Articles | Volume 9, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-145-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-145-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
12 Mar 2021
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 12 Mar 2021
| 12 Mar 2021
The enigma of relict large sorted stone stripes in the tropical Ethiopian Highlands
Alexander R. Groos
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Janik Niederhauser
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Luise Wraase
Department of Geography, Philipps University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
Falk Hänsel
Department of Geography, Philipps University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
Thomas Nauss
Department of Geography, Philipps University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
Naki Akçar
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern,
Switzerland
Heinz Veit
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Related authors
Alexander Raphael Groos, Nicolas Brand, Murat Bronz, and Andreas Philipp
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-174, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-174, 2024
Preprint under review for AMT
Short summary
Short summary
We have developed a low-cost, lightweight, and open-source fixed-wing drone to study vertical changes in air temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, wind direction and turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer over mountain glaciers. The results of a measurement campaign on a glacier in the Swiss Alps demonstrate the potential of the new measurement technique and reveal characteristic insights into glacier-atmosphere interactions and the mountain-valley wind circulation.
Jérôme Messmer and Alexander Raphael Groos
The Cryosphere, 18, 719–746, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-719-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-719-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The lower part of mountain glaciers is often covered with debris. Knowing the thickness of the debris is important as it influences the melting and future evolution of the affected glaciers. We have developed an open-source approach to map variations in debris thickness on glaciers using a low-cost drone equipped with a thermal infrared camera. The resulting high-resolution maps of debris surface temperature and thickness enable more accurate monitoring and modelling of debris-covered glaciers.
Alexander R. Groos, Janik Niederhauser, Bruk Lemma, Mekbib Fekadu, Wolfgang Zech, Falk Hänsel, Luise Wraase, Naki Akçar, and Heinz Veit
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1043–1062, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1043-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1043-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Continuous observations and measurements from high elevations are necessary to monitor recent climate and environmental changes in the tropical mountains of eastern Africa, but meteorological and ground temperature data from above 3000 m are very rare. Here we present a comprehensive ground temperature monitoring network that has been established between 3493 and 4377 m in the Bale Mountains (Ethiopian Highlands) to monitor and study the afro-alpine climate and ecosystem in this region.
Alexander Raphael Groos, Nicolas Brand, Murat Bronz, and Andreas Philipp
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-174, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-174, 2024
Preprint under review for AMT
Short summary
Short summary
We have developed a low-cost, lightweight, and open-source fixed-wing drone to study vertical changes in air temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed, wind direction and turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer over mountain glaciers. The results of a measurement campaign on a glacier in the Swiss Alps demonstrate the potential of the new measurement technique and reveal characteristic insights into glacier-atmosphere interactions and the mountain-valley wind circulation.
Juliane Röder, Tim Appelhans, Marcell K. Peters, Thomas Nauss, and Roland Brandl
Web Ecol., 24, 11–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/we-24-11-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/we-24-11-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We studied rates of litter decomposition in natural and disturbed vegetation on elevation gradients of Mount Kilimanjaro to disentangle effects of climate and disturbance. Decomposition was slower in disturbed than in natural forests, but we did not find a negative effect of disturbance for non-forest vegetation. Decomposition slowed down with increasing land-use intensity, but only in the warm wet season. Temperature and humidity were the most important drivers of decomposition in all analyses.
Jérôme Messmer and Alexander Raphael Groos
The Cryosphere, 18, 719–746, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-719-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-719-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The lower part of mountain glaciers is often covered with debris. Knowing the thickness of the debris is important as it influences the melting and future evolution of the affected glaciers. We have developed an open-source approach to map variations in debris thickness on glaciers using a low-cost drone equipped with a thermal infrared camera. The resulting high-resolution maps of debris surface temperature and thickness enable more accurate monitoring and modelling of debris-covered glaciers.
