Geomorphology

The geomorphology (ge of Greek γῆ 'earth', μορφή morphé 'shape', 'form', and λόγος lógos, word ',' teaching ',' reason ') or landform customer is a branch of physical geography and examines the forms and form-building processes the surface of the earth, but also those of the moon, Mars and other planets. Here, there is overlap with other geosciences such as geology, cartography, soil science and climatology.

The research area

The geomorphology examines the relationships and mutual influences of the lithosphere ( from Ancient Greek λίθος líthos ' stone ' and σφαίρα sphaira, ball '), atmosphere (from Greek ἀτμός Atmos air ',' steam '), hydrosphere (from Greek ὕδωρ Hydor, water ' ), cryosphere, pedosphere (from the Greek pedon πέδον floor ) and the biosphere (from Greek βίος bios 'life' ). These are summarized in the geomorphological context for Relief sphere.

A crucial factor for understanding the geomorphology is the knowledge of the current climate and its manifestations in past geological eras. The changes in the form of treasure in association with climatic changes in recent history to be examined by the Klimageomorphologie.

The investigation of the finer design of the surface forms by exogenous processes ( erosion processes ) is in the foreground, the geology provides important background knowledge especially for the endogenous form of education ( tectonics, seismic, volcanic activity ).

Subjects

The geomorphology includes, among others, the five sub-areas:

• Geomorphographie: Description of the relief
• Geomorphometrie: Measurement of the relief by determining slope, curvature and exposure ( compass direction )
• Geomorphogenesis: geological evolution of the relief
• Geomorphodynamics: Employment with relief formative past and current processes
• Geomorphochronologie deals with determining the age ( dating) and classification of the forms in geological processes.

History

First approaches and thoughts to form treasure and shaping the earth's surface such as volcanic formation, earthquakes, coastal development and to fluvial processes and valley formation were, for example, by Strabo and Seneca, already formulated in antiquity since the 6th century BC. During the Middle Ages, the progress, as in most sciences was marginal.

The history of geomorphology in the modern sense dates back to the late 18th century. The new science developed from the beginnings of modern geology. Early, in today's estimation geomorphological issues processed eg James Hutton and John Playfair ( glacial erosion, 1802), Charles Lyell, the more common Hutton's concept of uniformitarianism, and Alexander von Humboldt in his publications on Latin American expedition. However, the geomorphology as a discipline did not exist back then. 1858 Carl Friedrich Naumann used in his textbook of geology for the first time the term " morphology of the surface of the earth ." In the following years, scientists gave Andrew Ramsay as the first scientific treatment of fluvial and marine erosion processes and William Morris Davis with his erosion cycle the research area new impetus. In Germany, Ferdinand von Richthofen, Alfred Hettner and Albrecht Penck excelled. The latter published in 1894 in two volumes, the first standard work morphology of the earth's surface. However, it was initially observed only sporadically by the experts and only reached a few decades later better known. Other important representatives of geomorphology in Germany were Walther Penck, the son of Albrecht Penck, and Heinrich Schmitthenner and Julius Büdel.