Morphological systematics of the relief and its implications for geography and geoecology

We examine the issue concerning the determination of the line of demarcation between geomorphology and the related Earth sciences which is associated with elementarization of continual topographic surface of the planet’s relief. We present our view of the progression along this direction that relies on the theory of the system-morphological foundation of Earth sciences. We established the existence of the synenergy effect in the use of the system-morphological approach in all particular geographical sciences: in microclimatology, it provides a means of referencing microclimates and “local climates” to topographic features; in soil science, it revitalizes the notion of an elementary soil area thus simplifying the process of soil mapping. In geobotany and biogeocenology, this approach helps to make results from studying phytocenose productivity and from dendroindication investigations more representative. We determined a direct practical importance of landscape geophysics and assessments of the significance of geotopes on land surface as well as on the bottom of the World Ocean and beneath mainland glaciers. It is suggested that the system-morphological approach be used in the interests of a further development not only of traditional analytical geomorphology but also its new, synthetic direction that relates geomorphology with social sciences. It is established that in such a case the symmetry tools can be sued to define the relief as the set of locations with anthropogenic objects, processes and phenomena.     

试论地貌学的新进展和趋势

地貌变化有内在的规律,对环境保育、资源利用和自然灾害防治有重要影响。作为交叉学科和地理学的重要分支学科,地貌学具有重要理论价值和实际意义。过去10多年来,随着遥感、地理信息技术和沉积物定年、地球物理和地球化学探测以及数值模拟等新技术和新方法的应用,地貌学家的研究视野和深度不断扩大与加深,在构造地貌、气候地貌和人类活动与地貌过程等传统领域有很多新进展,揭示了不同地貌单元的变化规律和机理,极大地推动了地貌学的发展。在新时代,除了继续加强传统地貌单元的深入研究外,地貌学的发展应与全球环境变化和未来地球等重大科学问题(计划)紧密结合;地貌学家要关心人类活动对地貌过程的影响及适应,并利用新技术开展地貌过程的定量重建和数值模拟。同时加强地理学专业学生的地质学基础学习、发展定量地貌学和行星地貌学、系统开展人类活动对地貌过程的影响和适应研究,是提升中国地貌学水平的途径,也可为推动国际地貌学发展做出贡献。     

试论地貌学的系统结构与发展趋势

本文运用系统论科学学的观点阐述地貌学的现代结构,进而探讨学科发展的未来结构.     

分形理论及其在地貌学中的应用──分形地貌学研究综述及展望

本文简介了分形的有关基本概念,回顾了分形理论在海岸、流水、喀斯特地貌等多种地貌类型和流域地貌发育的形态研究中,以及在地貌过程研究中的应用的新近成果,并提出了今后分形地貌学研究的五个主要方面.     

中国近40年来地貌学研究的回顾与展望

地貌学是地理学的一门主要分支学科,其研究成就与发展一直倍受人们关注。本文对中国近60年来的研究状况,尤其近40年来研究历程进行了回顾,从总结经验与发展态势出发,对地貌学科未来发展方向提出了展望。分析认为,中国地貌学科在地貌基本类型、区划以及分支学科：包括动力地貌学（包括冰川地貌、冰缘地貌、风沙地貌、黄土地貌、喀斯特地貌、河流地貌、海岸地貌等）、构造地貌学、气候地貌学、古地貌、岩石地貌学（包括丹霞地貌、花岗岩与流纹岩地貌）、其他地貌类型（包括重力地貌,人工地貌）等方面取得重大进展,地貌学已逐渐发展成为一门拥有完整学科体系的科学。通过回顾认为,应坚持地貌成因、形态相统一的原则发展传统地貌与综合地貌。加强地貌基础理论与综合地貌研究、开展地貌结构及其功能研究、构建全方位资源环境地貌信息系统、加强海岸地貌与海洋地貌研究、加强人才培养和学术团队建设,将是中国实现地貌强国目标的主要途径。     

Planning and landform: geomorphological authenticity or incongruity in the countryside?

Summary The conservation movement has recently attempted to extend its remit from concern for 'special' sites/habitats or listed buildings towards embracing the value of the wider natural or historic environment. Geomorphological conservation has been the Cinderella of nature conservation, but has now added Regionally Important Geological/geomorphological Sites (RIGS) to the earth science related Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). However, it has yet to embrace the need for a wider perspective on landform conservation. Too many topographic changes in the countryside show little respect for local topographic distinctiveness or geomorphological concepts. This is illustrated by many recent golf course designs, low-level pit restoration schemes, landraising schemes and screening by bunding. However, there are some signs of changes in policy and practice in designing within the existing topographical context, rather than undertaking incongruous land remodelling. The paper concludes by advocating a greater understanding of geomorphology amongst landscape architects, planners and the wider public, so as to achieve greater geomorphological authenticity in developments in the countryside.     

