Engineering geomorphology: A novel professional profile to face applied challenges in earth surface dynamics in mid-Europe

Engineering geomorphology is concerned with the assessment of surface processes, sediment dynamics, landform changes and geomorphological hazards, which are related to civil engineering and construction. As an important planning component, it contributes significantly to the solution of societal problems on a dynamic earth surface. Unlike in the UK and other countries where it has become an independent sector within geotechnical engineering, the discipline has found little attention up to now in mid-European applied geosciences. This ESEX commentary discusses the under-representation and proposes an advancement of professional engineering geomorphology within the German-speaking countries. The relation to neighbouring disciplines and the history of the field are illustrated from the academic and practical perspectives. A brief outline of potential fields of activity, recent professional practice and requirements for academic training are presented to provide aspiring practitioners with an idea of their future prospects as engineering geomorphologists. As part of their qualification, teamwork with geologists and engineers must be considered a key aspect, involving mutual knowledge of methods, techniques and interfaces for the propagation of uncertainty. The discussion demonstrates ways engineering geomorphology could be implemented as an established profession/academic discipline in mid-Europe as part of physical geography, geosciences and neighbouring engineering disciplines.     

21st century climate change: where has all the geomorphology gone?

This Commentary draws together recently published work relating to the relationship between climate change and geomorphology to address the surprising observation that geomorphic work seems to have had little impact upon the work of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. However, recent papers show that methodological innovation has allowed geomorphological reconstruction over timescales highly relevant to late 20th century and 21st century climate change. In turn, these and other developments are allowing links to be made between climatic variability and geomorphology, to begin to predict ‘geomorphic futures’ and also to appreciate the role that geomorphic processes play in the flux of carbon and the carbon cycle. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Breaking rocks made easy. Blending stress control concepts to advance geomorphology

All landscapes are subject to stress fields, conditioned by their formation and ongoing tectonic and geomorphic changes. With this ESEX Commentary we wish to stimulate a debate on this invisible but persistent stress control on landforms, processes and materials in geomorphology. We address the legacy of active and passive stress fields, which translates into the concept of ‘tectonic predesign’, in conjunction with a perspective of geomorphic processes being driven by subcritical stresses. These concepts complement each other as ‘subcritical processes’ are controlled by tectonic predesign and in turn modulate the stress fields. This offers new theoretical and practical perspectives on how landscapes evolve, processes form materials and how rocks break easily. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using UAV acquired photography and structure from motion techniques for studying glacier landforms: application to the glacial flutes at Isfallsglaciären

Glacier and ice sheet retreat exposes freshly deglaciated terrain which often contains small‐scale fragile geomorphological features which could provide insight into subglacial or submarginal processes. Subaerial exposure results in potentially rapid landscape modification or even disappearance of the minor‐relief landforms as wind, weather, water and vegetation impact on the newly exposed surface. Ongoing retreat of many ice masses means there is a growing opportunity to obtain high resolution geospatial data from glacier forelands to aid in the understanding of recent subglacial and submarginal processes. Here we used an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture close‐range aerial photography of the foreland of Isfallsglaciären, a small polythermal glacier situated in Swedish Lapland. An orthophoto and a digital elevation model with ~2 cm horizontal resolution were created from this photography using structure from motion software. These geospatial data was used to create a geomorphological map of the foreland, documenting moraines, fans, channels and flutes. The unprecedented resolution of the data enabled us to derive morphological metrics (length, width and relief) of the smallest flutes, which is not possible with other data products normally used for glacial landform metrics mapping. The map and flute metrics compare well with previous studies, highlighting the potential of this technique for rapidly documenting glacier foreland geomorphology at an unprecedented scale and resolution. The vast majority of flutes were found to have an associated stoss‐side boulder, with the remainder having a likely explanation for boulder absence (burial or erosion). Furthermore, the size of this boulder was found to strongly correlate with the width and relief of the lee‐side flute. This is consistent with the lee‐side cavity infill model of flute formation. Whether this model is applicable to all flutes, or multiple mechanisms are required, awaits further study. © 2016 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

The Anthropocene: is there a geomorphological case?

