Hillslope processes / Склоновые процессы

Hillslopes occupy most of the land surface of the Earth. In areas of erosional topography the entire landscape, except the valley floors, consists of hillslopes. Consequently, hillslopes are a major focus of research in geomorphology. The study of hillslopes is essential not only in order to understand better the natural landscape but also for numerous practical reasons, such as controlling soil erosion and sedimentation on agricultural lands and mitigating the hazard posed by landslides. Geomorphologists have studied hillslopes since the latter part of the 19th century, but until the late 1950s their research focused almost exclusively on morphology. During the past 30 years, however, there has been a growing interest in hillslope processes, and today research on processes dominates this branch of geomorphology <...>