degradation through geological time.
- Most of the geomorphic landforms are formed in post Mocene (Ashley,1931)
- Example : Most of the topographical features on the Himalayan mountain range
is attained in Pleistoscene age

7. Proper interpretation of present-day landscapes is impossible without a full appreciation

of the manifold influences of the geologic and climatic changes during the Pleistocene.
- Most of the world topography is the recognition that the geologic and climatic
change during the Pleistocene have the far reaching effects upon present day
topography.
- Example :
● Pleistocene diastrophism played important rolein Himalayan formation
and grand canyon
● Climatic effects are stand out in the middle latitudes currently

8. An appreciation of world climates is necessary to a proper understanding of the varying

importance of the different geomorphic processes.
- What influence the operation of different geomorphic processes ;
● Climatic factors
● High altitude
● Human activities
- Extreme climate conditions in some part of the earth can effect other parts
- Example : El Nino and La Nina in the west coast of America effect the wet and
dry season in Indonesia

9. Geomorphology, although concerned primarily with present day landscapes, attains its
maximum usefulness by historical extension.
- Paleo geomorphology : includes stratigraphy & sedimentology
- Proper interpretation needs historical approach on the geomorphic landscape
- Example : Now the processes that occur is sedimentation by the river, but in the
past this is the location of graben. Now the problem is flood and earthquake
(because of graben)
-