新兴的环境地貌学

随着人类改造自然能力的增长,人类与环境地貌之间的相互作用加剧,地球表层的地貌系统在自然地域分异的基础上,出现的新的内容和特征。地貌演化不再是纯自然的过程,而且,人工地貌、人工—自然混合地貌占的比重增加了。因此,有必要对人、环境与地貌的作用机制,地貌的环境意义等问题进行研究,于是,环境地貌学应运而生。与传统地貌学不同的是,环境地貌学从人类活动与环境地貌相互作用的角度,运用系统论、综合分析方法,厚今薄古,研究现存地貌特征及后效,做出环境地貌的经济评价,探讨环境地貌的社会文化效应。本文拟对环境地貌学的产生、学科性质、研究内容和方法进行探讨,希望有助于促进环境地貌学的研究。     

关于农业地貌条件评价的研究

在农业资源、农业区划与国土整治的研究中,研究农业地貌条件的评价,是必不可少的基础作之一.本文讨论了农业地貌条件评价的内容和方法.     

地貌过程研究回顾与展望

地貌学是现代地理科学的一个重要分支学科。本文对中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所建所以来在地貌研究领域的主要研究成果进行了综述,包括河流地貌、黄土高原与坡地地貌、青藏高原及南极地貌与第四纪、喀斯特与旅游地貌、地貌实验与模拟、地貌制图共六个方面,对地理资源所地貌研究团队目前的研究方向进行了介绍,并就提高地理资源所地貌研究在学科发展和服务国家建设中的作用提出了建议。     

A review on anthropogenic geomorphology

With the continuous development of man’s ability to reshape nature, human activities have become the third geomorphologic agent in the modern geomorphological process. Man-made landform is a landform unit characterized by human activities and is a result of synergizing human and nature geomorphologic agents under the physical geographical background. This article provides an overview on the major progresses in research on anthropogenic geomorphology from aspects like the origin of anthropogenic geomorphology, man-made landform agents and classification, man-made landform evolution and its influencing mechanism, map presentation of man-made landform, and environmental impact of man-made landforms. In addition, in the article, the future development of anthropogenic geomorphology is forecasted. It is pointed out that future studies on anthropogenic geomorphology should pay more attention to the following directions: construction of discipline system of anthropogenic geomorphology, material composition and morphological features of man-made landforms, spatial expansion process and development laws of man-made landforms, regional disparity and accumulative environmental effects of man-made landforms, and environmental management on man-made landforms and comparative analyses of relevant international management policies.     

生态地貌学研究体系及其功能提升探讨

地球表层是人类生存的家园,地表形态直接或间接影响人类生活、生产和社会经济活动。地貌学和生态学是与人类关系密切的学科。自然实体与人文实体都依附于地表,研究生态与地貌关系的科学便统称为生态地貌学,直接影响人类生存选址、生存保障、生产方向、产业布局、交通、城乡建设等,因此,生态地貌学是保障人类生存与社会经济可持续协调发展的基础性与应用性极强的学科,是国家实现生态文明战略的基础性学科。生态地貌学研究生态与地貌两者相互作用形成的生态地貌综合实体,学科体系包含地貌基础学科、生态基础学科及其相互作用形成的生态地貌学科。生态地貌学科下又包含生态地貌区划学、生态地貌类型学、生态地貌资源学、生态地貌岩态学、生态地貌遥感与GIS技术、生态地貌管理与规划等分支学科,是目前仍然属于探索性的学科。生态地貌结构可表达为：由地貌与生物成分、类型、区域组合、数量构成及其空间排列组合方式。从生态地貌结构理论出发,对其功能进行系统梳理,主要可以归纳为区域结构、类型结构、资源结构、岩态结构等多种类型。不同结构类型具有不同的功能,主要功能有提升中国自然地理区划质量与空间定位功能、生态评估与生态设计功能、土地利用评估与利用结构调整功能、地质地貌灾害成因和防灾减灾对策功能等。故该研究意在实现生态地貌功能间协调、高效可持续,通过对各功能进行整合,形成功能体系,并从调控管理上提出了提升功能能力的设计路径。     

Merged remotely sensed data for geomorphological investigations in deserts: examples from central Saudi Arabia

Image merging has gained acceptance in geological remote sensing, however it has rarely been applied in geomorphology. We report on the usefulness of principal components substitution (PCS) to merge IRS panchromatic data with multispectral Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, to map commonly encountered desert geomorphological features, and in relative age dating of alluvial surfaces. The merged data were applied to the identification and mapping of geomorphological features along two geolo-gically different mountain fronts in central Saudi Arabia. Two types of geomorphological maps have been created. A morphogenetic map that distinguishes between aeolian landforms, fluvial landforms, desert pavements, and gypsum crusts. Second, a morphochronological map, which shows the relative age of four geomorphic surfaces developed on an alluvial fan. The construction of the two maps is supported by field observations and laboratory measurements. Using the optimum index factor (OIF), a TM band 1, 5 and 7 image (of 20 merged composites) was found to be the optimum colour composite image for the geomorphological features in this arid environment. We discuss our findings in the context of the spatial and spectral properties required for applied geomorphological remote sensing.     

