DEBRE BIRHAN UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND

HUMANITIES
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES

Course Title: Geomorphology

Course Code: GeES 2014
Credit hours: 3

Instructor’s Name: Ashenafi Z. (MA)

February, 2021
 UNIT ONE
1.1. Meaning and Scope of Geomorphology
The word geomorphology comes from three Greek
words: ‘geo’ (Earth), ‘morpho’ (form), and ‘logy’
(discourse/study).
Geomorphology is, therefore, a discourse on Earth
forms. It is the study of Earth’s physical land
surface features, its landforms such as rivers, hills,
plains, beaches, sand dunes, etc. and their origin &
evolution.
It also deals with the current active processes, and
past processes that shape the Earth’s surface, such
as, weathering, erosion, mass wasting, plate
tectonic, etc. 2
 …CONT’D
 Traditionally and for obvious reasons, geomorphology
has been concerned with the features associated with
terrestrial environments.
 Recently, however, with the expansion of man’s
knowledge and technology, it includes the study of all
features associated with both terrestrial and aquatic
environments.
 Thanks to the advancement of space technology, it is
even now possible to include the study of configurations
of planets and other space objects.
 Modern geomorphologists study three chief aspects of
landforms – form, process, and history.
 The first two are sometimes termed functional
geomorphology, the last is historical geomorphology. 3
 1.2. Branches of Geomorphology
Geomorphology is classified in to different
branches depending on the purpose we have in
mind.
A. Historical Geomorphology
Historical geomorphology focused on the
interpretation of long-term changes of landscape.
Traditionally, historical geomorphologists
attempted to work out landscape history by
mapping morphological and sedimentary features.
Their golden rule was the saying that ‘the present
is the key to the past’. 4
 …CONT’D
B. Process Geomorphology
Process geomorphology is the study of the
processes responsible for landform development.
Discussed the mechanics of fluvial processes and
later investigated the transport of debris by
running water.
C. Tectonic Geomorphology
Tectonic geomorphology is the study of the
interplay between tectonic (large-scale processes
affecting the structure of the earth's crust) and
geomorphic processes in regions where the
Earth’s crust actively deforms. 5
 …CONT’D
D. Submarine Geomorphology
It deals with the form, origin, and development
of features of the sea floor. Submarine
landforms cover about 71% of the Earth’s
surface, but are mostly less studied than their
terrestrial counterparts.
E. Planetary Geomorphology
It is the study of landforms on planets and
large moons with a solid crust, for example
Venus, Mars, and some moons of Jupiter and
Saturn.
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 …CONT’D
F. Climatic Geomorphology
 Climatic geomorphology observed that each climatic
zone produces a distinctive group of landforms. Climate
does strongly influence geomorphic processes.
G. Geomorphometry
 Geomorphometry studies quantitatively the form of the
land surface.
 Geomorphometry in the modern era is traceable to the
work of Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Ritter in the
early and 19th C. It has been ‘reinvented’ with the advent
of remotely sensed images and Geographical
Information Systems (GIS) software.
 Geomorphometry is an important component of terrain
analysis and surface modelling.
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 1.3. Geological Time Scale
Geologists divide the long geological history of the
Earth into a time frame which often called geological
time scale. Hence, GTS is the record of earth’s
history.
Geologists divide all of geologic time into smaller
units for convenience. Just as a year is subdivided
into months, weeks, days, larger geologic time units
are splits into smaller intervals.
The units are named, just as month and days are.
The largest time units are Eons which are divided
into Eras. Eras are subdivided in turn into Periods
which are further subdivided into Epochs.
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 …CONT’D
 Geologists have classified Eons into Hadean, (Greek for
‘beneath the Earth’), Archean (Greek for ‘ancient’),
Proterozoic (Greek for ‘earlier life’), and phanerozoic
(Greek for ‘visible life’).
 With the exception of phanerozoic eon, the remaining
eons are collectively referred to the term Precambrian,
because, they preceded the Cambrian period when
fossils remains first became very abundant.
 Only a few Earth rocks are known during the Hadean
Eon, the earliest time in Earth’s history. No fossils of
Hadean age are known. It may be that erosion or
metamorphism destroyed traces of Hadean life or that
Hadean time preceded the evolution of life.
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 …CONT’D
Generally, geologists divided the large eon in to
4 major eras based on the occurrence of
significant geological events, the appearance or
disappearance of particular life forms, and
extensive changes in environmental conditions.
These are:
1. Precambrian Era
2. Paleozoic Era
3. Mesozoic Era, and
4. Cenozoic Era
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 1. Precambrian Era
 It extends from 4.5b-600MYBP
 The 1st oldest and 1st longest Era, covers more than 80% of the
Earth’s history.
 Due to its remoteness in time and the absence of well-preserved
fossils, our knowledge of the events is limited.
 It characterized by:
 The first forms of life emerged, such as amoeba and jellyfish
 The formation of crystalline basement rocks
 orogenesis (the process of mountain building),
 metamorphism (formation of metallic minerals), and
 intensive volcanic activities.
 Most of the rocks of this era are overlain by younger rocks. Most
of these rocks today are found at the base of other rocks, and
hence are called Basement complex rocks.

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 2. The Paleozoic Era
 Extends from 600-250MYBP
 Paleozoic is a Greek word, means old life.
 The 2nd longest and 2nd oldest era, marked by the presence of first
organism.
 It began with the appearance of abundant and complex life which
today is preserved as fossils in rock sequence all over the world. It
ended with the extinction of over 90% of all living organisms at
the end of the Permian period. The cause of this event is currently
unknown.
 Warm shallow seas covered much of earth’s surface during the
early Paleozoic era. Because of this, most of the life forms were of
marine origin (lived in oceans).
 It characterized by:
A. Denudation and peneplanation
B. Heavy erosion, and
C. Formation of coal
 3. The Mesozoic Era
 It extends from 250-70MYBP.
 Mesozoic is a Greek word, means middle life.
 The 3rd longest and 3rd oldest era. It was an Era of
alternate sinking and rising (epeirogenesis) of the
landmass.
 It began with the appearance of many new kinds of
animals including Dinosaurs. And it ended with
extinction in which 80% of all living organism died.
 The extinction may have been the result of a large
Asteroid that crashed into earth.
 It characterized by:
Sinking and uplifting of the landmass.
Movement of continents
Extinction of dinosaurs
 4. The Cenozoic Era
It extends from 70M-Present
Cenozoic is a Greek word, means recent life.
The most recent and shortest Era.
It characterized by:
Flowering plants
Large Mammals
Modern human beings
…CONT’D

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