CLIMATIC GEOMORPHOLOGY - A CRITIQUE

Though climatic geomorphology has long been perceived as providing a r ealistic framework for landform analysis, only the arid, nival and gla cial systems and some constructional forms on the coast are readily id entified in the landscape, present and past, as climatically zonal in character. Of course these features together account for a substantial part of the Earth's land surface at present. Nevertheless, the remain ing areas have been subdivided into morphogenetic regions said to be c haracterized by distinctive landform assemblages. Even in those region s shaped by distinctive climatically driven processes, however, struct ural forms and those of etch origin are significant components, as the y are also in humid tropical and midlatitude lands. In addition, vario us landforms are shaped by processes and mechanisms which, though clim atically generated, vary genetically, and are active in a wide range o f conventionally delineated climatic regions. They transgress arbitrar y climatic boundaries. The climatic factor in landform development is by no means as clear cut and simple as was once thought and is certain ly not of over-riding importance over at least half the world's land s urface.