Teaching Topographic Map Skills and Geomorphology Concepts with Google Earth in a One-Computer Classroom

Teaching high-school geomorphological concepts and topographic map reading entails many challenges. This research reports the applicability and effectiveness of Google Earth in teaching topographic map skills and geomorphological concepts, by a single teacher, in a one-computer classroom. Compared to learning via a conventional instructional method, students learning with Google Earth do not have different geomorphological concepts development because both settings enable students to learn with similar static representation. However, students learning with Google Earth improve topographic map skills significantly compared to the conventional instructional method. This is because of the 3D landscape visualization and prior knowledge connections available with Google Earth.     

沈玉昌与中国现代地貌学

沈玉昌教授是我国着名的地理学家和杰出的地貌学家。在60年的地理科学工作中,他对我国现代地貌学发展做出了卓越的贡献。从河流地貌、地貌区划与地貌制图、应用地貌等方面进行了综述。     

Landscape Mapping Using GIS and Google Earth Data

The process of laboratory compilation of the natural landscape chorological map of one of the uluses (administrative districts) of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic is presented at a scale of 1:2 500 000. The GIS tools were used to reference thematic cartographic documents to the topographic base of the ulus containing contour lines, elevations and the main river network. The final river network is drawn on the basis of other data sources. A significant role in the subsequent map compilation stages was played by data from the Google Earth website: 2D and 3D images were used to identify floodplains. Units of glacial landforms of foothill areas and the main types of geological and geomorphological units of the ulus were determined using both published data sources and the Google Earth imagery. The map of natural vegetation has been compiled having regard to the humidity conditions and the vertical zonation of the climate and soils. The digital map layers in GIS were gradually combined into the synthetic natural landscape map of the ulus, and the identified natural landscape units were also incorporated into the regional classification of the landscapes of Siberia. It is established that the hierarchical system of natural landscapes of the ulus differentiates three levels of classification: high (the landscapes are differentiated with respect to their geographical location into the landscapes of lowlands and high mountains), intermediate (the differentiation of the landscapes with respect to the genesis and topography dissection in a relevant climatic zone) and low (the natural landscapes are determined by a combination of vegetation covering the type of soil that developed on a given geological substrate).     

A geomorphological approach to sustainable planning and management of the coastal zone of Kuwait

The coastal zone in Kuwait has been under a considerable pressure from conflicting land uses since the early 1960s, as well as from the destruction and oil pollution caused by the Gulf War. To avoid further damage and to protect the coastal heritage it is essential to adopt an environmentally sustainable management process. This paper shows how the study of coastal geomorphology can provide a sound basis for sustainable planning and management. Based on coastal landforms, sediments and processes, the coastline of Kuwait was divided into nine geomorphic zones. These zones were grouped into two main geomorphic provinces. The northern province is marked by extensive muddy intertidal flats and dominated by a depositional and low-energy environment. The southern geomorphic province is characterised by relatively steep beach profiles, rocky/sandy tidal flats and a moderate to high-energy environment. The study has demonstrated that pollution, benthic ecology and other environmental conditions of the coast are a function of coastline geomorphology, sedimentology and related processes. The geomorphological information was used to determine the coastal vulnerability and to assess the environmental impacts of development projects and other human activities. Several strategies were outlined to integrate the geomorphic approach into the management of the coastal resources.     

Supervised landform classification of Northeast Honshu from DEM-derived thematic maps

This paper proposes a quantitative method to classify landforms using four morphometric parameters from DEM-derived thematic raster maps of slope and topographic openness. Because the different surficial processes and stages in the evolution of slopes create landscapes with different shapes, these parameters may lead to a genetic interpretation of topography. The raster maps of slope and topographic openness were constructed for Northeast Honshu, Japan, from 50-m DEMs. The mean and standard deviation of morphometric parameters within a 3050 m by 3050 m moving window on the raster maps were calculated. The results for some training areas show that constructional/depositional and erosional landforms with different relief have different morphometric characteristics. A supervised landform classification for Northeast Honshu using the knowledge from the training areas revealed a ladder geomorphological structure composed of high mountains, ranges and volcanoes. The close relationship between the ladder geomorphological structure and volcano distribution indicates that the structure reflects the magmatic plumbing system from the upper mantle to the crust of the Northeast Honshu arc.     

王乃樑先生对中国地貌学发展的主要贡献

王乃樑先生是中国著名的地貌学家。20世纪40年代至90年代初期,先后在清华大学和北京大学任教。他对中国黄土高原、华北、东北、西北、四川、湖北和广西等广大地区进行了地貌和新生代沉积研究,在新生代沉积与地貌演化历史、新构造活动与构造地貌学、地貌学与沉积学基本理论与方法等诸多领域取得了一系列创新性的成果。在地貌学学科建设、人才培养、科学研究和国内外学术交流诸方面,为中国地貌学的发展做出了卓越贡献。