Quantifying rates and timescales of geomorphic processes

In the past decade, the application of a variety of new tools has spurred significant advances in quantifying the rates and timing of geomorphic processes. These advancements resulted from improvements in methods for collecting and interpreting data, increased access to analytical facilities, and creative applications of techniques to new problems. New analytical techniques are emerging as mainstream procedures for evaluating the temporal and spatial variations of Earth surface processes. In this and the next issue of Earth Surface Processes and Landforms we highlight new applications of geochemical, field and modelling methods applied to problems in landform evolution. These applications address processes related to erosion and sedimentation on small, intermediate and large temporal and spatial scales. We present an overview of techniques and applications discussed in these two special issues, as well as some of the limitations and future challenges inherent to these techniques.