Terrain analysis and modelling play key roles in soil-geomorphological mapping. Potential further applications are outlined here to establish distinctive soil-geomorphological survey and mapping methods for soil and land resource assessment. The advent of new technologies and greater modelling applications means that distinctly soil-geomorphological concepts relating to the geomorphological landscape (the ‘geoscape’), and to earth surface processes, can be investigated and applied to land resource management issues.

These developments link with the increasing interest in regolith science and have the potential to broaden and enhance the spatial and process-oriented soil investigations. Examples from North America and Queensland are provided as case studies.