Chapter 1 – Earth’s surface

Please add your comments about how to improve Chapter 1 here.

15 thoughts on “Chapter 1 – Earth’s surface”

  1. Page 28- Recurrence intervals and magnitude-Frequency relationships
    Suggestion: highlighting the importance of the frequency against the magnitude of an event in geomorphology. Although large floods carry significant amount of sediment and may cause morphological changes, but they just may happen once in a decade or so. On the contrary, there might be some medium floods with high recurrence intervals that enable them to carry more sediment than large floods over a decade window or more (the concept of effective discharge). Therefore in most of the cases, medium-large floods are responsible for shaping the geomorphology of the rivers in most of the cases.

  2. Page-25; Eq- 1.2 and 1.3 ; Figure 1.11
    It might be a good idea to mention about the WEIGHT specifically, and the fact that its components are derivers for normal and shear stress forces. Even I suggest to show a vector for weight on image.

  3. Figure 1.13 is not labeled (a) and (b). In the upper diagram (a), the photo representing small-magnitude events is not explained. What does it show? I see a fast moving stream through a forest. Is it supposed to represent a flood stage? It’s difficult to see (the pic is blurry in the .pdf) any overtopping of the bank.

  4. Page 14: “PHOTOGRAPH 1.4 Folded Manhattan Schist, Central Park,New York City: Weathering has etched out the foliation showing the folds.” This needs a better description and/or graphic showing the concept. I’m very familiar with the rocks of Central Park and it took me a few minutes to figure out exactly what the author was trying to show.

  5. figures are in the wrong places. Figure 1.3 is discussed on page 6 but not shown until page 10. Photograph 1.1 (page 7) should be moved to page 6 and placed before the sub “Geosphere”. Figure 1.1 should then be placed with “Tectonics” on page 11 (after “Isostasy”) and before Figure 1.4. Figure 1.2 would then be placed in “Isostasy”.

  6. 1. some graphics are either difficult to read or are misplaced. The text needs more real life examples and pics 2. The Knowledge Skills questions are too easy. 3. I’d like to see more real life examples and pics and maybe a case study. These tend to put the information in perspective for a student.

  7. The Figure 1.8 is not so clear with the arrows pointing to different photos. I think to separate them into two figures will be better.

  8. Figure 1.4 arrows illustrating marine environments cover some of the features illustrated

  9. Photograph 1.1 Caption. Goes into great detail about photos C-F but not about A or B. Could be good to add to explanation of these photos and processes occurring as is done for C-F.

  10. p. 12 fig. 1.4 “Marine Environments: 2. Marine Transform Faults” – text says “These strike slip faults are clearly visible in remotely sensed of sea-floor topography near spreading ridge.” The grammar is off here.

  11. p. 7 photograph 1.1 (f) – there is white a box within the photo around the “fault scarp” text that is probably not supposed to be there

  12. Page 24: There should be a comma before “but.” On page 22, when you are talking about spatial scale division into hillslopes, hollows, channels, estuaries, and floodplains, it could be helpful to provide a figure showing each of these. Some of the questions alluded to tectonics, but it might be helpful if there was a question devoted just to it.

  13. Discussion of equilibrium concepts needs work. There great variability in the literature around the definitions and usage of equilibrium terms. If at all possible, embrace the early ideas that are well expressed in Process Geomorphology (Ritter et al.). Dynamic equilibrium is a well defined term (gradual, long-term, decay to an end product limited by negative feedback). And steady state is a separate well-defined term (moderate time-frame oscillation about an unchanging mean value). So using “dynamic steady state” is obfuscating two very important and distinct geomorphic behaviors that occur on vastly different time scales. Embrace Schumm and Lichty (and other early workers) on this topic.

  14. I believe that in Fig. 1.5 the arrows in the Ferrer Cell are wrong (the cold ones at least).

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