1. Geomorphological Methods

2. Systems Terminology Steady State – A time-invariant condition Equilibrium – A balance between form and process Dynamic Equilibrium – State changes around a central point

4. Systems Terminology Threshold – A condition that must be exceeded in order for state to change within the system Feedback – Positive – self-reinforcing; accelerating – Negative – self-regulating; damping Equifinality – Similar final states achieved through different mechanisms

5. Scale matters…

6. GTOPO30

7. USGS 30m: Mount St. Helens

8. Time and Space in Geomorphology GEOLOGY CLIMATE GEOMORPHOLOGY Geology

9. Rates of Processes

10. Magnitude vs. Frequency

11. How do geomorphic processes work? Process studies…

12. Force balances

15. How fast does this happen? Process studies and field measurements…

16. USGS suspended sediment sampling apparatus, Cowlitz River, Washington (1982)

17. Stream gauge on bridge support, Chippewa River, Wisconsin

18. GPS Surveying in the Mojave Desert, California Repeated high- resolution surveys can document landscape change and characterize landform.

19. What is this landform made of? Field studies…

20. Trench in floodplain sediments, Richmond, Virginia

21. Drilling into floodplain sediments, Williamstown, Massachusetts

22. Logging the wall of a trench across the San Andreas Fault, California

23. How old is this rock, surface, or landform? Geomorphological dating techniques…

24. Scarp degradation

25. Thermochronometry

26. Different minerals have different cooling temperatures and thus reveal erosion rates over different time scales

27. Radio carbon dating

29. Dendrochronometry, tree-ring dating

30. Lichenometry

31. Cesium 137 dating

32. Thermoluminescence dating (TL)

33. Cosmogenic dating