Mohammed Ahmed Muhammed, Binyam Tesfaw Hailu, Georg Miehe, Luise Wraase, Thomas Nauss, and Dirk Zeuss
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 5535–5552, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5535-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5535-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We processed the only available and oldest historical aerial photographs for the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We used structure-from-motion multi-view stereo photogrammetry to generate the first high-resolution DEMs and orthomosaics for 1967 and 1984 at larger spatial extents (5730 km2) and at high spatial resolutions (0.84 m and 0.98 m, respectively). Our datasets will help the scientific community address questions related to the Bale Mountains and afro-alpine ecosystems.
Elena Serra, Pierre G. Valla, Romain Delunel, Natacha Gribenski, Marcus Christl, and Naki Akçar
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 493–512, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-493-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-493-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Alpine landscapes are transformed by several erosion processes. 10Be concentrations measured in river sediments at the outlet of a basin represent a powerful tool to quantify how fast the catchment erodes. We measured erosion rates within the Dora Baltea catchments (western Italian Alps). Our results show that erosion is governed by topography, bedrock resistance and glacial imprint. The Mont Blanc massif has the highest erosion and therefore dominates the sediment flux of the Dora Baltea river.
Alexander R. Groos, Janik Niederhauser, Bruk Lemma, Mekbib Fekadu, Wolfgang Zech, Falk Hänsel, Luise Wraase, Naki Akçar, and Heinz Veit
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1043–1062, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1043-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1043-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Continuous observations and measurements from high elevations are necessary to monitor recent climate and environmental changes in the tropical mountains of eastern Africa, but meteorological and ground temperature data from above 3000 m are very rare. Here we present a comprehensive ground temperature monitoring network that has been established between 3493 and 4377 m in the Bale Mountains (Ethiopian Highlands) to monitor and study the afro-alpine climate and ecosystem in this region.
Irene Schimmelpfennig, Joerg M. Schaefer, Jennifer Lamp, Vincent Godard, Roseanne Schwartz, Edouard Bard, Thibaut Tuna, Naki Akçar, Christian Schlüchter, Susan Zimmerman, and ASTER Team
Clim. Past, 18, 23–44, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-23-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-23-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Small mountain glaciers advance and recede as a response to summer temperature changes. Dating of glacial landforms with cosmogenic nuclides allowed us to reconstruct the advance and retreat history of an Alpine glacier throughout the past ~ 11 000 years, the Holocene. The results contribute knowledge to the debate of Holocene climate evolution, indicating that during most of this warm period, summer temperatures were similar to or warmer than in modern times.
David Mair, Alessandro Lechmann, Romain Delunel, Serdar Yeşilyurt, Dmitry Tikhomirov, Christof Vockenhuber, Marcus Christl, Naki Akçar, and Fritz Schlunegger
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 637–659, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-637-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-637-2020, 2020
Lorenz Wüthrich, Claudio Brändli, Régis Braucher, Heinz Veit, Negar Haghipour, Carla Terrizzano, Marcus Christl, Christian Gnägi, and Roland Zech
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 66, 57–68, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-66-57-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-66-57-2017, 2017
Leonor Rodrigues, Umberto Lombardo, Mareike Trauerstein, Perrine Huber, Sandra Mohr, and Heinz Veit
SOIL, 2, 367–389, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-367-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-367-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Our study examines pre-Columbian agricultural raised fields in the Bolivian Amazon.
It provides a new interpretation for pre-Columbian management of raised fields.
The results show that differences in field size and height are the result of an adaptation to a site where soil properties vary significantly on a scale of tens to hundreds of meters. The analysis and dating of the raised fields sediments point towards an extensive and rather brief use of the raised fields, for about 100–200 years.
L. Schulte, J. C. Peña, F. Carvalho, T. Schmidt, R. Julià, J. Llorca, and H. Veit
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3047–3072, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3047-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3047-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
A 2600-year long composite palaeoflood record is reconstructed from high-resolution delta plain sediments of the Hasli-Aare floodplain on the northern slope of the Swiss Alps. Natural proxies compiled from sedimentary, geochemical and geomorphological data were calibrated by textual and factual sources and instrumental data. Geomorphological, historical and instrumental data provide evidence for flood damage intensities and discharge estimations of severe and catastrophic historical floods.
