Some problems in using landforms as evidence for climatic change

Date
1980
Authors
Marker, M. E.
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research
Abstract
Landforms are used as evidence for past climatic conditions on the basis of morphoclimatic explanation. Problems arise because the relationships from climatic parameters through process to landforms are not direct. The problems inherent in employing landform evidence are discussed under the headings: Recognition, Interpretation, Application, Correlation and Chronology. It is concluded that certain landforms provide unequivocal evidence for climatic change even though landform evidence must always be circumstantial. An individual landform alone does not prove climatic change although an entire assemblage exhibiting similar tendencies might. Where, however, evidence from other areas and other lines of evidence also point to the same conditions, then the conclusions may be accepted more securely. Landform evidence has a place in Quaternary studies, but it must be used with caution.
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