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geomorphology

American  
[jee-uh-mawr-fol-uh-jee] / ˌdʒi ə mɔrˈfɒl ə dʒi /

noun

  1. the study of the characteristics, origin, and development of landforms.


geomorphology British  
/ ˌdʒiːəʊmɔːˈfɒdʒənɪ, ˌdʒiːəʊmɔːˈfɒlədʒɪ, ˌdʒiːəʊˌmɔːfəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

  1. the branch of geology that is concerned with the structure, origin, and development of the topographical features of the earth's surface

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

geomorphology Scientific  
/ jē′ō-môr-fŏlə-jē /
  1. The scientific study of the formation, alteration, and configuration of landforms and their relationship with underlying structures.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of geomorphology

First recorded in 1890–95; geo- + morphology

Explanation

Geomorphology is the study of why the landscape is shaped how it is. Why is there a mountain there, and how did it come to be? Ask someone who knows about geomorphology. Morphology is a word that means "the study of shape." It's used in linguistics (the shapes of words), biology (the shapes of animals) and geology (the shapes of landscapes). When it's used in a geology context, it's sometimes called geomorphology just to let you know which type of morphology you're dealing with. Geo means "land" or "earth," so you could think of geomorphology as meaning "the study of the shape of the land."

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Vocabulary lists containing geomorphology

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Metamorfosi residents will take the proposal to the government, together with a study by the municipality's civil engineering department citing "repeated flooding" and its geomorphology as reasons for the move.

From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2023

Luckily, my college degree is in geology with a focus on both geomorphology and hydrogeology.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023

Managing coastal erosion can be "eye wateringly expensive", said Dr John Barlow, senior lecturer in applied geomorphology at the University of Sussex.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2023

Hansen’s multidisciplinary studies also have focused on geology, geomorphology and hydrology.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2023

Geology: nothing about geomorphology or stratigraphy or even petrology.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

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