U. Lombardo, S. Denier, and H. Veit
SOIL, 1, 65–81, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-65-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-65-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
In the present paper we explore to what degree soil properties might have influenced pre-Columbian settlement patterns in the Monumental Mounds Region (MMR) of the Llanos de Moxos (LM), Bolivian Amazon. This study provides new data on the soil properties of the south-eastern Bolivian Amazon and reinforces the hypothesis that environmental constraints and opportunities exerted an important role on pre-Columbian occupation patterns and the population density reached in the Bolivian Amazon.
Related subject area
Physical: Geomorphology (including all aspects of fluvial, coastal, aeolian, hillslope and glacial geomorphology)
Testing floc settling velocity models in rivers and freshwater wetlands
River suspended-sand flux computation with uncertainty estimation using water samples and high-resolution ADCP measurements
Barchan swarm dynamics from a Two-Flank Agent-Based Model
A landslide runout model for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications
Tracking slow-moving landslides with PlanetScope data: new perspectives on the satellite's perspective
Topographic metrics for unveiling fault segmentation and tectono-geomorphic evolution with insights into the impact of inherited topography, Ulsan Fault Zone, South Korea
Acceleration of coastal-retreat rates for high-Arctic rock cliffs on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, over the past decade
The impact of bedrock meander cutoffs on 50 kyr scale incision rates, San Juan River, Utah
How water, temperature, and seismicity control the preconditioning of massive rock slope failure (Hochvogel)
Large structure simulation for landscape evolution models
Terrace formation linked to outburst floods at the Diexi palaeo-landslide dam, upper Minjiang River, eastern Tibetan Plateau
Pliocene shorelines and the epeirogenic motion of continental margins: a target dataset for dynamic topography models
Decadal-scale decay of landslide-derived fluvial suspended sediment after Typhoon Morakot
Role of the forcing sources in morphodynamic modelling of an embayed beach
A machine learning approach to the geomorphometric detection of ribbed moraines in Norway
Overdeepening or tunnel valley of the Aare glacier on the northern margin of the European Alps: Basins, riegels, and slot canyons
Stream hydrology controls on ice cliff evolution and survival on debris-covered glaciers
Time-varying drainage basin development and erosion on volcanic edifices
Geomorphic risk maps for river migration using probabilistic modeling – a framework
Evolution of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans: insights from geomorphic experiments and morphodynamic models
Riverine sediment response to deforestation in the Amazon basin
Physical modeling of ice-sheet-induced salt movements using the example of northern Germany
Geometric constraints on tributary fluvial network junction angles
A new dunetracking tool to support input parameter selection and uncertainty analyses using a Monte Carlo approach
Downstream rounding rate of pebbles in the Himalaya
Post-fire Variability in Sediment Transport by Ravel in the Diablo Range
Landscape response to tectonic deformation and cyclic climate change since ca. 800 ka in the southern Central Andes
Examination of Analytical Shear Stress Predictions for Coastal Dune Evolution
A physics-based model for fluvial valley width
Implications for the resilience of modern coastal systems derived from mesoscale barrier dynamics at Fire Island, New York
Quantifying the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data
Long-term monitoring (1953–2019) of geomorphologically active sections of Little Ice Age lateral moraines in the context of changing meteorological conditions
Coevolving edge rounding and shape of glacial erratics: the case of Shap granite, UK
A simple model for faceted topographies at normal faults based on an extended stream-power law
Dimensionless argument: a narrow grain size range near 2 mm plays a special role in river sediment transport and morphodynamics
Path length and sediment transport estimation from DEMs of difference: a signal processing approach
A numerical model for duricrust formation by water table fluctuations
Influence of cohesive clay on wave–current ripple dynamics captured in a 3D phase diagram
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 1: Erosion dynamics
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 2: Suspended sediment dynamics
Geomorphological and hydrological controls on sediment export in earthquake-affected catchments in the Nepal Himalaya
Optimization of passive acoustic bedload monitoring in rivers by signal inversion
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 2: Probabilistic analysis
Field monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows at Ohya landslide scar, Japan
Analysis of autogenic bifurcation processes resulting in river avulsion
Evidence of slow millennial cliff retreat rates using cosmogenic nuclides in coastal colluvium
Bedload transport fluctuations, flow conditions, and disequilibrium ratio at the Swiss Erlenbach stream: results from 27 years of high-resolution temporal measurements
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 1: convolutional-neural-network-based semantic segmentation for water detection
Coexistence of two dune scales in a lowland river
Alpine hillslope failure in the western US: insights from the Chaos Canyon landslide, Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
Justin A. Nghiem, Gen K. Li, Joshua P. Harringmeyer, Gerard Salter, Cédric G. Fichot, Luca Cortese, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1267–1294, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fine sediment grains in freshwater can cohere into faster-settling particles called flocs, but floc settling velocity theory has not been fully validated. Combining three data sources in novel ways in the Wax Lake Delta, we verified a semi-empirical model relying on turbulence and geochemical factors. For a physics-based model, we showed that the representative grain diameter within flocs relies on floc structure and that heterogeneous flow paths inside flocs increase floc settling velocity.
