Contents

Preface to the Third Edition

Preface to the First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
Introduction

vi
VB
Vlll
IX

Acknowledgements

List of Contributors

xi

THE DICTIONARY OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Index

540

Preface to the Third Edition

This edition of this dictionary represents substantial evolution from the second edition.
Following consultation with the international advisory panel, whose composition
reflects many key areas of physical geography including biogeography, climatology,
environmental change and key areas of geomorphology, 200 entries from the second
edition have been removed, and replaced with 450 new entries. These were chosen
from an original list of possible new entries over twice this length, with the final
selection representing changes within the discipline, an increased international flavour,
and the need to maintain the final volume at a certain length. The total list of
contributors is increased by 34, with new experts drawn in to add their knowledge to
the volume.
Managing a volume of this size is a complex task, the size of which I did not quite
realize when approached by John Davey, formerly of Blackwell Publishers, and Andrew
Goudie. Completion of the task has been made much simpler due to the help of the
advisory panel, the goodwill of contributors, and especially to the assistance of Jill
Landeryou and Sarah Falkus at the publishers, and, in the final stages, the considerable
help given in the preparation of the final manuscript by Lucy Heath. All are thanked
enormously.
DSGT

vi

Preface to the First Edition

The preparation of a dictionary of this complexity has involved many people, and all
deserve thanks for the efficiency with which they have prepared their material on time
and in the format required. We have been fortunate in having as a model our companion volume, The Dictionary of Human Geography, which was so expertly edited by
RJ. Johnston and his team. I would like to express particular thanks to Janet Godden
for having taken over so much of the organizational burden, and to Andrew Watson for
being willing to prepare many of the short entries.
ASG

vii

Introduction
This dictionary provides definitions of terms and explanations of key ideas, concepts,
and issues in physical geography. It draws upon the wealth of knowledge of over 90
contributors and is aimed for the use of professionals, students, teachers and researchers in geography and allied environmental and life sciences.
Entries are organized alphabetically, but to aid further understanding, they are,
where appropriate, cross-referenced to other relevant entries, which are shown in
small capitals in the text. An index allows the identification of other entries in which
a term is referred to, allowing a wider sense of its usage to be gained.
Many entries are referenced and/or accompanied by suggestions for further reading.
Together, this allows source material, examples of usage and extended explanations to
be explored.

IX

Acknowledgements
The editors and publishers wish to thank the following for permission to use copyright
material.
Addison Wesley Longman Limited for the figure in groundwater from Jones, Global
hydrology: processes, resources and environmental management, 1997; reprinted by permission of Pearson Education Limited
Blackwell Publishers Ltd for the figure in floristic realms from Goudie, The nature of
the environment, 1993
Blackwell Science Ltd for the figure in carrying capacity from Begon, Harper and
Townsend, Ecology) individuals, population and communities, 1986
David Bridgland for the figure in river terrace from Bridgland, Allen and Haggart
(eds), The Quarternary of the lower reaches of the Thames: field guide, Quaternary
Research Association, 1995
Butterworth Heinemann Publishers, a division of Reed Educational & Professional
Publishing Ltd, for the figures in water lllass from Open University Oceanography
Course Team, Ocean Circulation, 1989
Cambridge University Press and W.B. Harland for the table in geological time-scale
from Harland, Armstrong, Cole, Craig, Smith and Smith, A geologic time scale 1989,
1990
Chapman & Hall for the table in Beaufort scale from Oliver and Fairbridge, The
encyclopedia of climatology, 1987; and figures in global ocean circulation and water
mass from Tolmazin, Elements of dynamic oceanography, 1985; with kind permission
from K.1uwer Academic Publishers
David Evans for the figure in crag and tail fOrllls from Benn and Evans, Glaciers and
glaciation, 1998
Longman Group Ltd for figures and tables in plate tectonics, rift valley, stress and
karren from Summerfield, Global geomorphology, 1991; and for the table in glaciofluvial from Price, Glacial and flu violglacial landforms, 1973, Oliver & Boyd
Macmillan for the figure in association, plant from Whittaker, Communities and
ecosystems, second edition, 1975
Routledge and C.C. Park for the figure in tropical rain forest from Parks, Tropical rainforests, 1992
The Geological Society for the table and figure in weathering profile from Fookes,

Tropical residual soils, 1997

Elsevier Science for the figure in pollen analysis from Behling and Hooghiemstra, in

Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology and palaeoecology 139, pp. 251-67, 1998

