A geomorphologist, Professor Anderson studies features of landscapes that evolved in the Quaternary geologic period from about 2.5 million years ago to the present. He represents the leading edge of a new wave of quantitative geomorphologists (those who study the shape of the Earth’s surface) who are breathing new life into the study of the processes—in particular, landscape evolutions—that shape the face of our planet. While recent research has focused primarily on alpine landscapes and the glaciers and rivers that carve them, Professor Anderson’s interest extends to all varieties of landscapes. He is widely considered to be a highly original thinker in the processes of erosion and sediment transport as they shape changes in terrain over time. Professor Anderson is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and served as founding editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface. He has published 136 peer-reviewed articles. He is co-author (with his wife, Suzanne, an associate professor of geography) of the recently released textbook Geomorphology: The Mechanics and Chemistry of Landscapes. Undergraduates and graduate students who have taken his courses extol his enthusiasm and ability to make complex concepts clear.
