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The 2025 competition, generously sponsored by the British Society for Geomorphology, focused on students finding and taking a photo to demonstrate physical geography.
The theme of the competition was ‘Earthshapes’.
Each photo was accompanied with its precise location and up to 250 words that describe the focus of the physical geography in the example, explaining what it reveals or demonstrates about the power of physical geography.
We would like to congratulate all the winners and thank everyone who entered – they all entered in the good spirit of the competition and we hope you enjoy looking at, and critically reading, the explanations of the winning entries.
11–14 category (years 7–9)
1st prize: Will Miller, Chipping Campden School
Title: Mother Nature’s Architecture
Location:
Isle of Staffa
The What3words is: Chilly, cliff, sculpted
Description:
While on holiday on the Isle of Mull, I was lucky enough to go on a boat trip to the Isle of Staffa.
Staffa is an entirely volcanic island formed from molten lava flow, over 60 million years ago. The island’s geological features consist of caves, and hexagonal basalt columns.
They consist of a basement of tuff, underneath colonnades of a black fine-grained Tertiary basalt, overlying which is a third layer of basaltic lava lacking a crystalline structure. By contrast, slow cooling of the second layer of basalt resulted in an extraordinary pattern of mainly hexagonal columns which form the faces and walls of the caves. The lava contracted towards each of a series of equally spaced centres as it cooled and solidified into prismatic columns. The columns typically have three to eight sides, six being most common.
One of the most well-known caves on Staffa is Fingals cave. The cave is 230ft deep and an entrance that is 60ft high and 50ft wide.
The roof of the cave is naturally arched and the echo created by the ocean waves is similar to harmonies created in a cathedral and inspired Mendelssohn to compose his Hebrides overture.
The columns look as though they’ve been manually sculpted.
In my photo you can see hues of pinks, yellows and greens.
View judging panel comments
This is a well-constructed photo, it’s correctly exposed and has a strong focus on shape. The photo draws you into the cave which is framed well by the rock pattern and likewise, the caption draws the reader into the explanation, with the opening sentences setting the context of the photo and location clearly.
The columns, which are the centrepiece of this photo, are described well, with clear insight into the form (shape) and formation, using appropriate geoscientific vocabulary and including the important detail of the contraction process, which is often omitted from descriptions of columnar basalt. You could have used the words ‘polygonal’ and ‘regular’ to describe the pattern of columns.
The layered nature of the basalt is also interesting, but the description should have mentioned that the tuff (volcanic ash) is not visible in this photo – viewers might look for it and be frustrated or disappointed! Likewise, clarification whether the cave’s roof is the base of the overlying more massive basaltic lava layer, or simply broken columns, would have been helpful. Also, basaltic lava has a crystalline structure by its igneous origin, so using that term to describe the ‘unordered’ overlying basalt is misleading and using ‘lacking regular structure’ would be more accurate.
The geological term for the top layer is ‘entablature’ and ‘scoriaceous’ is often used to describe its poorly-ordered structure, although these are quite ‘technical’ geological terms (but worth knowing). The shape of the cave and the reference to cathedral-like architecture as a musical inspiration is an engaging ending. However, the last two sentences would have been better placed as part of the introductory context.
Overall, the judges considered this photo a well-captured opportunity to highlight the grandeur of an Earthshape accompanied by an informative caption. It merits a well-deserved first place.
2nd prize: Umika Singh, Stroud High School
Title: The Gateway Sculpted by Time
Location:
Durdle Door, Dorset
Latitude – 50.6212 N
Longitude – 2.2768 W
Description:
Photographed on the Jurassic coast, Durdle Door is a sculpted doorway of ancient sedimentary rock – a dramatic lesson in how the sea shapes the land and one of my highlights in a trip to Dorset. Cracks and bedding planes provided the first weak points; every wave pried and pushed water and air into those gaps. That hydraulic force cracked rock, while shingle and sand swung like chisels in the surf and abraded the larger hole.
Where soluble minerals existed, seawater quietly dissolved them; where salt and frost crept in, crystals and ice expanded and shattered grains from the face. Over centuries, small caves grew from relentless pounding of waves. When opposing caves met, the cliff surrendered a span – an arch remained, balanced on a natural keystone of tougher layers.
This arch both frames and directs light waves and sight turning geological process into a breathtaking sight. Left alone, time will keep pushing: the arch will thin, collapse and become a solitary stump – a cycle written by erosion.
Durdle Door doesn’t just stand: it narrates a story, the physics of coasts: joints, hydraulic action, abrasion, erosion and weathering all acting together to mould a shape we can learn from and enjoy its presence as The Gateway sculpted by time.
