PERIGLACIAL GEOMORPHOLOGY IN THE 21ST-CENTURY

Periglacial geomorphology, defined in a classical manner, experiences at the moment a strong development. Nevertheless, there remain weaknesses which are often derived from the fact that the clear laws of physics are seldom fully applied in the open, non-isolated systems under discussion. In the next century, important tasks in periglacial geomorphic research are the development of a better understanding of the physical nature of periglacial processes, of the relationships between periglacial processes and landforms, of former, present, and of future periglacial environments based on reliable models. The future of periglacial geomorphology is exciting, because it has to predict the environmental changes which occur in high-latitude and high-altitude periglacial geosystems if the present models of climatic changes are correct. This provides challenging possibilities for broad-scale geomorphic prediction and experimentation.