The Promise for Geomorphic Discovery in the South

Abstract

Until recently a neglected region, renown for limited exposures, the southern United States is becoming an area of geomorphic discovery. This article presents an overview of current geomorphic research in this region, suggesting that despite past problems, academic geographers have made significant contributions to the geomorphology of the South in recent years. Research topics published on the region are highly varied, with some spatial bias as well as topical bias toward fluvial systems. Yet because of the limited historical work, much is unknown about these unique landscapes and their susceptibility to natural and human disturbances, and much benefit is to be gained from both applied and theoretical study of them.

Key Words:

• geomorphology
• environment
• landscapes
• Coastal Plain
• Appalachian Mountains and Plateaus
• southeastern United States