An inspection of the globe immediately reveals an imbalance of areas of land and sea and the almost infinite variation of shape and relief forms which characterise the continental and oceanic areas (Figure 1.1). It is the intention of this book to describe and account for the development of the large-scale features of the Earth's surface. An attempt will be made to indicate why the composition, configuration and structure of the Earth's crust is of fundamental interest to all geographers and natural scientists.

The development of geomorphology can be traced from nineteenth–century physical geography, through a study entitled ‘Physiography’ which was propounded by T.H. Huxley, to the geomorphology of W.M. Davis at the beginning of the present century. Davis was responsible for introducing the three basic elements of geomorphology: structure, process and stage. Structure embraces the materials of the Earth's surface from which landforms are produced by the active processes of weathering, erosion and sedimentation. The stage, or morphological development of a landform, was related to the factor of time through which the processes had worked. In the last 20 years geomorphologists have tended to concentrate much of their energies unravelling the processes which operate and on how to measure them. Whilst in no way decrying this trend, this account of world geomorphology attempts to refocus attention onto the major physical features of the Earth's surface, emphasising their significance in terms of man's environment and economic well-being.