The statistical distributions of cosmogenic nuclide measurements from moraine boulders contain previously unused information on moraine ages, and they help determine whether moraine degradation or inheritance is more important on individual moraines. Here, we present a method for extracting this information by fitting geomorphic process models to observed exposure ages from single moraines. We also apply this method to 94 10Be apparent exposure ages from 11 moraines reported in four published studies. Our models represent 10Be accumulation in boulders that are exhumed over time by slope processes (moraine degradation), and the delivery of boulders with preexisting 10Be inventories to moraines (inheritance). For now, we neglect boulder erosion and snow cover, which are likely second-order processes. Given a highly scattered data set, we establish which model yields the better fit to the data, and estimate the age of the moraine from the better model fit. The process represented by the better-fitting model is probably responsible for most of the scatter among the apparent ages. Our methods should help resolve controversies in exposure dating; we reexamine the conclusions from two published studies based on our model fits.

Geomorphology as a scientific discipline has underwent major developments since the mid 20th century. From its original descriptive nature aiming to understand landscape evolution, it developed towards a more process-based oriented discipline. To a large extent this evolution followed a quantitative approach whereby modelling becomes more and more important. A schism between applied or engineering geomorphology and system-based geomorphology aiming at understanding landscape change emerges in the 1950-1960's. Only at the end of the 20th century – early 21st century, integration of quantitative field-based approaches on longer term issues of landscape evolution with numerical modelling emerges. This is particularly true for the Holocene for which the importance of human impact on geomorphic processes and landforms became acknowledged. With respect to landscape evolution on much longer timescales, the development of tectonic geomorphology becomes apparent. In this paper, some evolution of ideas and trends within geomorphology with respect to understanding landscape dynamics are summarised and put into the career perspective of Jef Vandenberghe.