Geomorphology is the science of landforms — how mountains erode, rivers carve valleys, glaciers sculpt fjords, coastlines retreat, and sediment builds deltas and fans. At its core, landscape evolution is governed by the competition between tectonic uplift, which builds topography, and surface processes — water, ice, wind, and gravity — that wear it down. Understanding these processes requires combining fluid mechanics, sediment transport theory, and geological observation across scales from individual raindrop impacts to continental drainage networks.
These simulations let you explore five fundamental geomorphic processes: stream-power-driven river incision, diffusive hillslope creep, wave-energy coastal erosion, glacial valley carving, and alluvial fan formation. Adjust uplift rates, precipitation, wave energy, ice thickness, and sediment supply to watch landscapes evolve in real time and understand the quantitative laws that govern Earth's surface.