Geomorphology studies landforms and the processes that create and modify them. Tectonic uplift, weathering, erosion, transport and deposition compete to determine surface shape. An elevated region can lose material while rising, so its surface elevation need not track the vertical motion of a rock parcel.
Repeated surveys measure change, while dated deposits or abandoned surfaces constrain longer histories. A river terrace can record incision and later deformation; a triangular facet can preserve the interaction of faulting and erosion. Shape alone rarely determines a unique rate or cause without chronological and material constraints.
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape the Earth's surface. It encompasses the analysis of landform characteristics, formation, evolution, and the interactions between various physical and chemical processes that contribute to landscape development. Geomorphologists study both natural processes, such as weathering, erosion, sedimentation, and tectonic activity, as well as human-induced changes to the landscape.
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