EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, VOL. 10,87-93 (1985)

BOOK REVIEWS

Reader’s Note SEDIMENT BUDGETS AND ROUTING IN FORESTED DRAINAGE BASINS by F. J. Swanson et al.

This volume was reviewed in ESPL Vol. 9, No. 2 by Nick Cox, and was correctly stated to be out of print at that time. It has now been reprinted and copies are available free of charge from: Dr. Fred Swanson, Pacific NW Forest & Range Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3200 Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, U.S.A.

MEGA-GEOMORPHOLOGY, Rita Gardner and Helen Scoging (Eds), Oxford University Press, 1983. No, of pages: 240.

This book contains twelve papers out of those pre- sented at the 21st anniversary meeting of the British Geomorphological Research Group held in London in March, 1981, a5 well as an introduction by Rita Gardner explaining the rationale behind the conference and the book. Noting that 75 per cent of geomorphological papers in 1980 were micro-scale process studies, the conference aimed to reinvigorate mega-scale studies which had been eclipsed in previous decades. To judge from the success of many of the papers in the book, it seems that geomorphologists are now in a position to contribute to such large-scale problems.

Readers might be surprised by some of the topics included in a book on mega-geomorphology and there is need for some explanation. Some papers deal with process-form relationships of large dynamic systems such as ice sheets, global sea level, mountains, deserts, and loess. Whereas these are clearly large-scale systems, there are other major systems which are unrepresented, for example, submarine, humid tropical, mid-latitude, and extra-terrestrial geomorphology. Instead there are a number of papers dealing with essentially micro or meso- scale geomorphological systems whose inclusion is justi- fied on the grounds that they can be viewed in aggregate at a large scale. The problem is neatly illustrated by H. J. Walker’s paper on small-scale features of the Arctic where the prefix to the title is E pluribus mum. Other examples include a paper by L. Starkel on the response of mid-latitude rivers to climatic change, a well-illustrated description of man-induced land subsidence by D. R. Coates, and a splendid paper by P. D. Komar on beach cusps and related features. It is important to mention these papers because one would not expect to find them in a book entitled Mega-geomorphology. Another surprise is F. K. Hare’s paper on the physical climatology of the desert fringe.

Of the papers dealing with large-scale systems H. F. Garner discusses the evolution of the Ecuadorian Andes, linking tectonic and climatic events since uplift in the Eocene and the establishment of present climatic patterns in the lower Oligocene. David Drewry models the mor- phology of the Antarctic ice sheet in terms of the flow properties of ice and highlights the important role of basal water variations. The models are ripe for application to former northern hemisphere ice sheets. Both J. Chappell and N. A. Morner discuss short and long term fluctu- ations in global sea level. The mind boggles at the implications of the latter paper with geoidal sea level fluctuatingcyclically with variations in the earth’s tilt and rotation and thereby affecting both sea and groundwater levels as well as Ocean oxygen isotope ratios indepen- dently of glacial fluctuations. Three papers deal with continental interiors. M. Mainguet views the long term evolution of the Sahara and the present day aeolian dynamics and is able to shed new perspectives on the role of wind scour and the origin of ergs. A. Goudie assembles a mass of evidence showing that the deserts experienced drier and not wetter conditions during glacial episodes, while E. Derbyshire opens up the Chinese literature in a discussion of the origin of China’s loess. The conclusion is that the loess reflects wind activity associated with the progressive dessication of central Asia since the early Pleistocene and that it has little to do with glacial activity as sometimes suggested.

All in all a reader wiIl find much of interest in this book. It is well produced with numerous illustrations. Both its title and a number of papers are thought provoking. Along with the editors one hopes that such thoughts will help stimulate interest in large-scale geomorphological systems, a necessary complement to more detailed studies if geomorphology as a whole is to progress efficiently.

DAVID SUGDEN Department of Geography

University of Aberdeen

1985 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.