Humid Landforms Ian Douglas Professor of Geography University of New England

I I Humid Landforms Landforms Humid Douglas Volume One An Introduction to Systematic Geomorphology Landscapes which contain moving water are perhaps the most sccnically attractive, and to a geomorphologist have long been a central focus for Humid Landforms landform studies. Humid Landforms examines from a novel angle the effects of running water on the landscape, emphasising the processes Ian Douglas changing valleys and rivers. The author takes the humid tropics as the most characteristic case of landform evolution through water erosion and deposition and treats humid temperate lands, previously accepted as the ‘normal’ pattern of landform evolution, as a variation of the situation in the humid tropics. The book emphasises the basic principles of chemical, physical and biotic interrelationships which affect the pattern of landform evolution and provides the reader with a greater understanding of the changes, sometimes dramatic, that moving water makes to the surrounding countryside. Jacket photograph of the Crystal Cascades of Freshwater Creek near Cairns, Queensland, taken by the author I I Humid Landforms Landforms Humid Douglas Volume One An Introduction to Systematic Geomorphology Landscapes which contain moving water are perhaps the most sccnically attractive, and to a geomorphologist have long been a central focus for Humid Landforms landform studies. Humid Landforms examines from a novel angle the effects of running water on the landscape, emphasising the processes Ian Douglas changing valleys and rivers. The author takes the humid tropics as the most characteristic case of landform evolution through water erosion and deposition and treats humid temperate lands, previously accepted as the ‘normal’ pattern of landform evolution, as a variation of the situation in the humid tropics. The book emphasises the basic principles of chemical, physical and biotic interrelationships which affect the pattern of landform evolution and provides the reader with a greater understanding of the changes, sometimes dramatic, that moving water makes to the surrounding countryside. Jacket photograph of the Crystal Cascades of Freshwater Creek near Cairns, Queensland, taken by the author This book was published by ANU Press between 1965–1991. This republication is part of the digitisation project being carried out by Scholarly Information Services/Library and ANU Press. This project aims to make past scholarly works published by The Australian National University available to a global audience under its open-access policy. Humid Landforms A n Introduction To Systematic G eomorphology The following volumes have been published 2 Desert Landforms J. A. Mabbutt 3 Landforms o f Cold Climates J. L. Davies 4 Coasts E.C.F. Bird 5 Structural Landforms C. R. Twidale 6 Volcanoes Cliff Ollier 7 Karst J. N. Jennings An Introduction to Systematic Geomorphology Volume One Humid Landforms Ian Douglas Professor of Geography University of New England Australian National University Press Canberra 1977 First published in Australia 1977 Printed in Singapore for the Australian National University Press, Canberra © Ian Douglas 1977 This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism, or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Douglas, Ian. Humid landforms. (An introduction to systematic geomorphology; vol. 1). Index. Bibliography. ISBN 0 7081 0159 3 (Cloth) ISBN 0 7081 1193 9 (Paper) 1. Landforms. I. Title. (Series). 551.35 INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES This series is conceived as a systematic geomorphology at university level. It will have a role also in high school education and it is hoped the books will appeal as well to many in the community at large who find an interest in the why and wherefore of the natural scenery around them. The point of view adopted by the authors is that the central themes of geomorphology are the characterisation, origin, and evolution of landforms. The study of processes that make land scapes is properly a part of geomorphology, but within the present framework process will be dealt with only in so far as it elucidates the nature and history of the landforms under discussion. Certain other fields such as submarine geomorphology and a survey of general principles and methods are also not covered in the volumes as yet planned. Some knowledge of the elements of geology is presumed. Four volumes will approach landforms as parts of systems in which the interacting processes are almost completely motored by solar energy. In humid climates (Volume One) rivers dominate the systems. Fluvial action, operating differently in some ways, is largely responsible for the landscapes of deserts and savannas also (Volume Two), though winds can become preponderant in some deserts. In cold climates, snow, glacier ice, and ground ice come to the fore in morphogenesis (Volume Three). On coasts (Volume Four), waves, currents, and wind are the prime agents in the complex of processes fashioning the edge of the land. Three further volumes will consider the parts played passively by the attributes of the earth’s crust and actively by processes deriving energy from its interior. Under structural landforms (Volume Five), features immediately consequent on earth move ments and those resulting from tectonic and lithologic guidance of denudation are considered. Landforms directly the product of volcanic activity and those created by erosion working on volcanic materials are sufficiently distinctive to warrant separate treatment (Volume Six). Though karst is undoubtedly delimited lithologically, it is fashioned by a special combination of processes centred on vi Introduction to the Series solution so that the seventh volume partakes also of the character of the first group of volumes. J. N. Jennings General Editor PREFACE Landforms created by running water dominate the land surface of earth. However, although the role of water is seen everywhere, it is seen at its best in those regions where the climates are wet enough to support a forest vegetation with a continuous canopy. The seasonal fluctuations in the character of precipitation with snow in winter and rain in summer which characterise cool temperate forest climates and the legacies of recent past cold periods in high latitudes means that the landforms of the humid tropics should be regarded as the ‘normal’ or ‘type’ features due to erosion by running water. This discussion of humid landforms therefore attempts to break with traditional approaches and to discuss humid landforms from the standpoint of the humid tropics. In addition, it seeks to demon strate that the processes creating and destroying landforms are also those that regulate biotic activity at the earth’s surface. The approach followed in this book is to describe the processes affecting the evolution of landforms in terms of the circulations of energy, water and materials before introducing the complication of legacies of different ages from the past. Theories of landform evolution are briefly reviewed in the final chapter. It is hoped that this arrange ment will encourage readers to think about the variety of ways in which landforms are changing at present and to use their own experience to evaluate the theories currently discussed in geomor phology. Armidale I. D. 1976 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The encounters with humid landforms that have provided the experience from which this book stems have been fostered by research opportunities provided by the Universities of Oxford, Strasbourg, Hull, Malaya and New England together with the Australian National University. The various scholarships and research grants which I held at those institutions made travel to tropical and temperate environments possible, and fieldwork under the guidance of Marjorie Sweeting, Jean Tricart, Joe Jennings and with the advice of the late Robert Ho greatly enhanced my under standing of the landforms of those areas. A special debt is owed to Maureen Douglas, Ronald Douglas, Ken Gregory and Anton Imeson, who all commented on the text and to Tony Spenceley who helped compile some of the diagrams. Denis Dwyer and Ed Derbyshire provided ideal conditions at Keele University during study leave for the final revision of the book. Cartography by Reg Dean, Keith Scurr, Wendy Wilkinson, Johnnie Ngai, Eric Schofield, Tony King, Bill Neal, Rudi Boskovic, Paul Branscheid, Mick Roach and Mrs A. Patrick improved the diagrams, while Margaret Watson, Sue Nano and Sue Davis typed successive drafts of the manuscript. The Director of National Mapping, Department of National Resources, Australia; the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia; the Australian In formation Service and Joe Jennings have generously supplied photographs. The University of Exeter and Dr Ken Gregory gave permission for the reproduction of figure 31. However, above all thanks are particularly due to Joe Jennings, editor of this series, whose rigorous criticism has constantly helped to improve the quality of the text, and to the editorial staff of the A.N.U. Press, for their patience and constructive criticism. viii CONTENTS page Introduction to the Series, J. N. Jennings v Preface vii Acknowledgments viii Glossary ix I. HUMID LANDFORMS AND DENUDATION SYSTEMS 1 The geomorphological significance of the circulations of energy, water and the chemical elements

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