6
Climatic Geomorphology
a universal flood (Beckinsale and Chorley, 1968). The gradual acceptance of the ideas of
Lyell resulted in the end of the diluvialists. Also, the publication in 1840 of the book by the
well-known Agassiz (1807-1873) on his studies of glaciers, by using the ideas of
Scheuchzer, Martel, Saussure, and especially Charpentier, further limited the ideas of
catastrophism. In this book the idea was launched of the occurrence of an ice age, and its
impact on the erosion and sedimentation of valleys. The development of these ideas by
Ramsay (in 1862), President of the Geologic Society of London, gave uniformitarism its
decisive scientific support (Price, 1973).
2.2. The dawning of climatic geomorphology
The second half of the 19th century and the beginnings of the 20th were marked by
pioneering scientific exploration of unknown or not very well-known regions of the
Earth's globe. The aims of these expeditions were diverse, but mainly focused on the
exploration of new territories for the evaluation of their mining and agricultural resources,
but also their colonization and Christianization. These objectives came from those of the
previous centuries that were specific to the different continents. Although there are earlier
scientific documents, these scientific studies were mainly focused upon mining and
geology, but detailed observations about landforms were scarce compared with the
excellent works on botany and zoology.
These diverse expeditions resulted in the publication of different descriptive works on
the Earth's relief, and barely contributed to the scientific framework of the early scientific
research. Some German naturalists, however, started to consider Earth surface processes
as illustrated in the works of Von Richtofen (in 1886) and Albrecht Penck (in 1894).
During this period Martonne (in 1913) introduced the term "climatic geomorphology."
The Swiss geologist Agassiz had proposed his glacial theory in his pioneering work
"Etudes sur les Glaciers" (Agassiz, 1840). Although many ideas in this work came first from
others whom he beat to publication (Charpentier, Venetz, Perraudin), it focused upon the
analysis of the set of materials deposited by glaciers, and represented the first well-known
step in glacial geomorphology. Later, the English geologist Geikie, in his work The Great
Ice Age (in Geikie, 1873), discussed the causes of glaciations, ice dynamics and the origin of
glacial and post-glacial deposits. Afterwards, the early 20th century was a fruitful time for
the recognition of existing glacial landforms and deposits. The work of Russell (in 1893) on
the Malaspina Glacier, the paper on Spitsbergen glaciers by Garwood (in 1899) and
Kendall's PhD (in Kendall, 1902) on glacier lakes illustrate this prolific period. During the
second half of this century studies were progressively focused on the origin of erosive
and depositional landforms of ancient glaciated zones (Price, 1973). The book of the
American geologist R.F. Flint (in 1947) on Glacial Geology and the Pleistocene, and
the two volumes of the treatise on the Quaternary Age by Charlesworth (1957), synthesized
and reviewed the state of the art on relict glacier landforms and deposits.
The analysis of surface processes related to frost action goes back to the early 19th
century, but the origin ofperiglacial geomorphology dates from the dawning of the 20th
century. The term "periglacial" was introduced by the Polish scientist Lozinski (1909) to
describe the processes and landforms resulting from freeze-thaw cycles occurring
around the margins of the ancient Pleistocene ice sheets. These periglacial processes,
Climatic Geomorphology
a universal flood (Beckinsale and Chorley, 1968). The gradual acceptance of the ideas of
Lyell resulted in the end of the diluvialists. Also, the publication in 1840 of the book by the
well-known Agassiz (1807-1873) on his studies of glaciers, by using the ideas of
Scheuchzer, Martel, Saussure, and especially Charpentier, further limited the ideas of
catastrophism. In this book the idea was launched of the occurrence of an ice age, and its
impact on the erosion and sedimentation of valleys. The development of these ideas by
Ramsay (in 1862), President of the Geologic Society of London, gave uniformitarism its
decisive scientific support (Price, 1973).
2.2. The dawning of climatic geomorphology
The second half of the 19th century and the beginnings of the 20th were marked by
pioneering scientific exploration of unknown or not very well-known regions of the
Earth's globe. The aims of these expeditions were diverse, but mainly focused on the
exploration of new territories for the evaluation of their mining and agricultural resources,
but also their colonization and Christianization. These objectives came from those of the
previous centuries that were specific to the different continents. Although there are earlier
scientific documents, these scientific studies were mainly focused upon mining and
geology, but detailed observations about landforms were scarce compared with the
excellent works on botany and zoology.
These diverse expeditions resulted in the publication of different descriptive works on
the Earth's relief, and barely contributed to the scientific framework of the early scientific
research. Some German naturalists, however, started to consider Earth surface processes
as illustrated in the works of Von Richtofen (in 1886) and Albrecht Penck (in 1894).
During this period Martonne (in 1913) introduced the term "climatic geomorphology."
The Swiss geologist Agassiz had proposed his glacial theory in his pioneering work
"Etudes sur les Glaciers" (Agassiz, 1840). Although many ideas in this work came first from
others whom he beat to publication (Charpentier, Venetz, Perraudin), it focused upon the
analysis of the set of materials deposited by glaciers, and represented the first well-known
step in glacial geomorphology. Later, the English geologist Geikie, in his work The Great
Ice Age (in Geikie, 1873), discussed the causes of glaciations, ice dynamics and the origin of
glacial and post-glacial deposits. Afterwards, the early 20th century was a fruitful time for
the recognition of existing glacial landforms and deposits. The work of Russell (in 1893) on
the Malaspina Glacier, the paper on Spitsbergen glaciers by Garwood (in 1899) and
Kendall's PhD (in Kendall, 1902) on glacier lakes illustrate this prolific period. During the
second half of this century studies were progressively focused on the origin of erosive
and depositional landforms of ancient glaciated zones (Price, 1973). The book of the
American geologist R.F. Flint (in 1947) on Glacial Geology and the Pleistocene, and
the two volumes of the treatise on the Quaternary Age by Charlesworth (1957), synthesized
and reviewed the state of the art on relict glacier landforms and deposits.
The analysis of surface processes related to frost action goes back to the early 19th
century, but the origin ofperiglacial geomorphology dates from the dawning of the 20th
century. The term "periglacial" was introduced by the Polish scientist Lozinski (1909) to
describe the processes and landforms resulting from freeze-thaw cycles occurring
around the margins of the ancient Pleistocene ice sheets. These periglacial processes,