1997 has seen further evidence of the wide variety of issues and approaches impacting studies of the geomorphology of drylands. The dynamic nature of this field of geomorphology is also indicated by the number of special or theme sessions devoted
to this speciality at major meetings in 1997, including annual meetings of the Association of American Geographers and the Geological Society of America, as well as the 4th International Conference on Geomorphology in Bologna, Italy.
A large amount of recent and current research in arid lands geomorphology suggests that landform development is episodic, with climatic changes in timescales of decades to centuries providing an overable process framework. This article provides