Topic - 1 : Geomorphic Processes and Agents

Geomorphic processes

Geomorphic is the process of formation of landforms and other natural features on the surface of the earth. The change in the earth’s physical and chemical structure, and the stress caused by the internal and external forces and chemical action on earth’s surface are known as Geomorphic Processes. All these changes are taken place by the continuous influence of internal and external forces.

There are two types of forces,

Exogenic forces and Endogenic forces.

 

Exogenic Processes :

Exogenic forces are an immediate effect of stress incited in earth materials by different forces that appears because of sun's heat. 

The stresses  that break rocks and other earth materials or atomic/molecular stresses  caused because of temperature changes.

Weathering, mass wasting, erosion, and deposition are the main exogenic forces.

The forces are wind, water, waves etc.,

Weathering is nothing but the breaking of rocks on the earth’s surface by different factors like wind, rivers, water waves and glaciers.

Erosion is the movement of broken rocks from one place to another place by natural factors like wind, water and glaciers.

All the exogenic processes come under a term called denudation.

Denudation includes the processes that cause the eroding of the Earth's surface by moving water, ice, wind and waves, prompting a decrease in rise and in relief of landforms and landscapes.

Endogenic Processes : 

Endogenic processes, they occur beneath the surface of the earth.
It is associated with the energy developing in the interior of the earth
The forces which cause the moving of the earth are called Endogenic forces.
The main endogenic forces are Faulting and Folding i.e., Tectonic movements.

The main force behind this process is the energy emanating from inside the earth. This energy is mainly generated through two types: Diastrophism and Earth movements.

Diastrophism: The processes that progress, raise or build up portions of the earth’s crust come under diastrophism. This includes following processes,

(i) Orogenic processes involving mountain building.

(ii) Tension produces fissures

(iii) Compression produces folds

(iv) Epeirogenic processes involving uplift/warping of large parts of the earth’s crust, thus it is called a continental building process. They are also called Radial movements.

Earth Movements : They cause significant distortion in a limited period of time. Earthquakes and Volcanoes come under this.

Endogenic forces form major landform features.

Geomorphic Agents: A geomorphic agent is a moving things which removes, transports and deposits earth materials from one place to another place. Every movements that happens are because of gradients, from higher levels to lower levels or from high pressure regions to low pressure regions.

Examples of Geomorphic Agents : moving water, glaciers, wind, waves, groundwater, ocean currents and so on.