Before entering fully into the meaning of the term geomorphology, we are going to proceed to discover its etymological origin. Specifically, we can establish that it is a word that derives from Greek and that it is the result of the sum of the following lexical components of said language:
-The noun “geo”, which can be translated as “earth”.
-The word “morphe”, which is synonymous with “form”.
-The suffix “-logy”, which is equivalent to “study of”.
Starting from all this we can establish that the literal meaning of geomorphology would be “study of the structure of the shape of the Earth's crust.”
Geomorphology is based on the analysis of the characteristics of the crust of the planet Earth . It is a branch of geology , the science dedicated to studying the interior and exterior shape of the globe, taking into account the materials that form it and the variations recorded since its origin.
The object of study of geomorphology is the shape of our planet's surface . To advance your knowledge, you start from the origin of the Earth and reach the present day, seeking to understand the various processes that developed throughout history .
The alterations of the relief from when it emerges from sea level until it is reduced by the influence of various agents make up the so-called geographical cycle . This cycle marks the evolution of geomorphology over time , being a consequence of destructive and constructive processes that are carried out in a dynamic way.
It is important to keep in mind that the force of gravity seeks to balance the unevenness of the relief, causing the regions that rise to register a tendency to fall, while the depressed areas become filled in.
The factors that trigger geomorphology processes are varied. These may be internal geological factors (such as volcanism, orogenesis and tectonics), external geological factors (wind, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, etc.), biotic factors (animals and vegetation) and anthropic factors (the actions of the human being ).
Geomorphology can also be classified according to the predominant factors influencing the relief . In this framework, we can talk about fluvial geomorphology , climatic geomorphology , glacial geomorphology and wind geomorphology , among others.
In addition to everything indicated, we cannot overlook another series of important aspects about geomorphology, among which the following can be highlighted:
-Its most relevant concepts were created at the beginning of the 20th century by the scientist William Morris Davis. This, among other things, determined that in order to study the structure of the Earth's crust, the structure itself, the stage and the processes had to be taken into account.
-Within this discipline or study, what is called diastrophism becomes relevant, which refers to the internal forces that are capable of creating irregularities of different kinds in the relief.
-In the same way, we must not overlook that in Spain there is the Spanish Society of Geomorphology, which was created at the end of the 1980s and is a non-profit organization that seeks to develop and promote the aforementioned geomorphology through both national and international exchange and cooperation.