Contributions to the history of geomorphology and Quaternary geology: an introduction

Abstract

This Special Publication deals with various aspects of the histories of geomorphology and Quaternary geology in different parts of the world. Geomorphology is the study of landforms and the processes that shape them, past and present. Quaternary geology studies the sediments and associated materials that have come to mantle much of Earth's surface during the relatively recent Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. Geomorphology, with its concern for Earth's surface features and processes, deals with information that is much more amenable to observation and measurement than is the case for most geological work. Quaternary geology focuses mostly, but not exclusively, on the Earth's surficial sedimentary cover, which is usually more accessible than the harder rocks of the deeper past.Institutionally, geomorphology is usually situated alongside, or within, academic departments of geology or geography. In most English-speaking countries, its links are more likely to be with geography; but in the United States these connections are usually shared between geography and geology, although rarely in the same institution. In leading institutions everywhere, strong links exist between geomorphology and such cognate disciplines as soil science, hydrology, oceanography and civil engineering. Although nominally part of geology, Quaternary geology also has strong links with geography and with those disciplines, such as climatology, botany, zoology and archaeology, concerned with environmental change through the relatively recent past.Given that geomorphology concerns the study of the Earth's surface (i.e. landforms, and their origin, evolution and the processes that shape them) and that the uppermost strata are in many cases of Pleistocene and Holocene age, it is unsurprising that this Special Publication should deal 'promiscuously' with topics in both geomorphology and Quaternary studies. This particular selection has been developed from a nucleus of papers presented at a conference on the histories of geomorphology and Quaternary geology held in the Baltic States in 2006, where a great deal of what the geologist sees consists of Quaternary sediments. However, much of the Earth's surface is not formed of these sediments but of older rocks exposed at the surface by erosion and structural displacement. Here, geomorphology can seek answers to questions regarding the past histories of these rocks, their subsequent erosion, and present location and form. Geomorphology also raises questions, and may provide answers, regarding tectonic issues, for example from deformed marine terraces and offset fault systems. In all these instances, the history of geological and geomorphological investigations can serve to illustrate both the progress and pitfalls involved in the scientific understanding of the Earth's surface and recent geological history.There are relatively few books but a growing number of research papers on the history of geomorphology. For readers of English, there is a short book by Tinkler (1985) and a collection edited by the sam...

Geomorphology-oriented digital terrain analysis: Progress and perspectives

“…Thereafter, and for quite some time, the different geomorphic evolution theories proposed by Penk and Davis have evolved into processes of thought collision and theoretical confrontation, respectively. These two different theories have been used to represent the main geomorphological ontology research and the focus of geomorphology for a period of time (Ritter et al, 1986;Oldroyd and Grapes, 2008). The two theories can also be classified into descriptive geomorphological research and deductive geomorphological research, although they have different academic views.…”

The changing use-cases of medium and large-scale geological maps in Hungary

“…In 1920, soon after that the Hungarian topographic mapping authority (Hungarian Military Mapping Group) was established, the disclosed manuscript maps of the previous topographic surveys became available for military, civil and scientific use as well (Jankó, 2018). In the first decades of the 20th century the discipline of geomorphology has spread among geologist working with unconsolidated sediments (e.g., Oldroyd & Grapes, 2008). For them the morphology of the mapped area become increasingly important and the newly obtained maps contained invaluable information about the hypsography of the whole country.…”

Professor Geikie’s 1880 paper, ‘Rock-weathering, as illustrated in Edinburgh Churchyards’, in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. 10, pages 518–532: Contribution to weathering and cross-disciplinary necrogeography within physical geography

“…Among fluvial geomorphologists, for instance, Davis was recognised for his cycles of river erosion and landscape evolution as well as the 'peneplain', which Morisawa (1989) considered to be baselevel erosion in fluvial studies. Davis is mentioned here because of his theory of a cycle of erosion, which, according to Oldroyd and Grapes (2008), was at least partly based on the work of John Wesley Powell (1834Powell ( -1902, who was an American contemporary of Archibald Geikie's and an advocate of base level as the lower limit of subaerial denudation (based on the Colorado River; Powell, 1875), which Davis accepted as being responsible for landform rejuvenation (Orme, 2007). According to Oldroyd and Grapes (2008), German geomorphologists challenged Davis's idealised theory and disagreed with discrete upward Earth movements involved in topographic rejuvenation, believing that erosion could also wear back surfaces as well as downward movements -among them, Albrecht Penck (1858Penck ( -1945 and his son, Walther Penck (1888Penck ( -1923.…”