This book, first published in 1986, collects the articles presented to the 16th Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium and is a ground-breaking work in the study of hillslope processes. Hillslope processes are studied in a variety of disciplines other than geomorphology, such as hydrology, pedology, agricultural engineering, civil engineering and engineering geology – the study is truly an interdisciplinary science.

This second edition, like its predecessor, provides students with an integrated review of the basic knowledge and methods which form the foundation for advanced study. It also brings them information on the latest contributions to developments in the understanding of hillslopes. Since publication of the first edition, not only has knowledge advanced but an interdisciplinary approach to much of the research has become increasingly common and productive. These developments are reflected in this book by the threefold expansion of the bibliography and by the bringing together of the approaches and scientific knowledge from the contributing disciplines of geology, civil engineering, hydrology, soil science, ecology, and geomorphology to produce a comprehensive text which makes possible an integrated understanding of hillslopes. Approximately seventy per cent of the text is new, with many new figures and plates, which has enabled Professor Selby to provide a more comprehensive introduction than in the first edition to the nature of chemical bonding, the properties of mineral particles and fabrics of weak rock, rheology of rock and soil, hillslope hydrology, hillslope stratigraphy, and landslide hazard investigation.

Hillslopes occupy most the landscape. Studies of process mechanisms and rates have become sufficiently numerous to allow a systematic study of slopes. Only by making a synthesis of quantitative process studies and relating them to the development of slope forms can the shape of the landscape be understood and the separate effects of lithology and climate assessed. In the introductory part of this book, the choice of appropriate system and scale is discussed, and models for uplift and erosion evaluated. Attention is thus focused on the dynamic equilibrium of the slope profile and its erosional development over time. Part I then examines the forces encouraging hillslope movement and the resistances opposing movement. Part 2 considers processes of rock instability, soil instability, wash, solution and soil creep. Each is discussed in terms of its mechanism and rate of operation, and the slope provides it produces. Part 3 outlines how this systematic approach may be applied to areas of different climate and the extent to which there is an assemblage of processes characteristic of each area. In part 4, the process evidence and models are combined into theoretical sequences of slope profile development, and the effect of contour curvature in modifying these profiles on spurts and in hollows is examined.

This extensively revised, restructured, and updated edition continues to present an engaging and comprehensive introduction to the subject, exploring the world’s landforms from a broad systems perspective. It covers the basics of Earth surface forms and processes, while reflecting on the latest developments in the field. Fundamentals of Geomorphology begins with a consideration of the nature of geomorphology, process and form, history, and geomorphic systems, and moves on to discuss: structure: structural landforms associated with plate tectonics and those associated with volcanoes, impact craters, and folds, faults, and joints process and form: landforms resulting from, or influenced by, the exogenic agencies of weathering, running water, flowing ice and meltwater, ground ice and frost, the wind, and the sea; landforms developed on limestone; and landscape evolution, a discussion of ancient landforms, including palaeosurfaces, stagnant landscape features, and evolutionary aspects of landscape change. This third edition has been fully updated to include a clearer initial explanation of the nature of geomorphology, of land surface process and form, and of land-surface change over different timescales. The text has been restructured to incorporate information on geomorphic materials and processes at more suitable points in the book. Finally, historical geomorphology has been integrated throughout the text to reflect the importance of history in all aspects of geomorphology. Fundamentals of Geomorphology provides a stimulating and innovative perspective on the key topics and debates within the field of geomorphology. Written in an accessible and lively manner, it includes guides to further reading, chapter summaries, and an extensive glossary of key terms. The book is also illustrated throughout with over 200 informative diagrams and attractive photographs, all in colour.

Landslides are caused by a failure of the mechanical balance within hillslopes. This balance is governed by two coupled physical processes: hydrological or subsurface flow and stress. The stabilizing strength of hillslope materials depends on effective stress, which is diminished by rainfall. This book presents a cutting-edge quantitative approach to understanding hydro-mechanical processes across variably saturated hillslope environments and to the study and prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. Topics covered include historic synthesis of hillslope geomorphology and hydrology, total and effective stress distributions, critical reviews of shear strength of hillslope materials and different bases for stability analysis. Exercises and homework problems are provided for students to engage with the theory in practice. This is an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers in hydrology, geomorphology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering and geomechanics and for professionals in the fields of civil and environmental engineering and natural hazard analysis.

The study of hillslopes is a central element of geomorphology, and has been the cause of many of the major methodological disputes in the subject. This book describes the present state of knowledge of hillslope form, the results of measurements of hillslope form and points to unresolved problems in the understanding of it. The book deals with observed variations in hillslope form across the surface of the earth and concludes by examining the influence of man on hillslopes and assessing the contribution that the understanding of natural hillslopes may make to the management of man-made inclines.