16
Climatic Geomorphology
however, ideas of climatic geomorphology lead directly to climatogenic geomorphology,
because almost all the world regions are constituted by relict landforms from past climates.
Tricart and Callieux (1965) developed the concept of zonation in geomorphology and
elaborated a map of morphoclimatic regions, giving to the vegetation a potentially
dominant role in its designations. They differentiated 13 morphoclimatic regions around
the world, including an azonal mountain zone. Birot (1949a) analysed the climate
influence on slope development in bedrock of different lithologies. During the decade of
the 1950s the climatic differentiations of karst (Lehmann et al., 1954) and granitic
(Wilhelmy, 1958) landscapes were established. Peltier (1950) related a variety of
exogenic processes to mean annual temperatures and total annual precipitation and
proposed the differentiation of nine morphoclimatic regions; which representation was
later modified by Wilson (1968, 1969). This classification was criticized for its inherent
limitation from the bi-variable approach (Stoddart, 1969a). The book of Birot (1960) on
Le Cycle d'Erosion sous les Diffdrents Climats constituted a relevant contribution to the
geomorphology of arid and humid tropical zones.
2.6. The development of climatic geomorphology
Until the second half of the 20th century, geomorphology was mainly focused on the age
determination and reconstruction of the different sequential stages over which the erosive
and tectonic processes built up the present-day landscapes. This was denoted by Chorley
(1978) as the historic stage of geomorphology, in which its development was based upon
the establishment of erosion models, the analysis of denudation chronology, and studies on
structural landscapes. Later the increasing interest in process research and quantitative
analysis over different climatic zones resulted in the further development of climatic
geomorphology. This branch of geomorphology has made much progress during the last
decades, as indicated by the profusion of the published thematic volumes on different
morphoclimatic zones.
During the second half of the 20th century glacial geomorphology received relevant
advances in the mechanics of ice-flow (i.e. Hambrey, Lliboutry, Nye, Paterson,
Weertman). In the same way, research on glacial processes and landforms (i.e. Boulton,
Dreimanis, Drewry, Iverson, Linton, Menzies, Sugden), but also on fluvio-glacial
environments and glaciotectonics (i.e. Price, Menzies, Van der Wateren) is abundant.
Aside from the papers published in specialized or general scientific journals, numerous
thematic volumes have been published on tills, moraines, drumlins, glaciotectonics,
fluvio-glacial and glacio-lacustrine environments. General volumes on glacial geomorphology were also produced, such as those of Embleton and King (1975), Sugden and John
(1976), Menzies (1995a,b,c- 1996) and Benn and Evans (1998).
During this same period, research on periglacial geomorphology continued, but
focused on field and laboratory analysis of processes such as frost action (rock and soil
cracking, weathering, heaving, thrusting and classification), mass movement, fluvial and
wind action. There was a broad group of authors dealing with these different topics (i.e.
Clark, Corte, French, Lachenbruch, Lautridou, Mackay, Pissart, Washburn). Landform
recognition from this variety of working processes was diverse, but well known today. It
may develop in specific micro and/or meso environments that indirectly generate great
Climatic Geomorphology
however, ideas of climatic geomorphology lead directly to climatogenic geomorphology,
because almost all the world regions are constituted by relict landforms from past climates.
Tricart and Callieux (1965) developed the concept of zonation in geomorphology and
elaborated a map of morphoclimatic regions, giving to the vegetation a potentially
dominant role in its designations. They differentiated 13 morphoclimatic regions around
the world, including an azonal mountain zone. Birot (1949a) analysed the climate
influence on slope development in bedrock of different lithologies. During the decade of
the 1950s the climatic differentiations of karst (Lehmann et al., 1954) and granitic
(Wilhelmy, 1958) landscapes were established. Peltier (1950) related a variety of
exogenic processes to mean annual temperatures and total annual precipitation and
proposed the differentiation of nine morphoclimatic regions; which representation was
later modified by Wilson (1968, 1969). This classification was criticized for its inherent
limitation from the bi-variable approach (Stoddart, 1969a). The book of Birot (1960) on
Le Cycle d'Erosion sous les Diffdrents Climats constituted a relevant contribution to the
geomorphology of arid and humid tropical zones.
2.6. The development of climatic geomorphology
Until the second half of the 20th century, geomorphology was mainly focused on the age
determination and reconstruction of the different sequential stages over which the erosive
and tectonic processes built up the present-day landscapes. This was denoted by Chorley
(1978) as the historic stage of geomorphology, in which its development was based upon
the establishment of erosion models, the analysis of denudation chronology, and studies on
structural landscapes. Later the increasing interest in process research and quantitative
analysis over different climatic zones resulted in the further development of climatic
geomorphology. This branch of geomorphology has made much progress during the last
decades, as indicated by the profusion of the published thematic volumes on different
morphoclimatic zones.
During the second half of the 20th century glacial geomorphology received relevant
advances in the mechanics of ice-flow (i.e. Hambrey, Lliboutry, Nye, Paterson,
Weertman). In the same way, research on glacial processes and landforms (i.e. Boulton,
Dreimanis, Drewry, Iverson, Linton, Menzies, Sugden), but also on fluvio-glacial
environments and glaciotectonics (i.e. Price, Menzies, Van der Wateren) is abundant.
Aside from the papers published in specialized or general scientific journals, numerous
thematic volumes have been published on tills, moraines, drumlins, glaciotectonics,
fluvio-glacial and glacio-lacustrine environments. General volumes on glacial geomorphology were also produced, such as those of Embleton and King (1975), Sugden and John
(1976), Menzies (1995a,b,c- 1996) and Benn and Evans (1998).
During this same period, research on periglacial geomorphology continued, but
focused on field and laboratory analysis of processes such as frost action (rock and soil
cracking, weathering, heaving, thrusting and classification), mass movement, fluvial and
wind action. There was a broad group of authors dealing with these different topics (i.e.
Clark, Corte, French, Lachenbruch, Lautridou, Mackay, Pissart, Washburn). Landform
recognition from this variety of working processes was diverse, but well known today. It
may develop in specific micro and/or meso environments that indirectly generate great