Geomorphology literally means the study of the Earth’s landforms. It is defi ned by the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG; www.geomorph.org) as the interdisciplinary and systematic study of landforms and their landscapes, as well as the Earth surface processes that create them. Geomorphologists investigate landforms and landscapes addressing multiple aspects, such as their genesis,  morphometry , chronology and past and future evolution. They also investigate Earth surface processes not only to understand their morphogenetic role, but also to gain a scientifi c basis for assessing and managing a great deal of environmental problems associated with them, notably geohazards (e.g. landslides, fl oods, subsidence, earthquakes). 

The landforms of Austria are the direct consequence of a continuous interplay between tectonic and climatic forces that have built, destroyed and reshaped the surface of the most iconic mountain belt on Earth for almost 40 Million years. As such, landforms can only be understood with a thorough geological background. This paper gives an overview of the tectonic evolution, the geological build up and the landscape evolution in the Austrian territory. The tectonic evolution of the rocks forming the major tectonic units of Austria can be traced back to some 500 Million years when they were located at different ancient continents including Gondwana, Avalonia and Laurasia. In the late Palaeozoic, the basement rocks were affected by the Variscan tectonometamorphic event during amalgamation of the supercontinent Pangaea and by a Permian extensional event.

1 Introduction to the Landscapes and Landforms of Italy Mauro Soldati and Mauro Marchetti
Part I Physical Environment
2 The Great Diversity of Italian Landscapes and Landforms: Their Origin and Human Imprint Mauro Marchetti, Mauro Soldati, and Vittoria Vandelli
3 Outline of the Geology of Italy Alfonso Bosellini
4 The Climate of Italy Simona Fratianni and Fiorella Acquaotta
5 Morphological Regions of Italy Paola Fredi and Elvidio Lupia Palmieri
Part II Landscapes and Landforms

The variety of Swiss landscapes is due to the combination of varied structural and climatic contexts and a rich geological heritage. The book is divided in three mainsections. The first section presents the physical context and details the variety of Swiss geomorphological landscapes. The second section proposes 23 examples of Swiss landscapes, in three main subsections: eight examples of structural landscapes; nine cases of glacial, periglacial and high mountain landscapes; and six examples of river landscapes and landscapes related to gravity-driven processes. The last section deals with geoheritage, geoparks and geotourism. <...>