Elucidating the dynamics of Earth surface processes through analysis of digital elevation models (DEMs), or "geomorphometry", has become a flourishing interdisciplinary subject with applications in many disciplines (e.g. geomorphology, planetary science, archaeology, geobiology, natural hazards, and computer science), and it is no longer just a collection of numerical techniques but a discipline on its own. This special issue in Earth Surface Dynamics aims to gather knowledge about the current technical state of the art, to consolidate and disseminate established advances across disciplines, and to identify key future challenges and opportunities. It includes papers which both highlight and push the current frontiers in geomorphometry.