Geomorphological processes and landform development

Geological Structures

Faulting and folding: Geological structures like faults and folds will shape a landscape. They are caused by the stress that happens due to the movement of tectonic plates.
Jointing and fracturing: A joint describes a break of geological significance in the rock strata. Joints are important for understanding geological history of an area and the mechanical strength of rocks.
Weathering of rocks: The in-situ disintegration or decay of rock due to weather and biological activity. Understanding the type of weathering can provide insight into the landform development.
Unconformities: Where there is a gap, or unconformity, in the geological record which can be caused by a period of erosion or non-deposition.

Erosion: This is a process where natural forces like water, wind, ice remove and transport soil and rock from one location to another.
Deposition: This occurs where the agents of transportation (water, wind and ice) drop the material they were carrying due to lack of energy to move them further.
Transportation: Material moved by erosion will be transported to new locations. It’s important to understand sediment transport processes and the resultant sedimentary units.
Weathering: There are different types of weathering- physical, chemical, and biological.

Fluvial processes: These relate to the processes associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them.
Glacial processes: These have created many characteristic features of the Earth’s surface such as U-shaped valleys and drumlins.
Coastal processes: The action of waves along coastlines produces a number of characteristic features including cliffs, arches, beaches, and spits.
Wind processes: Aeolian processes involve the wind, including the movement, deposition, and erosion of sediments.

Field mapping: Essential skill for any geologist. Mapping allows interpretation of what processes have formed and modified the landscape.
Remote sensing and GIS: Useful for larger scale investigations, these computer-based techniques can reveal patterns and relationships in the landscape.
Sediment analysis: A detailed analysis of the characteristics of sediments (particle size, sorting, roundness) can indicate the environment of deposition.
Fossil analysis: Fossils provide key evidence about the environments of the past and the evolution of life.

Geological timescale: Understanding the scale of geological time and the concept of deep time is fundamental in interpreting geological phenomena.
Relative dating: Based on the position of rock layers and fossils, relative dating ascertains an order of events without necessarily determining their absolute age.
Radioactive dating: Provides a method to determine the ‘absolute’ age of rocks and fossils.
Palaeomagnetism: The study of the record of Earth’s magnetic field in rocks. These can help in determining a rock’s age and the geographical latitudes at which a rock formed.