The ‘Anthropocene’, as used to describe the interval of recent Earth history during which humans have had an ‘overwhelming’ effect on the Earth system, is now being formally considered as a possible new geological Epoch. Such a new geological time interval (possibly equivalent to the Pleistocene Epoch) requires both theoretical justification as well as empirical evidence preserved within the geological record. Since the geological record is driven by geomorphological processes that produce terrestrial and near‐shore stratigraphy, geomorphology has to be an integral part of this consideration. For this reason, the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) has inaugurated a Fixed Term Working Group to consider this issue and advise the Society on how geomorphologists can engage with debates over the Anthropocene. This ESEX Commentary sets out the initial case for the formalisation of the Anthropocene and a priori considerations in the hope that it will stimulate debate amongst, and involvement by, the geomorphological community in what is a crucial issue for the discipline. The Working Group is now considering the practical aspects of such a formalization including the relative magnitude problem, the boundary problem and the spatial diachrony of ‘anthropogenic geomorphology’. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

后差分GPS测量则木河断裂地震微地貌特征

地震微地貌是研究古地震的重要证据。 发生在则木河断裂带上的1850年地震的地表破裂带在人类活动较少的地区得以保存完好。 研究区内地形起伏大, 断塞塘、 断层陡坎、 鼓包等微地震地貌特征明显, 在三维视图内可直观反映测量区内的这些地貌特征。 利用后差分GPS方法测量断裂活动形成的地震微地貌, 水平测量精度可达0.5 m, DEM精度可到一个像元1 m, 是定量化研究地震微地貌的一种新方法。 测量结果表明, 大箐梁子顶部七条干沟对应多次古地震事件; 大箐梁子顶部鼓包被断裂断错, 断塞塘沉积区向南迁移, 鼓包最新断错约4 m, 大箐村南山坡形成50 cm高断层陡坎。 说明大箐梁子一带地震活动性较强, 且以挤压构造为主。     

Testing of the SIBERIA landscape evolution model using the Tin Camp Creek,Northern Territory,Australia, field catchment

The SIBERIA landscape evolution model was used to simulate the geomorphic development of the Tin Camp Creek natural catchment over geological time. Measured hydrology, erosion and geomorphic data were used to calibrate the SIBERIA model, which was then used to make independent predictions of the landform geomorphology of the study site. The catchment, located in the Northern Territory, Australia is relatively untouched by Europeans so the hydrological and erosion processes that shaped the area can be assumed to be the same today as they have been in the past, subject to the caveats regarding long‐term climate fluctuation. A qualitative, or visual comparison between the natural and simulated catchments indicates that SIBERIA can match hillslope length and hillslope profile of the natural catchments. A comparison of geomorphic and hydrological statistics such as the hypsometric curve, width function, cumulative area distribution and area–slope relationship indicates that SIBERIA can model the geomorphology of the selected Tin Camp Creek catchments. Copyright 2002 © Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist, Commonwealth of Australia.     

Analysis of geomorphology citations in the last quarter of the 20th century

Three hundred and twenty‐eight geomorphology articles published in the last quarter of the 20th century were cited 20 or more times in Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) indices, as of 15 May 2001. At the close of the 20th century, well‐cited geomorphology is highly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary with the most dominant fields being in biological, civil engineering, earth science, geography, geological, and soils disciplines. The very strong English‐language bias of well‐cited journal articles creates a geographical bias in study site selection, which may in turn bias geomorphic theory. Water‐based research (fluvial processes and landforms, riparian, drainage basin) dominates well‐cited papers, with the ‘hottest’ subfield in the 1990s being riparian research with a biological emphasis. Over 90 journals publish well‐cited papers, but Earth Surface Processes and Landforms hosts the largest number of well‐cited papers. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controls on Holocene denudation rates in mountainous environments under Mediterranean climate

The Mediterranean domain is characterized by a specific climate resulting from the close interplay between atmospheric and marine processes and strongly differentiated regional topographies. Corsica Island, a mountainous area located in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea is particularly suitable to quantify regional denudation rates in the framework of a source‐to‐sink approach. Indeed, fluvial sedimentation in East‐Corsica margin is almost exclusively limited to its alluvial plain and offshore domain and its basement is mainly constituted of quartz‐rich crystalline rocks allowing cosmogenic nuclide ¹⁰Be measurements. In this paper, Holocene denudation rates of catchments from the eastern part of the island of Corsica are quantified relying on in situ produced ¹⁰Be concentrations in stream sediments and interpreted in an approach including quantitative geomorphology, rock strength measurement (with a Schmidt Hammer) and vegetation cover distribution. Calculated denudation rates range from 15 to 95 mm ka^‐1. When compared with rates from similar geomorphic domains experiencing a different climate setting, such as the foreland of the northern European Alps, they appear quite low and temporally stable. At the first order, they better correlate with rock strength and vegetation cover than with morphometric indexes. Spatial distribution of the vegetation is controlled by morpho‐climatic parameters including sun exposure and the direction of the main wet wind, so‐called ‘Libecciu’. This distribution, as well as the basement rock strength seems to play a significant role in the denudation distribution. We thus suggest that the landscape reached a geomorphic steady‐state due to the specific Mediterranean climate and that Holocene denudation rates are mainly sustained by weathering processes, through the amount of regolith formation, rather than being transport‐limited. Al/K measurements used as a proxy to infer present‐day catchment‐wide chemical weathering patterns might support this assumption. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国构造地貌学的回顾与展望