View judging panel comments
This is a striking image of a classic feature that is captured from an unusually different perspective and much credit is given for the creativity – it works well.
The caption is also generally well-crafted. There is creditable mention of the role that cracks and bedding planes play in the erosion process – often missed out – but where in the photo can these be seen and how does their (blocky) pattern influence the shape and dimensions of this particular arch feature? Is there a notch at the base of the arch – is this solubility or abrasion? So, whilst the general process of erosion is a neatly described general model of formation, there is limited attention to how it applies to what can be seen in the photo. The wonderful capture of sediment in the image is given scant attention.
Here is shingle – no sign of the sand, nor of the ‘chisels’ expected from the explanation – the pebbles are all rounded shapes; any sharp chisel-edges have been blunted by rolling back and forth in the surf of the beach. It is better to use the evidence to shape the explanation rather than rely too much on the model – models often don’t catch and match all!
Overall, this photo and description is a worthy attempt to create a stimulating image, but the balance of the arch and sediment captured in the photo is not matched in the description and explanation. Nevertheless, the effort and diligent enthusiasm demonstrated here deserves a winning place.
3rd prize: Emilia Bezance, Stroud High School
Title: The mysterious troll hills
Location:
Grid reference: TF 67120 41025
Description:
Me and my family every year go to this beautiful place called Hunstanton in Norfolk. Hunstanton is known for its beautiful cliffs, beaches and mysterious boulders. When I was younger, I called them troll hills but now I am utterly fascinated by how these 108-million-year-old rocks swarm the beach.
The rounded rocks and striking cliffs result from the erosion of a unique sequence of sedimentary rocks; Carstone sandstone, red chalk and white Chalk, the sea then rounds the top of these boulders, smoothing them.
Fallen boulders act as temporary protection for the cliffs resisting direct wave attack and stopping further erosion.
Although the boulders are very interesting so are the cliffs, surrounding the beach, the rainbow-like cliffs are natural vertical joints of bedrock widened by hydraulic action, freeze-thaw weathering and chemical weathering. These cliffs are home to some amazing birds such as various types of plovers, egrets and gulls. I love Hunstanton and its mysterious troll hills and find them fascinating and there are so many more secrets and questions about this beach which I want to find out about some day.
View judging panel comments
This is a well-chosen scene that portrays a variety of Earthshapes. The structure of the photo is unusual (e.g. it doesn’t follow the rule of thirds), but it does seem to work on the eye, despite the horizon being slightly sloping! The highly personal account in the description is endearing, but is limited on identifying the shapes in the photo.
Identifying the Carstone sandstone should have been clearly linked to their rounded shapes – the reader is left to surmise (after re-reading) that these are the rounded ‘troll hills’. The ‘striking cliffs’ ought to have been noted as straight and vertical. The ‘fallen boulders’ are angular – their shape helps take the energy from waves that crash into/cross over them, which is why they give some protection to the cliffs. The cliffs are not vertical joints – but joints do show in the Carstone on the beach – there are two sets at right angles, which have been widened and rounded by wave action to produce the black blocks (not boulders).
You are clearly looking – which is how you noticed these features – but a physical geographer goes beyond that and observes, by careful consideration of shape and natural geometry, and using the language of form. When combined with materials (your rock types and sea), it can lead to an understanding of the process that shaped features.
You show here that you have started to observe like a physical geographer, but need to focus and develop this skill in order to unlock your secrets and questions – not only at Hunstanton but all over the globe. The ‘amazing birds’ are a sideshow – important and impressive though they may be. On balance, you spotted a good (and unusual) example of Earthshapes and made an authentic attempt to explain which merits a winning place in the competition.
Highly commended: Kerija Mukane, Stroud High School
Title: Tidal tableau
Location:
What 3 words: Bottle.bump.ties
Description:
When we visit somewhere of natural beauty, we tend to be too distracted to notice the small details that turn a landscape into an awe-inspiring organic art installation. But I think that we should all be able to take the time to slow down, marvel in natural beauty and be grateful for the environments we are lucky enough to visit.
After exploring the coasts of Brighton and Shoreham, I have come to have a deeper appreciation for how water interacts with the sediment, pebbles and sand that it travels upon. By naming the photo ‘Tidal Tableau’, I wanted to emphasise how the force of the sea is the artist behind most, if not all, of the elements of a beach.
