Andrew Shaw Goudie
Geomorphological changes and human impact in the Anthropocene
Reference 3 Version 1 Date 04/10/2012
Summary

During the Anthropocene, and especially during the last three hundred years, humans have caused great changes in landforms and in the rate of operation of geomorphological processes. The study of these is called Anthropogeomorphology. The increasing use of energy means that humans are now moving very large amounts of material across the Earth’s surface. In addition to deliberate changes, human impacts have often had a series of unintended consequences, particularly as a result of land cover changes. These have affected rates of soil erosion by wind and water during the Holocene, and modified the operation of mass movement processes on slopes. Also very important have been various types of water management, including the construction of dams and reservoirs, and these have caused modifications in river sediment loads and flows, channel changes and alterations in coastal sediment budgets. Increasing levels of groundwater exploitation have contributed to ground subsidence and enhanced seismicity. Urbanisation has been another important driver of change. With climate change, the consequences of human activities will become still greater.