x
Preface
work. For example, granites and some other massive crystalline and sedimentary rocks
weather and erode to produce tors in a variety of climatic regimes from tropical humid to
periglacial. Long-term chemical weathering of certain minerals in these rocks, with later
stripping of the weathered mantles, occurs in a variety of climate regimes. Similarly, frost
shattering and gelifluction processes can also produce these bedrock tots. In the same
equifinality fashion, horizontally bedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks can produce
similar cliffed topography in various climates wherever the free faces are maintained by
undercutting of the resistant rocks, even through dramatic climate changes. Excellent
examples include the buttes and mesas of the deserts and pluvial basins of the
southwestern USA, or the tepui mesas over which Angel Falls flows in the Amazonian
rainforest of Venezuela. Similarly, bog-burst mass movement landforms can occur
wherever rainfall and edaphic conditions allow saturated conditions to generate unstable
peat bogs, be it tropical humid highlands, humid temperate maritime regions, or
periglacial tundras. But in spite of such landform convergence, or the palimpsest landform
inheritance from past climatic regimes, understandings of climatic geomorphology still
have much to offer those who utilize the appropriate concepts.
This book is structured into eight main sections that are set up first as an introduction to
some of the history of geomorphology, then separate groupings of multiple chapters on
glacial, periglacial, arid, aeolian, tropical, and climate-change geomorphology. The 25
different chapters in all of the sections discuss the dominant weathering, erosion, and
deposition associated with the processes characteristic of each climate zone, along with
the resulting erosional and depositional landforms. Strikingly, four chapters on applied
aspects of glacial, periglacial, arid, and tropical landform processes and products provide
an exceptionally important primer for many parts of the less developed world. This aspect
will recommend the book to those in government offices or in the various development
agencies world-wide who may need to better understand hazards or opportunities for
assisting their citizenry to live more effectively in their particular climatic environments.
The dominant fluvial regimes of the temperate latitudes receive only limited attention
in this book, which may somewhat reduce interest for those geomorphologists who
specialize in such aspects in their regions. I suspect, however, that most geoscientists will
still recognize the importance of the arid and tropical zones to so many people of the less
developed world, and therefore will understand the reasons for the particular emphases in
this book. In addition, the lack of a quantitative approach in the book, or the overall dearth
of formulas may not meet the preferences of some, but still the many graphs and diagrams
taken from the primary references do cover adequate quantitative materials.
Although the author of this book is well versed in the whole of climatic
geomorphology, he has devoted about one third of the book to arid-zone topics, perhaps
reflecting some of his main interests in interior, semi-arid Spain. Out of a total of
25 chapters, after the introductory chapter, 10 are on aeolian, arid zone, and applied arid
topics. Next comes the glacial zone, with five chapters, and the periglacial and tropical
zone sections with three chapters each. The last section on geomorphology and climate
change also includes three chapters, which may add a measure of considerable interest to
those younger geomorphologists who are going to live through what promise to be the
most interesting climate changes to come in the 21st century. This book provides some
mental preparation for recognizing and perhaps dealing with the most likely changes that
can be expected.
Preface
work. For example, granites and some other massive crystalline and sedimentary rocks
weather and erode to produce tors in a variety of climatic regimes from tropical humid to
periglacial. Long-term chemical weathering of certain minerals in these rocks, with later
stripping of the weathered mantles, occurs in a variety of climate regimes. Similarly, frost
shattering and gelifluction processes can also produce these bedrock tots. In the same
equifinality fashion, horizontally bedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks can produce
similar cliffed topography in various climates wherever the free faces are maintained by
undercutting of the resistant rocks, even through dramatic climate changes. Excellent
examples include the buttes and mesas of the deserts and pluvial basins of the
southwestern USA, or the tepui mesas over which Angel Falls flows in the Amazonian
rainforest of Venezuela. Similarly, bog-burst mass movement landforms can occur
wherever rainfall and edaphic conditions allow saturated conditions to generate unstable
peat bogs, be it tropical humid highlands, humid temperate maritime regions, or
periglacial tundras. But in spite of such landform convergence, or the palimpsest landform
inheritance from past climatic regimes, understandings of climatic geomorphology still
have much to offer those who utilize the appropriate concepts.
This book is structured into eight main sections that are set up first as an introduction to
some of the history of geomorphology, then separate groupings of multiple chapters on
glacial, periglacial, arid, aeolian, tropical, and climate-change geomorphology. The 25
different chapters in all of the sections discuss the dominant weathering, erosion, and
deposition associated with the processes characteristic of each climate zone, along with
the resulting erosional and depositional landforms. Strikingly, four chapters on applied
aspects of glacial, periglacial, arid, and tropical landform processes and products provide
an exceptionally important primer for many parts of the less developed world. This aspect
will recommend the book to those in government offices or in the various development
agencies world-wide who may need to better understand hazards or opportunities for
assisting their citizenry to live more effectively in their particular climatic environments.
The dominant fluvial regimes of the temperate latitudes receive only limited attention
in this book, which may somewhat reduce interest for those geomorphologists who
specialize in such aspects in their regions. I suspect, however, that most geoscientists will
still recognize the importance of the arid and tropical zones to so many people of the less
developed world, and therefore will understand the reasons for the particular emphases in
this book. In addition, the lack of a quantitative approach in the book, or the overall dearth
of formulas may not meet the preferences of some, but still the many graphs and diagrams
taken from the primary references do cover adequate quantitative materials.
Although the author of this book is well versed in the whole of climatic
geomorphology, he has devoted about one third of the book to arid-zone topics, perhaps
reflecting some of his main interests in interior, semi-arid Spain. Out of a total of
25 chapters, after the introductory chapter, 10 are on aeolian, arid zone, and applied arid
topics. Next comes the glacial zone, with five chapters, and the periglacial and tropical
zone sections with three chapters each. The last section on geomorphology and climate
change also includes three chapters, which may add a measure of considerable interest to
those younger geomorphologists who are going to live through what promise to be the
most interesting climate changes to come in the 21st century. This book provides some
mental preparation for recognizing and perhaps dealing with the most likely changes that
can be expected.