Rejuvenation in the Cycle of Erosion
|

Rejuvenation in the Cycle of Erosion

Imagine you are watching a cricket match. The batsman, initially full of energy, starts playing aggressively, hitting boundaries with ease. As the innings progresses, fatigue sets in, and the once-powerful strokes become slow nudges. Just when you think he is about to retire, he drinks an energy booster and suddenly regains his power, smashing the…

Denudation Chronology
|

Denudation Chronology

Denudation Chronology (DC) is a concept developed primarily by the British School of Geomorphology, with further contributions from W.M. Davis in the American School. It focuses on reconstructing the history of denudation (weathering and erosion) in a given region over geological time. Unlike theories emphasizing endogenetic processes (such as tectonics), DC prioritizes exogenic forces that…

S.A. Schumm’s Episodic Erosion Model
|

S.A. Schumm’s Episodic Erosion Model

Imagine a riverbed that remains stable for years and then suddenly experiences a major flood, causing rapid erosion and shifting sediment downstream. Unlike the classical idea that landscapes evolve gradually and continuously, S.A. Schumm proposed that denudation occurs in episodic bursts, leading to periods of rapid erosion followed by long phases of deposition. This irregular…

Understanding J.T. Hack’s Geographic Model
|

Understanding J.T. Hack’s Geographic Model

Imagine a river flowing through a valley. Over time, erosion wears down the hills, but if the forces acting on the landscape—like uplift, river flow, and climate—remain constant, the overall shape of the land doesn’t change significantly. J.T. Hack, an American geomorphologist, proposed this idea in his Dynamic Equilibrium Theory, arguing that landscapes are in…

Understanding Morisawa’s Tectono-Geomorphic Model
|

Understanding Morisawa’s Tectono-Geomorphic Model

Imagine Earth as a battlefield where two mighty forces constantly struggle for dominance—tectonic forces that uplift land and denudational forces that wear it down. American geomorphologist Marie Morisawa proposed a model to explain how landscapes evolve based on this continuous interaction between upliftment and erosion. To understand her model, picture the Himalayas. These mountains are…

William Morris Davis & His Concept of Landscape Development
|

William Morris Davis & His Concept of Landscape Development

William Morris Davis, the father of geomorphology, introduced a fascinating theory—the Geographical Cycle of Erosion, also called the Cycle of Erosion. According to Davis landforms undergo sequential changes through time (passing through three stages of youth, mature and old). Over time, the battle between these two forces leads to a systematic transformation of landforms through…

GK Gilbert’s Geomorphic Theory
|

GK Gilbert’s Geomorphic Theory

Grove Karl Gilbert, an American geologist looked at landscapes not as fixed entities but as living, breathing systems shaped by an ongoing battle between forces. His theory of dynamic equilibrium explains how landforms evolve—not through a rigid cycle, but through a constant balancing act between driving forces and resisting forces. The Battle of Two Forces:…