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders. The publishers apologize for any
errors or omissions in the above list and will be pleased to make the necessary
arrangement at the first opportunity.
x

Contributors
CAMK

Cuchlain A M King
formerly of University of
Nottingham

Allen H Perry
University of Wales, Swansea

CDC

Chris D Clark
University of Sheffield

A Henderson-Sellers
MacQuarie University

CTA

Clive T Agnew
University of Manchester

A Louise Heathwaite
University of Sheffield

DB

Denys Brunsden
formerly of King's College
London

DES

David Sugden
University of Edinburgh

DEW

DE Walling
University of Exeter

DW

David Watts
University of Hull

DGT

David G Tout
University of
Manchester

AD

Angus Duncan
University of Luton

AHP

AH-S

ALH

AMG

Angela M Gurnell
University of Birmingham

AP

Adrian Parker
University of Oxford

ARH

Alan R Hill
York University, Ontario

ASG

Andrew S Goudie
University of Oxford

AW

Andrew Watson
formerly University of Oxford

AWE

Andrew W Ellis
Arizona State University

DH

David Higgitt
University of Durham

BAK

Barbara A Kennedy
University of Oxford

DJN

David J Nash
University of Brighton

BGT

Bruce G Thom
University of Sydney

DJS

Douglas Sherman
University of Southern
California

BJS

B J Smith
Queen's University of Belfast

DLD

David L Dunkerley
Monash University

DSGT

David S G Thomas
University of Sheffield

BWA

B WAtkinson
Queen Mary & Westfield
College, London

xi

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Notes
1
2
3

Page numbers in bold indicate definitions. Those in italics indicate illustrations, maps and tables.
Specific places and species have been omitted as these are too numerous to include. Names of people
are also omitted, unless they are important historically and mentioned often.
Acronyms and initials are arranged alphabetically.

abandoned channels 203, 354

abandoned fields 288-9
abime 1
abiotic components 1
ablation 1, 99, 124, 226
balancing accumulation 179-80, 308
calving 1, 68
moraines 325
abrasion 1, 378
comminution 98, 490
facet 196
fluting 206
roche moutonnee 417
rock flour 417
roundness 421-2
ventifact 514
absolute age 1
absolute drought 148
absolute humidity 250
abundance 1
abyss 1
abyssopelagic zone 1, 345
acceleration 532
centripetal 232
and mass see force
opposing (resistance) 408-9 see also mass
strength; roughness; shear strength
and velocity (Froude number) 215
accelerator mass spectroscopy 70-1, 76, 107
accessory mineral 1
accordant junctions, law of 1, 377
accordant summits 1-2
accretion 2, 403
lateral 203, 290, 379
accumulated temperature 2, 125
accumulation (glacial) 99, 179-80, 308
acid
acidity profile (signal/record) 5
deposition 2-3,4, 150, 344
pesticides 367
pH 67, 368
precipitation 2,3,3-4, 135, 150, 338
rocks 4 see also igneous rocks
susceptibility / acid neutralizing capacity 4-5
aclinic line 5
actinometer 5
active layer 5-6, 112, 365
frost creep 6, 214

540

see also frost heave; patterned ground

active margin 6,467,471
see also earthquakes; orogeny
activity (ratio) 6, 11
actual evaporation 185-6
actual evapotranspiration (AEt) 187-8, 448
actualism see Uniformitarianism
adaptive radiation 6,198,275,515
adhesion ripple and warts 6
adiabatic processes 6-7, 372
clouds 94
condensation 100
general circulation of atmosphere 218
lapse rate 290
potential temperature 386
temperature inversion 481
thermodynamic equation 486
vorticity 518
winds see katabatic
adobe 7
adret 7
adsorption 7, 69
advection 7, 105, 247
temperature inversion 273, 481
see also convection; fog; winds
adventitious 7
aeolation 7-8
aeolian (eolian) 8, 408
see also winds
aeolianite 8, 68,513
aeration zone 8
see also vadose
aerial photography 8--9, 25, 305-6, 407
aerial camera 8
multispectral scanner superior to 329-30
photogrammetry 369
thermal infrared linescanner 269, 407, 485
see also satellites
aerobic processes 9, 20
see also oxygen; respiration
aerobiology 9
pollen analysis 9
aerodynamic ripples 10
aerography 10
aerology 10
aeronomy 10
aerosols 9, 10, 32, 372
in clouds, DMS as 137