The 51st Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium: An introduction to the special issue “Geomorphology in the Anthropocene”

Abstract

The 51st Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium was held on October 15–17, 2021, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this symposium focused on the theme of Geomorphology in the Anthropocene while navigating the unique challenges presented by the waning pandemic. Despite these challenges, twelve live oral presentations were delivered either virtually or in-person and poster presentations were presented under the themes of Biogeomorphology, Climate Change, Land degradation and Erosion, Sedimentological Processes, The Critical Zone, and Natural Hazards. Through continued symposia and special issues such as this one, the Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium seeks to assess the rate of change of geomorphic processes, promote advancement through technological and scientific methodologies, and understand the new paradigms presented by the rapidly changing Earth surface. The authors of this introduction emphasize that, in light of the rapidly-changing geomorphic processes and feedbacks with the climate and biotic systems they affect, practicing geomorphologists and researchers must prioritize sharing our understanding of the natural world and the extent of humans' modifications of all its cycles with the general public and policy-makers: those with little or no formal training in geomorphology, yet who wield considerable power to alter geomorphic processes.