To a large extend relief of earth's surface controls all processes, both natural and human, in our environment. According to Chorley and Kennedy (1972) relief can be an element of a morphological system, which is related to other parts by physical or geometric properties. This is easily demonstrated by the relief control of local climate (e.g. flow of cool air over night causing early or late frost etc.) or by the effect of relief on the drainage system (danger of flooding) or by the combined effect of relief and subsurface materials on soil erosion in agricultural areas (Fig 1). Besides the explanation of the existing relief, research on relief-forming or geomorphological processes is important in present day geomorphology. These processes are not continuously sculpturing our relief. Weathering, transport and consumption of energy and material are forming an important part in this sculpturing system and in our natural environment in general. In addition, they are often responsible for natural hazards like avalanches, land-slides, mudflows etc. Therefore geomorphological processes represent a large part of mass balance in nature. Due to the feedback relations between climate, vegetation and soil geomorphological processes form the most important subsystem of any geosystem. Man should be careful when disturbing it. This knowledge needs to be organized and displayed on maps. Geomorphological maps or even land-systems mapping (Handbuch der naturraumlichen Gliederung Deutschland, ed. by Meynen and Schmithusen 1953-1962, Cooke and Doornkamp, 1974) are therefore essential for all geoscientists, environmentalists and planners. In most European countries geomorphological maps in different scales are currently under preparation (e.g. France, the Netherlands, German Dem. Rep., Poland, USSR). In the Federal Republic of Germany the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 1) has sponsored a special program to develop geomorphological maps 1 : 25 000 (GMK 25) and 1 : 100 000 (GMK 100). This program was started in 1976 (Barsch 1976, Leser 1976) and the first four maps (out of 35) are by now in press.