Oozing from the foreground and onto the sand, these pebbles have been carried, pushed, tugged and shoved by waves that enable attrition and encourage abrasion, contributing to the development of their unique appearances and shapes. Tracing down the shore and into the water, sand ripples clash with rill marks, intermingling and overlapping to uncover the footsteps of the tide and how it journeys down the coast. Sprawling beneath the glinting blue horizon for as far as the eye can see, finely ground grains of sand provide a canvas for the sea after thousands of years of processing at the hands of weathering and erosion. Every single detail listed has been meticulously sculpted and manipulated by the force of currents to form what can only be described as a natural masterpiece.
14–18 category (years 10–13)
1st prize: Abubakir Aben, Harrow School
Title: A window to the sea
Location:
Sardina.
What3words: inserting.influxes.stolen
Description:
This photograph was taken on the northwest coast of Sardinia. It captures a striking example of coastal erosion shaping the Earth’s surface. The jagged outcrop of rock in the foreground acts as a natural window frame. It looks onto the harsh, yet beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The waves bash against the coast and over thousands of years, the relentless hydraulic action and abrasion has sculpted these rocks. The waves have carved crevices, channels and pools within the harder rock outcrop. On top of the physical weathering, salt weathering and biological activity can be seen through the patches of algae.
The image highlights the dynamic interface between land and sea. The harder rocker protrudes while the softer rock has been weathered and removed to form this open area we see in the photo.
It reminds us that coastlines are ever changing, and the geography of a place is also moving, changing, adapting.
If you look at it from a different perspective, it may seem like a massive cave that looks onto an ocean, but in fact this hole is no more than 50 cm wide. This reminds us that not everything is as it seems and is more complex than you first think of it to be.
Above all, this photo highlights the unpredictability and variety of ‘earthshapes’ and their beauty.
View judging panel comments
This is a well composed image, freezing the moment yet portraying movement of the sea, together with a balance of contrast that helps the viewer focus in and out of the image and visualise the process in action. It captures a range of shapes formed by its interaction with the rocky coast and the limpets and anemones subtly provide scale (although not mentioned as such).
The description explains the shapes as formed primarily by mechanical processes, but the absence of pebbles or gritty material, and solidity of the rock with no clear ‘crevices’ visible, indicates that the dominant processes in action here are solution (by seawater) aided by biochemical solution by algae, which you mention as ‘biological’ (the biology is the agent – chemical solution is the process).
The curved shape of the notches framing the action provide further evidence – mechanical action would produce much more angular and irregular shape. Neither is there evidence of harder and softer rock and differential erosion. The foreground shows the rock to be a classic limestone – the fragments of fossil shells (possibly fossil oysters) are plain to see. They also point to solution weathering as the fossil shells protrude from the rock, lending rock the jagged appearance, because they are more resistant to the chemical action of the seawater.
The limestone does not indicate it is porous, so salt weathering is likely to be minimal, but the double hollows of the pool in the foreground are typical of solution holes. The lesson here is to observe any locality carefully, with attention to materials, geometry and accurate terminology, then use the observations to work out the processes, rather than plumping for the ‘standard’ model to fit all. The real world is more unpredictable and variable, as your final sentence highlights.
Overall, the judges considered this photo capturing the shaping of a coastline from an unusual perspective that immerses the viewer in the action, by which it wins the top place.
2nd prize: Will Pattinson, Harrow School
Title: Burford: A Town on the Rise
Location:
Burford
51°48’36.7″N 1°38’09.4″W
Description:
Burford Hill sits at the center of the Cotswold town of Burford, Oxfordshire, and is a defining “Earthshape” of the local landscape. Its steep slope is the result of Jurassic limestone that has changed shape over millions of years due to natural forces such as erosion and the steady work of the River Windrush. As the river flows at the foot of the hill, it slowly carves into the limestone, creating a deep valley. Over time, weathering from freeze-thaw cycles and mass movement, along with gradual earth slides, has made the hillside even steeper, giving Burford its unique appearance.
The form of the hill has influenced human settlement and activity for centuries. Buildings of honey-coloured stone line the road, matching the geology of the landscape, alongside adapting to the slope, while the steep incline creates a natural vantage point that historically offered both defensive benefits and trade visibility. Today, the hill channels traffic and visitors alike through the historic high street, where the interaction between the physical landscape and human design is breath-taking.
Burford Hill is a great example of how geomorphological processes from river erosion to shifting slopes, shape not only the natural environment but also how people live, including myself, a past resident of Burford. Even in a busy town, the landscape beneath our feet sets the stage for daily life and helps Burford thrive year after year.
View judging panel comments
This is an interesting photograph, capturing a feature shape that is easy to overlook and take for granted. Burford is a much-photographed subject, but is usually viewed downslope, which flattens the topography. This photo draws the viewer into the street and takes them up the hill so there is a good sense of the slope.
