Interannual, decadal and multidecadal scale climatic variability and geomorphology

Abstract

Climatologists have identified and started to explain a range of different modes of climatic variability which seem to be essential components of behaviour of the global climatic system. Of potentially high geomorphological importance are oscillations in climate over interannual to century scales. A range of geomorphological impacts of such climatic oscillations has been recognised, such as alterations in streamflow and sediment yield, mass movement frequencies and coastal erosion, some recent findings on which are reviewed here. Geomorphological impacts of interannual, decadal and multidecadal scale climatic variability vary from place to place and time to time, and are often complexly related to impacts of tectonic and human factors. The importance of improved understanding of decadal scale climatic variability for the progress of geomorphology in general is discussed in terms of the development of geomorphic ideas.