Quantitative Geomorphology

Quantitative geomorphology developed as a school of thought during two main periods: the 1950–1960s and the 2000s. During the first period, pioneer researchers introduced process‐based thinking supported by measurements to explain land form evolution and characteristics. Quantitative geomorphology was founded on the idea that objectivity should be reinforced by quantification using instruments that provide reliable and precise data. It contrasts with qualitative (visual) observation, which is limited to observable facts (although many processes are not directly perceptible) and is biased by the acuity of the observer, his/her experiences, memories, beliefs, or attachment to a given theory. In the second period, larger geographic datasets and new computer capacities led to a more integrative understanding of Earth system complexity. This new methodology widened our spatial and temporal vision and has begun to reconcile holistic and reductionist approaches by engaging multiple‐scale perspectives and improving linkages between historical and functional geomorphology.

Cartography · Data science · Epistemology · Geography · Objectivity (philosophy) · Observer (physics) · Physics · Reductionism · Scale (ratio) · Computer Science · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Landslides and related hazards · Philosophy · Soil erosion and sediment transport