Geomorphology and Human Impacts

These flashcards cover key concepts in geomorphology and its relationship with human activities, relevant for exam preparation.

Anthropocene

A proposed epoch that begins when human activities started to have a significant global impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems. (Dixon et al., 2018)

Tectonic settings

Structural features of the Earth that influence uplift, downthrow, and warping of landforms. (Dixon et al., 2018)

Cumulative global impacts

Gradual build-up of environmental effects that can lead to significant global consequences. (Dixon et al., 2018)

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Human activities influence landscape dynamics

• (Goudie and Viles, 2016)

  

Urban geomorphology

The study of landforms in urban environments and how human activities influence these landscapes. (Goudie and Viles, 2016)

 

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Global climate change influence landscape dynamics

(Goudie and Viles, 2016) 

 

Earth’s landscapes are becoming more hazardous

• Goudie and Viles, 2016

  

Subsidence

The gradual settling or sudden collapse of the ground's surface, often due to mining or extraction processes. (Dixon et al., 2018)

from areas where they are mining salt

Megacities

Urban areas with a population of over 10 million, many of which are found in the global South. (Dixon et al., 2018)

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Sinkholes

Depressions or holes in the ground caused by the removal of ground water leading to land collapse. (Dixon et al., 2018)

Examples:

 

Erosion

The process by which surface material is worn away and transported by wind, water, or ice. (Goudie and Viles, 2016)

Hazards

Natural or human-induced events that pose a threat to life, property, and the environment. (Goudie and Viles, 2016)

Geomorphic equilibrium

A state in which the processes of erosion and deposition are in balance within a landscape. (Goudie and Viles, 2016)

Deforestation

The clearing or thinning of forests to make way for agriculture, urban development, or other uses. (Dixon et al., 2018)

Climate change

Long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other elements of the Earth's climate system. (Dixon et al., 2018)

Successful environmental management needs geomorphic input

• Dixon et al., 2018

  

 

 

 

Timeline for the Anthropocene

Human impacts on the palaeoanthropocene

Steffen, 2010 

 

Human impacts on geomorphology in the industrial era

• Steffen, 2010

 

Gullies

sediment being trapped and stored

cut down erosion

in extreme environments - led to gullies

a landform created by running water, mass movement, or both, which erodes soil to a sharp angle, typically on a hillside or in river floodplains or terraces.

Goudie and Viles, 2016

Human impacts in Great Acceleration

• Steffen, 2010

  

   

Sand wars

• Goudie and Viles, 2016

  

Case study: Dubai

• Goudie and Viles, 2016

  

Linking humans to geomorphology

continued

case study: Yangtze River

Quantifying human impacts of excavation