Editing Geomorphology (section)

=== Contemporary geomorphology ===
Today, the field of geomorphology encompasses a very wide range of different approaches and interests.<ref name='Bierman' /> Modern researchers aim to draw out quantitative "laws" that govern Earth surface processes, but equally, recognize the uniqueness of each landscape and environment in which these processes operate. Particularly important realizations in contemporary geomorphology include:

:1) that not all landscapes can be considered as either "stable" or "perturbed", where this perturbed state is a temporary displacement away from some ideal target form. Instead, dynamic changes of the landscape are now seen as an essential part of their nature.<ref name="orogens" /><ref name="Time scales">{{cite journal |last=Allen |first=Philip A. |author-link=Philip A. Allen |title=Time scales of tectonic landscapes and their sediment routing systems |journal=Geological Society, London, Special Publications |date=2008 |volume=296 |issue=1 |pages=7–28 |doi=10.1144/SP296.2 |bibcode = 2008GSLSP.296....7A |s2cid=128396744}}</ref>

:2) that many geomorphic systems are best understood in terms of the [[stochastic process|stochasticity]] of the processes occurring in them, that is, the probability distributions of event magnitudes and return times.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Benda |first1=Lee |last2=Dunne |first2=Thomas |title=Stochastic forcing of sediment supply to channel networks from landsliding and debris flow |journal=[[Water Resources Research]] |date=December 1997 |volume=33 |issue=12 |pages=2849–2863 |doi=10.1029/97WR02388 |bibcode=1997WRR....33.2849B |author2-link=Thomas Dunne (geologist) |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>Knighton, David. Fluvial forms and processes: a new perspective. Routledge, 2014.</ref> This in turn has indicated the importance of [[chaos theory|chaotic determinism]] to landscapes, and that landscape properties are best considered [[statistics|statistically]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dietrich |first1=W. E. |last2=Bellugi |first2=D.G. |last3=Sklar |first3=L.S. |last4=Stock |first4=J.D. |last5=Heimsath |first5=A.M. |last6=Roering |first6=J.J. |title=Prediction in Geomorphology |date=2003 |volume=135 |pages=103–132 |doi=10.1029/135GM09 |chapter-url=http://calm.geo.berkeley.edu/geomorph/gtl.pdf |location=Washington, DC |bibcode=2003GMS...135..103D |series=Geophysical Monograph Series |isbn=978-1118668559 |chapter=Geomorphic Transport Laws for Predicting Landscape form and Dynamics}}</ref> The same processes in the same landscapes do not always lead to the same end results.

According to [[Karna Lidmar-Bergström]], [[regional geography]] is since the 1990s no longer accepted by mainstream scholarship as a basis for geomorphological studies.<ref name=Karna2020>{{cite journal |last=Lidmar-Bergström |first=Karna |author-link=Karna Lidmar-Bergström |date=2020 |title=The major landforms of the bedrock of Sweden–with a view on the relationships between physical geography and geology |journal=[[Geografiska Annaler]] |publisher=[[Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography]] |volume=102 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1080/04353676.2019.1702809 |bibcode=2020GeAnA.102....1L |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Albeit having its importance diminished, [[climatic geomorphology]] continues to exist as field of study producing relevant research. More recently concerns over [[global warming]] have led to a renewed interest in the field.<ref name=Goudie2004/> 

Despite considerable criticism, the [[cycle of erosion]] model has remained part of the science of geomorphology.<ref name=Slaymaker/> The model or theory has never been proved wrong,<ref name=Slaymaker/> but neither has it been proven.<ref name=ARoy>{{cite book |last=Roy |first=Andre |title=Contemporary Meanings in Physical Geography: From What to Why? |page=5}}</ref> The inherent difficulties of the model have instead made geomorphological research to advance along other lines.<ref name=Slaymaker>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Slaymaker |first=Olav |editor-last=Goudie |editor-first=A.S. |editor-link=Andrew Goudie (geographer) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Geomorphology |title=Geomorphic evolution |year=2004 |pages=420–422}}</ref> In contrast to its disputed status in geomorphology, the cycle of erosion model is a common approach used to establish [[denudation chronology|denudation chronologies]], and is thus an important concept in the science of [[historical geology]].<ref name=Jones>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Jones |first=David K.C. |editor-last=Goudie |editor-first=A.S. |editor-link=Andrew Goudie (geographer) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Geomorphology |title=Denudation chronology |year=2004 |pages=244–248}}</ref> While acknowledging its shortcomings, modern geomorphologists [[Andrew Goudie (geographer)|Andrew Goudie]] and [[Karna Lidmar-Bergström]] have praised it for its elegance and pedagogical value respectively.<ref name=Naten>{{cite web |url=http://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/l%C3%A5ng/erosionscykel |title=erosionscykel |trans-title=Erosion cycle |last=Lidmar-Bergström |first=Karna |author-link=Karna Lidmar-Bergström |website=[[Nationalencyklopedin]] |publisher=Cydonia Development |access-date=June 22, 2016 |language=sv}}</ref><ref name=Goudie>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Goudie |first=A.S. |author-link=Andrew Goudie (geographer) |editor-last=Goudie |editor-first=A.S. |editor-link=Andrew Goudie (geographer) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Geomorphology |title=Cycle of erosion |year=2004 |pages=223–224}}</ref>