Desert landforms

Abstract

About one-third of the earth's land surface is desert. Yet, despite a large and varied literature, Desert Landforms is the first book arranged around landforms rather than geomorphic processes. A reeurrent theme is that desert landforms occur in assemblages that are profoundly influenced by geology and major relief. Accordingly, landforms are discussed within a number of fractional groupings in a downslope sequence of settings, ranging from desert upland to plain, an approach influenced by the author's experience in mapping such landform groupings in arid Australia. Professor Mabbutt draws on the world's deserts for his examples (with some bias towards Australia to remedy general neglect in the literature), illustrating them with an excellent and numerous collection of judiciously chosen plates. Desert Landforms is one volume in the series An Introduction to Systematic Geomorphology, designed for use at university level, which has found ready welcome also in schools and among the many people geologists and scientists included who find interest in the what and the why of natural scenery. The examples and discussions are wide-ranging and stimulating enough to encourage readers towards further sources and, above all, to attract them into the desert to see and enjoy for themselves. Show more