Jessica Marggraf, Guillaume Dramais, Jérôme Le Coz, Blaise Calmel, Benoît Camenen, David J. Topping, William Santini, Gilles Pierrefeu, and François Lauters
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1243–1266, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1243-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1243-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Suspended-sand fluxes in rivers vary with time and space, complicating their measurement. The proposed method captures the vertical and lateral variations of suspended-sand concentration throughout a river cross-section. It merges water samples taken at various positions throughout the cross-section with high-resolution acoustic velocity measurements. This is the first method that includes a fully applicable uncertainty estimation; it can easily be applied to any other study sites.
Dominic T. Robson and Andreas C. W. Baas
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1205–1226, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1205-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1205-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Barchans are fast-moving sand dunes which form large populations (swarms) on Earth and Mars. We show that a small range of model parameters produces swarms in which dune size does not vary downwind – something that is observed in nature but not when using earlier models. We also show how the shape of dunes and the spatial patterns they form are affected by wind direction. This work furthers our understanding of the interplay between environmental drivers, dune interactions, and swarm properties.
Jeffrey Keck, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Benjamin Campforts, Gregory Tucker, and Alexander Horner-Devine
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1165–1191, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
MassWastingRunout (MWR) is a new landslide runout model designed for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications. MWR is written in Python and includes a calibration utility that automatically determines best-fit parameters for a site and empirical probability density functions of each parameter for probabilistic model implementation. MWR and Jupyter Notebook tutorials are available as part of the Landlab package at https://github.com/landlab/landlab.
Ariane Mueting and Bodo Bookhagen
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1121–1143, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the use of optical PlanetScope data for offset tracking of the Earth's surface movement. We found that co-registration accuracy is locally degraded when outdated elevation models are used for orthorectification. To mitigate this bias, we propose to only correlate scenes acquired from common perspectives or base orthorectification on more up-to-date elevation models generated from PlanetScope data alone. This enables a more detailed analysis of landslide dynamics.
Cho-Hee Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, John Weber, Sangmin Ha, Dong-Eun Kim, and Byung Yong Yu
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1091–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Topographic metrics were used to understand changes due to tectonic activity. We evaluated the relative tectonic activity along the Ulsan Fault Zone (UFZ), one of the most active fault zones in South Korea. We divided the UFZ into five segments, based on the spatial variation in activity. We modeled the landscape evolution of the study area and interpreted tectono-geomorphic history during which the northern part of the UFZ experienced asymmetric uplift, while the southern part did not.
Juditha Aga, Livia Piermattei, Luc Girod, Kristoffer Aalstad, Trond Eiken, Andreas Kääb, and Sebastian Westermann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1049–1070, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal rock cliffs on Svalbard are considered to be fairly stable; however, long-term trends in coastal-retreat rates remain unknown. This study examines changes in the coastline position along Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, using aerial images from 1970, 1990, 2010, and 2021. Our analysis shows that coastal-retreat rates accelerate during the period 2010–2021, which coincides with increasing storminess and retreating sea ice.