The towering clouds above add a dramatic shape, so it is a pity these are not mentioned. There is mention about how the hill has influenced humans but more could have been made of the shape of the incline indicated by the stepped appearance of the houses, and the green banks reveal a cutting towards the top of the slope (worn away by years of traffic), rather than the more general points which cannot be observed in the photo. Also ‘breath-taking’ seems a melodramatic description. The explanation gives a good general impression of how the slope has steepened, but when and how did the river carve into the limestone to create it?
‘Several million years’ is a bit vague. A note on this (geological) story would have enhanced understanding of this valley side as a scarp slope (the northern side is a gentler incline dip slope) and also helped viewers realise the almost level foreground of the photo is part of the floodplain of the River Windrush valley. Think through (and research) the geographical conditions observed at locations so that the basic elements of models can be adapted to fully explain the particular features seen. However, the title has been thoughtfully devised and its double meaning is a reminder of how physical settings have often been adapted by people and are there to see in everyday environments.
This photo is a good example of looking beyond the obvious and spotting the opportunities to consider the physical geography that surround us, and it merits a well-deserved place as a winner.
3rd prize: Emily Jones, Bromsgrove School
Title: Balancing Act
Location:
Hin lak island, Angthong National Marine Park
9.55543*N, 99.69036*E
What3Words/// tingly.cheapens.athletic
Description:
This captivating Limestone stack is an intriguing ‘Earthshape’. An array of erosional processes have taken place here, taking it from a headland to a stack. Originally, this stack would have been part of a larger landform, and due to hydraulic action and abrasion, cracks in the headland would have opened up as it is a sedimentary rock which has many strata, making it susceptible to erosion.
The waves continue to erode the cracks, opening it to form a cave, which continues to be eroded by waves and breaks through to the other side to form an arch. As the waves further erode the base of the arch, the roof collapses into the sea. The waves gradually erode the base of the stack, through hydraulic action and abrasion, and is a dent at the high tide level.
This constant erosion causes the base of the stack to become less stable, and eventually after a long period of erosion, the stack will collapse and fall into the Gulf of Thailand, resulting in a stump. This erosion has led to the formation of wave cut notches at the base, giving it the triangular shape.
The rock is also being biologically weathered by vegetation growing in the cracks, making it even more susceptible to becoming weaker.
View judging panel comments
This is a well-taken opportunity to capture an interesting Earthshape, resulting in quite a stunning photograph – its sharp focus emphasizes the sharp edges of the stack.
However, the description launches straight into explanation, so there is no clear indication of the shapes that can be observed and make up this feature. Consequently, this has led you to assumptions that don’t match the evidence. For example, you could have noted the stack is a pillar, levelled off at the top (it is not a pinnacle, which is pointed).
You mention strata (good) but could describe these as dipping slightly to the left (to the west?), with a prominent wedge-shaped bed about a third of the way up the stack. The bedding planes between the strata (the beds) form cracks, and another set of cracks, that are joints, run almost at right angle and their intersection produces the blocky nature of the rock. Some blocks are tilted and look as though they are about to topple over.
You could have described the shape of the basal notch – its roof slopes outwards from a narrow pedestal at a regular angle (of about 20 degrees). This is an important clue about the processes forming this feature – a notch eroded by mechanical action would be more angular (blocky) or concave in shape than is found in this example, and there is no evidence of any abrasive material around this pillar (boulders).
The lowest part of the pillar, that protrudes like a basal apron, has vertical sculpted grooves and channels (termed karren), found in limestones where they are formed by solution of the limestone. The location of the feature in the Gulf of Thailand is another (big) clue to processes in action.
The Angthong National Marine Park consists of limestone islands in a shallow sea (about 10m to 20m depth), located in a warm humid tropical climate, conditions that favours biochemical solution (by algae), bioerosion (by marine creatures e.g. molluscs) and salty water solution weathering. All this evidence points to this limestone pillar not being formed by the standard model of stack formation, but different processes.
The ‘stack’ was probably formed on land by solution weathering of limestone rock (over millions of years), like many of the limestone towers found across south east Asia. A rise in sea-level (perhaps at the end of the last ice age period) drowned the towers in a shallow sea, and a notch developed by solution and biochemical erosion (taking 15,000 years).
Overall, this photo and description is a worthy attempt to capture a stimulating image, but close observation of form and geographical context needed to be taken into account. It is better to use the evidence to shape the description and explanation rather than rely too much on a ‘standard’ model that might not fit the geographical circumstances – models often don’t catch and match all!
Nevertheless, the effort and eye for geographical opportunity showing an Earthshape that resulted in this stimulating image deserves a winning place.