morphodynamics

Morphodynamics is a field focusing on the reciprocal interactions between form and the processes that shape it. It treats morphology as dynamic and the drivers as feedbacks rather than a one-way cause. It spans earth surface processes and biological development, and uses interdisciplinary methods.

In earth sciences, morphodynamics refers to the coupled evolution of landforms and the processes that operate on them, such as river flow, sediment transport, wind, waves, and tectonics. The concept emphasizes feedback loops: how a channel's shape modifies flow patterns, which then influence erosion and deposition, altering the shape again. Examples include river meanders, channel avulsion, dune growth, and shoreline retreat or advance.

In biology and tissue mechanics, morphodynamics studies how growth, cellular proliferation, differentiation, and mechanical forces interact to generate organismal forms. It considers how tissue stiffness, tension, and constraints influence morphogenesis and how the resulting morphology feeds back to modulate growth.

Methodologies include computational modeling of coupled partial differential equations for mass and momentum balance, phase-field or level-set methods to track moving boundaries, laboratory experiments, field measurements, and data-driven approaches.

The aims include improving predictive capability for landscape evolution, understanding fundamental principles of form generation, and informing design in engineering and medicine. The field remains diverse, with varying terminology across disciplines yet a common emphasis on feedbacks between form and process.