构造地貌学已经从经验科学迅速发展为高技术武装的现代科学。本文在分析相关文献的基础上,论述了构造地貌学的特点、研究内容、研究方法,回顾了在中国的研究进展,最后提出了构造地貌学今后的研究动向。     

Micro‐geomorphology determines community structure of biological soil crusts at small scales

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are ubiquitous communities of diminutive organisms such as cyanobacteria, green algae, lichens, mosses and others associated closely with particles of surface soil, forming a cohesive thin horizontal layer. The ecological roles of BSCs affecting soil nutrient cycling, stability and hydrological processes, influencing the germination and establishment of vascular plants, and serving as habitats for numerous arthropods and microorganism have been well documented. We tested the hypothesis that micro‐geomorphological features determine the spatial distribution of BSCs by reallocating related abiotic resources at small‐ and medium‐scales in the Tengger Desert. Our results showed that higher soil pH and higher total potassium content in topsoil positively correlated with the colonization of cyanobacteria and algae in the earliest successional stages of BSCs, while increasing dust deposition onto the topsoil enhanced the development of lichen and mosses in the later stages of BSCs. Increasing soil moisture raised the proportion of mosses and lichen in BSCs, this will possibly change the ecological functions of BSCs, such as nitrogen‐fixation by cyanobacteria, due to the conversion from a complex to relative simple type of BSC. Micro‐geomorphology has created various habitats at a small‐scale affecting colonization and development of cryptogams. This paper considers the contribution of micro‐geomorphology to biodiversity in the extreme arid desert systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Continental rifting and drainage reversal: The clarence river of Eastern Australia

The Clarence River on Australia's east coast has an anomalous drainage pattern. Its right-bank tributaries are markedly barbed, suggesting reversal, whereas Tertiary volcanism has disrupted its left-bank drainage. The southeast-flowing Clarence is closely aligned with the northwest-flowing Condamine River just across the Continental Divide. The Condamine-Clarence alignment is continued by a large southern tributary, the Orara River, which flows northwest, away from the sea, to meet the southeast-flowing Clarence. A broad river with a quite different character flows east from near the Orara-Clarence junction to the sea. This is essentially an overflow channel. This series of aligned streams, the Condamine-Clarence-Orara, represents the remains of an earlier northwest-flowing stream that extended the full length of the Clarence-Moreton Basin, an eastern extension of the Great Artesian Basin. During the Jurassic, the Clarence-Moreton Basin was filled with sediments from the surrounding highlands, including those to the east of the present coastline. Continental rifting from Late Cretaceous times onwards led to the opening of the Tasman Sea, causing the reversal and beheading of the original northwest-flowing streams and the formation of the Great Escarpment. The evolution of the Clarence River does not fit into most conventional geomorphic paradigms such as cycles, climatic geomorphology or steady-state landforms. It is the result of a succession of unique events on a very long timescale, and as such is a classic example of evolutionary geomorphology.     

Channel‐planform evolution in four rivers of Olympic National Park,Washington, USA: the roles of physical drivers and trophic cascades

Identifying the relative contributions of physical and ecological processes to channel evolution remains a substantial challenge in fluvial geomorphology. We use a 74‐year aerial photographic record of the Hoh, Queets, Quinault, and Elwha Rivers, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA, to investigate whether physical or trophic‐cascade‐driven ecological factors – excessive elk impacts after wolves were extirpated a century ago – are the dominant drivers of channel planform in these gravel‐bed rivers. We find that channel width and braiding show strong relationships with recent flood history. All four rivers widened significantly after having been relatively narrow in the 1970s, consistent with increased flood activity since then. Channel planform also reflects sediment‐supply changes, evident from landslide response on the Elwha River. We surmise that the Hoh River, which shows a multi‐decadal trend toward greater braiding, is adjusting to increased sediment supply associated with rapid glacial retreat. These rivers demonstrate transmission of climatic signals through relatively short sediment‐routing systems that lack substantial buffering by sediment storage. Legacy effects of anthropogenic modification likely also affect the Quinault River planform. We infer no correspondence between channel evolution and elk abundance, suggesting that trophic‐cascade effects in this setting are subsidiary to physical controls on channel morphology. Our findings differ from previous interpretations of Olympic National Park fluvial dynamics and contrast with the classic example of Yellowstone National Park, where legacy effects of elk overuse are apparent in channel morphology; we attribute these differences to hydrologic regime and large‐wood availability. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA     

