Chapter 1- What is Geomorphology - Essay Example

The earth’s conspicuous features are landforms. These conspicuous features vary in lifespan (days-millennia-eons) and size (molehills-mountains). Geomorphology deliberates the landforms and the processes shaping them; because the processes, forms and their interrelationships are essential to landforms’ development and origin. Form is considered to be manifested in three aspects; constitution, mass flow and configuration (Huggett, 2011). However, these variables of form differ from dynamic variables (force, momentum, stress, energy influx and power) linked to geomorphic processes (Huggett, 2011).

The difference of the variables can be explained as follows. For instance, a beach’s scenario is adopted for the explanation. The constitutional properties comprise grain shape, grains’ mean diameter, grains’ sorting and the beach’s moisture content. Dynamic variables combine the water currents’ drag stress and human beings’ and burrowing animals’ forces. Configurational properties consist of beach’s water depth, slope’s angle, form profile, while mass flow variables encompass deposition, erosion and transport rates.

Geomorphic processes refer to the diverse physical and chemical avenues through which the surface of the earth experience modifications. These processes are compelled by forces originating outside the earth (extraterrestrial processes), in atmosphere and near the surface of the earth (exogene/ exogenic processes) and inside the earth (endogene/ endogenic processes). The geomorphic processes include transferring and transforming processes linked to ice, gravity, water, wind and weathering (Huggett, 2011).

Geomorphic enquiries rely on linkages between process and form; each aspect, form or process, influences the other. Therefore, geomorphic process influences, and is in turn influenced by