CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The objectives of this paper are twofold: (1) to investigate the evolution of the present landscape by inquiring into the major events of geologic history, and (2) to investigate the general configuration of the landscape and thereby establish the existence of more or less homogeneous landform regions.
Statement of Problem
Accomplishment of the objectives set forth requires that several problems be examined. These problems may be
enumerated as follows:
(1) What are the geologic elements that have determined the development of the present
landforms?
(2) In recognition of the areal variability of geologic phenomena, what distinctive areas of homogeneous topography can be discerned?
Do these areas exhibit sufficient uniformity of landforms to be classified as landform
regions?
(3) What are the characteristic topographic elements that give each landform region its individuality?
(4) What are the factors that account for the physiographic variability observed? This question is answered, in a general way, throughout the paper.
Physiography of St. Clair County, Illinois, a research paper submitted by John H. Sandy for the M.S. degree at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 1971.