The British Society for Geomorphology hosts an annual conference each year, where we explore all facets of geomorphology through talks from members across the society. This ranges from academic research to applied geomorphology case studies and learning. A conference dinner is held with an Awards ceremony. The conference has long provided a platform for early career researchers to share their work in a collegial and supportive environment, and we particularly welcome contributions from early career researchers and practitioners. The oral and poster presentation sessions provide an excellent opportunity to share your latest research and practice, while the early career researcher and professional geomorphology workshops will offer a great chance to develop technical and transferable skills alongside new or familiar peers.
2026 British Society for Geomorphology Annual Meeting
We are pleased to announce that the BSG2026 conference will be hosted by the University of Lincoln, specifically the Climate, Catchments, Coasts and Communities Research Group, with Dr Catherine Sanders (CSanders@lincoln.ac.uk) leading the local organising committee. It will be in the week commencing 31st August 2026 with the exact dates to be confirmed.
More information to come!
If you are interested in hosting the BSG Annual Conference, we need hosts for 2027, 2028 and 2029 so please do get in touch! You can do so here.
Check out the highlights from previous conferences further down the page.
The BSG Annual Conference is the most important event in the BSG calendar, bringing together geomorphology researchers and professionals to share their work and network with peers. This year the conference was held at the University of Leeds at Cloth Hall Court, in the city centre. It was hosted by the School of Geography, the River Basin Processes and Management research cluster and water@leeds. For more details on our 2025 conference please see the conference website: University of Leeds BSG Annual Conference.
This year was extra special as we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, which has its origin at Leeds and for which there will be a special issue this year with the theme ‘50 years of changing geomorphological processes and landforms’.
We celebrated the BSG Medal and Award winners through keynote presentations, and hosted the third Cuchlaine King Symposium, supported by Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. The conference dinner was held at the fantastic Royal Armouries.
Full report coming soon.
Many thanks to the local organising committee:
Prof Jonathan Carrivick
Prof Joseph Holden
Dr Megan Klaar
Prof Mark Smith
Prof Duncan Quincey
In September 2024, Loughborough University welcomed over 120 delegates to its campus in the East Midlands (plus a further 20 online delegates) for the Annual Conference of the British Society for Geomorphology. Check out the highlights below!
Pre-conference Fieldtrip
The conference began with a pre-conference field excursion to the Charnwood Forest Geopark, where over 25 delegates explored three key locations in this important area for UK geology: Morley Quarry, Beacon Hill and Bradgate Park. Despite a damp start, the weather improved as the excursion considered how geology shapes the modern landscape, searched for internationally famous Ediacran age fossils, and considered the critical aspects of geoconservation required to preserve these landscapes for future generations.
Conference Proceedings
The main conference proceedings began with workshops organised and facilitated by the BSG Postgraduate Forum on navigating funding and fellowship applications and the BSG Committee for Professional Geomorphologists on Life as a Professional Geomorphologist, before two and a half days of scientific sessions. The seven oral sessions and > 40 posters showcased the breadth and diversity of geomorphology, from dryland and arid environments through to river restoration via tectonic geomorphology, sediment transport processes, glacial environments and novel applications of emerging technologies. Throughout the oral sessions we also had the opportunity to celebrate the 2024 BSG Medal and Award winners.
Cuchlaine King Symposium
The conference featured the second Cuchlaine King Symposium, with invited speakers highlighting the importance of ‘Extreme Events in Geomorphology’ across multiple geomorphic domains including mountain landscapes, deserts, coasts, and on Mars. The Special Issue in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms associated with the Symposium remains open for submissions, and we would like to encourage you to share your work here.
Awards and Networking
Alongside the scientific sessions, the BSG conference provided an opportunity for networking and socialising amongst delegates with the Icebreaker drinks reception held in the Robert Allison Suite at Loughborough University stadium (named after former Vice-Chancellor at Loughborough and former Chair of the BSG) and the Conference dinner and Awards ceremony held in the delightful surroundings of Holywell Park. We were pleased to welcome special guest Prof Chris Linton, grandson of Prof David Linton, to present the Medals at the Awards ceremony.
The 2022 BSG Annual Conference was held in Northumbria. Check out the highlights below and view a blog post from our Postgraduate Sub-Committe Chair Marina.
Pre-conference Fieldtrip
The pre-conference fieldtrip took place on Sunday 4th September. Participants headed to a series of remote Northumberland sites of geomorphological interest, with a primary focus on sites that were part of active or planned river restoration projects, and/or where river channels and their floodplains have been subject to recent extreme geomorphological perturbations linked to historical intervention. The trip was led by professional geomorphologists from the Environment Agency.
Postgraduate Workshop - Grants, Geomorph Jobs and Beyond
The postgraduate workshop provided a forum to discuss and plan an individuals future in Geomorphology. The workshop discussed all things grants and funding related with a great panel of academics.
Professional Workshop - To Model or Not to Model
The professional workshop held a discussion around the benefits and disadvantages of modelling of applied geomorphological projects.
Conference presentations and talks
The conference took place from Monday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, covering a wide range of topics including fluvial, glacial, coastal, desert and planetary geomorphology.
Poster Presentation and Networking Event
On the Tuesday evening a networking event was held in the impressive Wylam Brewery, set in the beautiful grounds of Exhibition Park. A wide variety of posters were presented covering the latest research in the field of geomorphology as well as practical case studies from the applied/professional geomorphology attendees.
Feedback from this years attendees:
‘I would like to point out the amazing British geomorphology community that attended the event. From industries, professors, to Phd students, the friendship and network that I created during the event was unique. I will definitely attend the next events.’ (Gustavo Nagel, Southampton University)
‘The BSG 2022 Conference fieldtrip was a fantastic opportunity to see applied geomorphology in action. We visited two upland river sites which have been historically modified and are the focus of planned river restoration activities. It was great to hear and discuss river science, options and challenges for restoraiton in the field with a diverse group of practitioners and researchers. The trip highlighted the importance of linking research with practice on the ground. I enjoyed the trip and would recommend any one with an interest in geomorphology to join future BSG fieldtrips’ (Hannah Joyce, River Restoration Centre)