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Sandur (Credit: Miloš Rusnák, distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

GM Geomorphology Division on Geomorphology

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European Geosciences Union

Division on Geomorphology
gm.egu.eu

Division on Geomorphology

President: Kristen Cook (Emailgm@egu.eu)
Deputy President: Ronald Pöppl (Email)
ECS Representative: Romano Clementucci (Emailecs-gm@egu.eu)

Geomorphology is the scientific study of land-surface features and the dynamic processes that shape them. Besides focusing on the diverse physical landscapes of the Earth, geomorphologists also study surfaces of other planets. Understanding landform history and dynamics, and predicting future changes through a combination of field observations, physical experiments, and numerical modelling is at the heart of geomorphology. The division brings together research on processes that build topography trough e.g. the effects of tectonic forces as well as processes that modify the terrain such as weathering, erosion through running water, waves, glacial ice, wind and gravitational forces. Division members also study the impact of humans on geomorphological processes and investigate how geomorphological knowledge can be applied to solve problems of relevance to societies.

Latest posts from the GM blog

Great Names in Geomorphology A–Z: Ralph Bagnold

Ralph Alger Bagnold (3 April 1896 – 28 May 1990) was a British engineer, geomorphologist, desert explorer, and soldier. His work fundamentally changed our understanding of sediment transport. His pioneering studies of wind-blown sand and desert dunes established a quantitative, physics-based approach to aeolian geomorphology. Bagnold’s scientific career was closely connected with his fascination with deserts. As an officer in the British Army, he spent years in North Africa and used his periods off leave to explore parts of the …


From Storm to Landscape: High Resolution for Climate Risk

Welcome to ”Climate Change through a Geomorphological Lens”, a blog series exploring the changing climate from a geomorphological perspective. This first post was inspired by a single figure in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report [1]. It compares precipitation change per degree Celsius of warming across different climate models and observations for three time categories: global mean, 24-hour extremes, and sub-1-hour extremes. Figure 1 shows that observed changes per degree of warming are five times greater for …


In the News: A Geomorphologists’ perspective on the Strait of Hormuz

Welcome to In the News: A Geomorphologist’s Perspective! The intent of this series is to explore the geology and geomorphology of places that are currently in the news. For this first installment, we’ll do a quick tour of how geological processes have laid the groundwork for current fighting over control of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran war, and the Strait of Hurmuz, have dominated the news cycle since attacks from the U.S. and Israel began in February. But how …


Great Names in Geomorphology A–Z: Frank Ahnert

Introducing our new mini-series by GM Blog co-editor Wioleta Porębna: Great Names in Geomorphology A–Z! Our readers will choose the next name in alphabetical order – leave your suggestions in the comments! Frank Ahnert (12 December 1927 – 10 September 2017) was a German geomorphologist whose work played a pivotal role in establishing quantitative and process-based approaches to the study of landforms. As Professor of Geomorphology at RWTH Aachen University, he helped shape modern thinking on how landscapes evolve through …

Recent awardees

Maarten G. Kleinhans

Maarten G. Kleinhans

  • 2026
  • Ralph Alger Bagnold Medal

The 2026 Ralph Alger Bagnold Medal is awarded to Maarten G. Kleinhans for impactful research in fluvial and coastal biogeomorphology through analog and numerical modeling.


Dongfeng Li

Dongfeng Li

  • 2026
  • Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award

The 2026 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Dongfeng Li for outstanding and extensive contributions to our understanding of high mountain and cold region erosional processes, and sediment dynamics.


Christopher D. Clark

Christopher D. Clark

  • 2025
  • Ralph Alger Bagnold Medal

The 2025 Ralph Alger Bagnold Medal is awarded to Christopher D. Clark for fundamentally advancing the understanding of glacial landscapes, landforms, and geomorphological processes.


Jana Eichel

Jana Eichel

  • 2025
  • Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award

The 2025 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Jana Eichel for outstanding and innovative work on the feedbacks between plants and geomorphic processes in high mountains.


Jil van Etten

Jil van Etten

  • 2025
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Jil van Etten Periglacial puzzles: Unravelling environmental controls on solifluction lobe morphometry


Jonah McLeod

Jonah McLeod

  • 2025
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Jonah McLeod Planform as a Dominant Control on Sediment Intermittency: Global Analysis of River Transport Patterns


Leona Repnik

Leona Repnik

  • 2025
  • Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award

The 2025 Outstanding Student and PhD candidate Presentation (OSPP) Award is awarded to Leona Repnik Historical photogrammetry for DoDs in deglaciating environments: challenges and opportunities

Current issue of the EGU newsletter

In our September issue, we ask whether our accelerating technological advancement is still serving science (and scientists), and hear from the incoming Early Career Scientist rep for the Geosciences Instrumentation and Data Systems (GI) Division Luigi Bianco. Don't miss your chance to register for one of our autumn workshops the Outreach Committee is seeking a consultant to help develop a mentoring programme.

All this and much more, in this month's Loupe!

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