Geomorphology in context: Dispatches from the field

• Surprises in the field reveal differences between expectations and reality.
• The spatial context of a site affects its geomorphic processes.
• Researchers may be unaware of their biases.
• Adversity can lead to discovery.

Field research enables a researcher to view geomorphic systems in broader contexts than those envisioned while at a desk and can yield unanticipated insights that change the course of an investigation or affect the interpretation of results. Geomorphological field research often produces ‘aha!’ moments, epiphanies that enhance understanding and lead toward more complete explanation of the processes and landforms under study. This paper uses examples from ‘aha!’ moments in the field to demonstrate the importance of field observation as a way of gaining information about the broader contexts of research sites, especially in process geomorphology. Spatial contexts include the scales of processes and features, linkages between a study site and its surroundings, and information observed in the field about other processes, anthropogenic activities, or unexpected factors that might affect a study. Temporal contexts, not as evident in the field, place a research site in a longer term history of changes and adjustments. Finally, exploring an abstract set of mental contexts reveals reasons that expectations differ from the realities encountered in the field—constraints and biases that a researcher may not have noted—and the possibility that the unexpected can potentially advance geomorphic research. Time spent in the field complements scientific reductionism and provides opportunities to appreciate the richness and complexity of Earth surface systems.