Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace

Landform investigation reports are fundamental datasets for ecology, geology, and geography as they record the morphological traces of planetary surface processes, which have been the focus of top journals and distinguished scholars. Investigating landforms on Earth and other planetary bodies is cru...

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Main Authors: Yutong Zhang, Weiming Cheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1485785/full
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author Yutong Zhang
Yutong Zhang
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
author_facet Yutong Zhang
Yutong Zhang
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
author_sort Yutong Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Landform investigation reports are fundamental datasets for ecology, geology, and geography as they record the morphological traces of planetary surface processes, which have been the focus of top journals and distinguished scholars. Investigating landforms on Earth and other planetary bodies is crucial for understanding planetary formation and geological evolution. Remote sensing techniques have proven to be powerful tools for studying terrestrial and planetary landforms, providing detailed insights into the interactions between land surfaces and both endogenic and exogenic forces and the mechanisms driving physical processes under different conditions. This study focuses on the remote sensing perspective of planetary landform investigations, highlighting recent progress in geomorphic research. Publications in top-tier journals over the last 30 years were selected for analysis. Our findings indicate that geological history and the environmental conditions conducive to the survival, growth, and daily activities of living organisms are of great concern. The United States, the European Union, China, Japan, and Canada, along with their aerospace research institutions, continue to be key research centers and play important roles all the time. Moreover, our literature survey reveals that research on planetary landforms is gaining momentum in more countries because of advancements in instrumentation and increased international collaboration. Celestial bodies that receive significant attention include planets, moons, and comets, while asteroids should receive more attention in the future. To advance our understanding of planetary landforms, higher-precision observation data and more refined simulations are essential. Continued improvements in international cooperation will be crucial for unraveling the complex geological histories within planetary landforms, contributing to our broader understanding of planetary evolution within the solar system.
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spelling doaj-art-6e52e2de17984062a32308d396b3eb392025-08-20T02:02:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2025-03-011210.3389/fspas.2025.14857851485785Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpaceYutong Zhang0Yutong Zhang1Weiming Cheng2Weiming Cheng3Weiming Cheng4Weiming Cheng5State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaJiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, ChinaChinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, ChinaLandform investigation reports are fundamental datasets for ecology, geology, and geography as they record the morphological traces of planetary surface processes, which have been the focus of top journals and distinguished scholars. Investigating landforms on Earth and other planetary bodies is crucial for understanding planetary formation and geological evolution. Remote sensing techniques have proven to be powerful tools for studying terrestrial and planetary landforms, providing detailed insights into the interactions between land surfaces and both endogenic and exogenic forces and the mechanisms driving physical processes under different conditions. This study focuses on the remote sensing perspective of planetary landform investigations, highlighting recent progress in geomorphic research. Publications in top-tier journals over the last 30 years were selected for analysis. Our findings indicate that geological history and the environmental conditions conducive to the survival, growth, and daily activities of living organisms are of great concern. The United States, the European Union, China, Japan, and Canada, along with their aerospace research institutions, continue to be key research centers and play important roles all the time. Moreover, our literature survey reveals that research on planetary landforms is gaining momentum in more countries because of advancements in instrumentation and increased international collaboration. Celestial bodies that receive significant attention include planets, moons, and comets, while asteroids should receive more attention in the future. To advance our understanding of planetary landforms, higher-precision observation data and more refined simulations are essential. Continued improvements in international cooperation will be crucial for unraveling the complex geological histories within planetary landforms, contributing to our broader understanding of planetary evolution within the solar system.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1485785/fullplanetary landformremote sensingbibliometric analysismissionsolar system
spellingShingle Yutong Zhang
Yutong Zhang
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Weiming Cheng
Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
planetary landform
remote sensing
bibliometric analysis
mission
solar system
title Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace
title_full Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace
title_fullStr Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace
title_full_unstemmed Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace
title_short Progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years: a bibliometric analysis in CiteSpace
title_sort progress in the study of typical planetary landforms over the past 30 years a bibliometric analysis in citespace
topic planetary landform
remote sensing
bibliometric analysis
mission
solar system
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2025.1485785/full
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