Aaron T. Steelquist, Gustav B. Seixas, Mary L. Gillam, Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, and George E. Hilley
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1071–1089, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The rates at which rivers erode their bed can be used to interpret the geologic history of a region. However, these rates depend significantly on the time window over which you measure. We use multiple dating methods to determine an incision rate for the San Juan River and compare it to regional rates with longer timescales. We demonstrate how specific geologic events, such as cutoffs of bedrock meander bends, are likely to preserve material we can date but also bias the rates we measure.
Johannes Leinauer, Michael Dietze, Sibylle Knapp, Riccardo Scandroglio, Maximilian Jokel, and Michael Krautblatter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1027–1048, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Massive rock slope failures are a significant alpine hazard and change the Earth's surface. Therefore, we must understand what controls the preparation of such events. By correlating 4 years of slope displacements with meteorological and seismic data, we found that water from rain and snowmelt is the most important driver. Our approach is applicable to similar sites and indicates where future climatic changes, e.g. in rain intensity and frequency, may alter the preparation of slope failure.
Julien Coatléven and Benoit Chauveau
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 995–1026, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The aim of this paper is to explain how to incorporate classical water flow routines into landscape evolution models while keeping numerical errors under control. The key idea is to adapt filtering strategies to eliminate anomalous numerical errors and mesh dependencies, as confirmed by convergence tests with analytic solutions. The emergence of complex geomorphic structures is now driven exclusively by nonlinear heterogeneous physical processes rather than by random numerical artifacts.
Jingjuan Li, John D. Jansen, Xuanmei Fan, Zhiyong Ding, Shugang Kang, and Marco Lovati
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 953–971, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigated the geomorphology, sedimentology, and chronology of Tuanjie (seven terraces) and Taiping (three terraces) terraces in Diexi, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Results highlight that two damming and three outburst events occurred in the area during the late Pleistocene, and the outburst floods have been a major factor in the formation of tectonically active mountainous river terraces. Tectonic activity and climatic changes play a minor role.
Andrew Hollyday, Maureen E. Raymo, Jacqueline Austermann, Fred Richards, Mark Hoggard, and Alessio Rovere
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 883–905, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sea level was significantly higher during the Pliocene epoch, around 3 million years ago. The present-day elevations of shorelines that formed in the past provide a data constraint on the extent of ice sheet melt and the global sea level response under warm Pliocene conditions. In this study, we identify 10 escarpments that formed from wave-cut erosion during Pliocene times and compare their elevations with model predictions of solid Earth deformation processes to estimate past sea level.
Gregory A. Ruetenik, Ken L. Ferrier, and Odin Marc
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 863–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial sediment fluxes increased dramatically in Taiwan during Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which produced some of the heaviest landsliding on record. We analyzed fluvial discharge and suspended sediment concentration data at 87 gauging stations across Taiwan to quantify fluvial sediment responses since Morakot. In basins heavily impacted by landsliding, rating curve coefficients sharply increased during Morakot and then declined exponentially with a characteristic decay time of <10 years.
Nil Carrion-Bertran, Albert Falqués, Francesca Ribas, Daniel Calvete, Rinse de Swart, Ruth Durán, Candela Marco-Peretó, Marta Marcos, Angel Amores, Tim Toomey, Àngels Fernández-Mora, and Jorge Guillén
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 819–839, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The sensitivity to the wave and sea-level forcing sources in predicting a 6-month embayed beach evolution is assessed using two different morphodynamic models. After a successful model calibration using in situ data, other sources are applied. The wave source choice is critical: hindcast data provide wrong results due to an angle bias, whilst the correct dynamics are recovered with the wave conditions from an offshore buoy. The use of different sea-level sources gives no significant differences.
Thomas J. Barnes, Thomas V. Schuler, Simon Filhol, and Karianne S. Lilleøren
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 801–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we use machine learning to automatically outline landforms based on their characteristics. We test several methods to identify the most accurate and then proceed to develop the most accurate to improve its accuracy further. We manage to outline landforms with 65 %–75 % accuracy, at a resolution of 10 m, thanks to high-quality/high-resolution elevation data. We find that it is possible to run this method at a country scale to quickly produce landform inventories for future studies.
