[go: up one dir, main page]

Articles | Volume 4, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-721-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-721-2016
Review article
 | 
06 Sep 2016
Review article |  | 06 Sep 2016

Frontiers in Geomorphometry and Earth Surface Dynamics: possibilities, limitations and perspectives

Giulia Sofia, John K. Hillier, and Susan J. Conway

Abstract. Geomorphometry, the science of quantitative land-surface analysis, has become a flourishing interdisciplinary subject, with applications in numerous fields. The interdisciplinarity of geomorphometry is its greatest strength and also one of its major challenges. Gaps are still present between the process focussed fields (e.g. soil science, glaciology, volcanology) and the technical domain (such as computer science, statistics …) where approaches and theories are developed. Thus, interesting geomorphometric applications struggle to jump between process-specific disciplines, but also struggle to take advantage of advances in computer science and technology. This special issue is therefore focused on facilitating cross-fertilization between disciplines, and highlighting novel technical developments and innovative applications of geomorphometry to various Earth-surface processes. The issue collects a variety of contributions which fall into two main categories: Perspectives and Research, further divided into “Research and innovative techniques” and “Research and innovative applications”. It showcases potentially exciting developments and tools which are the building blocks for the next step-change in the field.

Download
Short summary
The interdisciplinarity of geomorphometry is its greatest strength and one of its major challenges. This special issue showcases exciting developments that are the building blocks for the next step-change in the field. In reading and compiling the contributions we hope that the scientific community will be inspired to seek out collaborations and share ideas across subject-boundaries, between technique-developers and users, enabling us as a community to gather knowledge from our digital landscape