from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. The study of the evolution and configuration of landforms.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. The study of landforms, their classification, origin, development, and history.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The morphology of the earth; the study of the form of the earth's surface features and of their origin.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. the branch of geology that studies the characteristics and configuration and evolution of rocks and land forms
Prof. Bierman is a specialist in "geomorphology" the study of landscape development and change.
There have been research projects including studies of the island ecosystems; the ecology of and conservation strategies for the fauna and flora; geomorphology and climate; and studies of introduced plant and animal species.
Together they will conserve a mixture of wildlife, habitats, geology and geomorphology," said a spokeswoman for the MCZ project."
Lori's primary research interests include aeolian geomorphology -- how wind shapes a planetary surface -- for both Mars and the Earth, recent and ongoing climate changes, and the mobility of wind-blown sand and dust.
The geomorphology of back reefs vary depending on location and reef type; they can range from meters to kilometers in width.
His main research focus is on aeolian geomorphology, the movement of sediment by the wind and the resulting landforms produced.
The geomorphology of reefs largely reflects two main variables: relative sea level rise and the nature of the underlying substrate.
Coral reefs everywhere grow by the same processes, but their geomorphology is shaped by the foundation on which they grow and sea level history.
Most of these more specific classifications simply reflect the general shapes of the reefs – which may or may not reflect the geomorphology of the underlying substrate – and are not widely used.
The management plan for the site includes a research component, addressing different natural features (climate, geomorphology, soils, vegetation and flora, wildlife).