Coupled numerical–analytical approach to landscape evolution modeling

The Earth's topography is shaped by surface processes that operate on various scales. In particular, river processes control landscape dynamics over large length scales, whereas hillslope processes control the dynamics over smaller length scales. This scale separation challenges numerical treatments of landscape evolution that use space discretization. Large grid spacing cannot account for the dynamics of water divides that control drainage area competition, and erosion rate and slope distribution. Small grid spacing that properly accounts for divide dynamics is computationally inefficient when studying large domains. Here we propose a new approach for landscape evolution modeling that couples irregular grid‐based numerical solutions for the large‐scale fluvial dynamics and continuum‐based analytical solutions for the small‐scale fluvial and hillslope dynamics. The new approach is implemented in the landscape evolution model DAC (divide and capture). The geometrical and topological characteristics of DAC's landscapes show compatibility with those of natural landscapes. A comparative study shows that, even with large grid spacing, DAC predictions fit well an analytical solution for divide migration in the presence of horizontal advection of topography. In addition, DAC is used to study some outstanding problems in landscape evolution. (i) The time to steady‐state is investigated and simulations show that steady‐state requires much more time to achieve than predicted by fixed area calculations, due to divides migration and persistent reorganization of low‐order streams. (ii) Large‐scale stream captures in a strike‐slip environment are studied and show a distinct pattern of erosion rates that can be used to identify recent capture events. (iii) Three tectono‐climatic mechanisms that can lead to asymmetric mountains are studied. Each of the mechanisms produces a distinct morphology and erosion rate distribution. Application to the Southern Alps of New Zealand suggests that tectonic advection, precipitation gradients and non‐uniform tectonic uplift act together to shape the first‐order topography of this mountain range. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphometric analysis and tectonic interpretation of digital terrain data: a case study

Tectonic movement along faults is often re?ected by characteristic geomorphological features such as linear valleys, ridgelines and slope‐breaks, steep slopes of uniform aspect, regional anisotropy and tilt of terrain. Analysis of digital elevation models, by means of numerical geomorphology, provides a means of recognizing fractures and characterizing the tectonics of an area in a quantitative way. The objective of this study is to investigate the use of numerical geomorphometric methods for tectonic geomorphology through a case study. The methodology is based on general geomorphometry. In this study, the basic geometric attributes (elevation, slope, aspect and curvatures) are complemented with the automatic extraction of ridge and valley lines and surface speci?c points. Evans' univariate and bivariate methodology of general geomorphometry is extended with texture (spatial) analysis methods, such as trend, autocorrelation, spectral, and network analysis. Terrain modelling is implemented with the integrated use of: (1) numerical differential geometry; (2) digital drainage network analysis; (3) digital image processing; and (4) statistical and geostatistical analysis. Application of digital drainage network analysis is emphasized. A simple shear model with principal displacement zone with an NE–SW orientation can account for most of the the morphotectonic features found in the basin by geological and digital tectonic geomorphology analyses. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transformation functions of soil color and climate

Measurements on modern soil color suggest well functional relationships between the soil formation process and the present climatic factors. The redness and yellowness of soil are chiefly caused by the contents of hematite and fullonite, and their correlations to climate are the best in humid regions in tropic and warm temperate regions. The lightness of soil mainly correlates to the organic accumulation, humification and carbonatization processes, and its correlation to climate can only be found in the humid-arid extratropical belt. The humidity and surface roughness of soil have so strong influence on soil color that there are great errors on the measurement of colorness in the field. The study on soil colors of typical loess sections shows that soil color can record the characteristics of Asia monsoon and the global climatic fluctuations well at millennial and ten-thousand-year scales. It can also indicate the pedogenesis and the climatic characteristics which magnetic susceptibility could not be reflected in humidity areas. Therefore, soil color can be used as a new climatic proxy which is easy and quick to measure, and will make an active influence on the study of global changes, geomorphology and Quaternary.

     

Equality,diversity, inclusion: ensuring a resilient future for geomorphology

Within and beyond academia, debates around equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) have been gathering pace. We focus on EDI and geomorphology and address four main questions: (1) why does EDI matter for geomorphology?; (2) what are the barriers to greater EDI in geomorphology?; (3) how can we address these EDI barriers?; (4) can we ensure a resilient future for geomorphology by addressing EDI? At a time of critical environmental, social and economic transition, we contend that addressing EDI is essential for ensuring a resilient geomorphology, defined here as a discipline that is seen to be adapting to these changing external circumstances so that it remains relevant, vibrant and accessible to a wide cross-section of society. Not doing so will limit the intellectual development of geomorphology, incur reputational risk for geomorphological groups and organizations like the British Society for Geomorphology, and ensure that the many potential benefits of geomorphology for science and society remain underutilized at best. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.