Fritz Schlunegger, Edi Kissling, Dimitri Tibo Bandou, Guilhem Amin Douillet, David Mair, Urs Marti, Regina Reber, Patrick Fabian Schläfli, and Michael Alfred Schwenk
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-683, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-683, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Overdeepenings are bedrock depressions filled with sediment. We combine the results of a gravity survey with drilling data to explore the morphology of such a depression beneath the city of Bern. We find that the target overdeepening comprises two basins >200 m deep. They are separated by a bedrock riegel that itself is cut by narrow canyons up to 150 m deep. We postulate that these structures formed underneath a glacier, where erosion by subglacial meltwater caused the formation of the canyons.
Eric Petersen, Regine Hock, and Michael G. Loso
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 727–745, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ice cliffs are melt hot spots that increase melt rates on debris-covered glaciers which otherwise see a reduction in melt rates. In this study, we show how surface runoff streams contribute to the generation, evolution, and survival of ice cliffs by carving into the glacier and transporting rocky debris. On Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, 33 % of ice cliffs are actively influenced by streams, while nearly half are within 10 m of streams.
Daniel O'Hara, Liran Goren, Roos M. J. van Wees, Benjamin Campforts, Pablo Grosse, Pierre Lahitte, Gabor Kereszturi, and Matthieu Kervyn
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 709–726, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how volcanic edifices develop drainage basins remains unexplored in landscape evolution. Using digital evolution models of volcanoes with varying ages, we quantify the geometries of their edifices and associated drainage basins through time. We find that these metrics correlate with edifice age and are thus useful indicators of a volcano’s history. We then develop a generalized model for how volcano basins develop and compare our results to basin evolution in other settings.
Brayden Noh, Omar Wani, Kieran B. J. Dunne, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 691–708, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we propose a framework for generating risk maps that provide the probabilities of erosion due to river migration. This framework uses concepts from probability theory to learn the river migration model's parameter values from satellite data while taking into account parameter uncertainty. Our analysis shows that such geomorphic risk estimation is more reliable than models that do not explicitly consider various sources of variability and uncertainty.
Steven Y. J. Lai, David Amblas, Aaron Micallef, and Hervé Capart
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 621–640, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores the creation of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans on active faults, which can be defined by gravity-dominated breaching and underflow-dominated diffusion processes. The study reveals the self-similarity in canyon–fan long profiles, uncovers Hack’s scaling relationship and proposes a formula to estimate fan volume using canyon length. This is validated by global data from source-to-sink systems, providing insights into deep-water sedimentary processes.
Anuska Narayanan, Sagy Cohen, and John R. Gardner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 581–599, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the profound impact of deforestation in the Amazon on sediment dynamics. Novel remote sensing data and statistical analyses reveal significant changes, especially in heavily deforested regions, with rapid effects within a year. In less disturbed areas, a 1- to 2-year lag occurs, influenced by natural sediment shifts and human activities. These findings highlight the need to understand the consequences of human activity for our planet's future.
Jacob Hardt, Tim P. Dooley, and Michael R. Hudec
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 559–579, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the reaction of salt structures on ice sheet transgressions. We used a series of sandbox models that enabled us to experiment with scaled-down versions of salt bodies from northern Germany. The strongest reactions occurred when large salt pillows were partly covered by the ice load. Subsurface salt structures may play an important role in the energy transition, e.g., as energy storage. Thus, it is important to understand all processes that affect their stability.
Jon D. Pelletier, Robert G. Hayes, Olivia Hoch, Brendan Fenerty, and Luke A. McGuire
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1153, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1153, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
On the gently sloping landscapes next to mountain fronts, junction angles tend to be lower (more acute), while in bedrock landscapes where the initial landscape or tectonic forcing is likely more spatially variable, junction angles tend to be larger (more obtuse). We demonstrate this using an analysis of ~20 million junction angles for the U.S.A., augmented by analyses of the Loess Plateau, China, and synthetic landscapes.
Julius Reich and Axel Winterscheid
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-579, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-579, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Analysing the geometry and the dynamics of riverine bedforms (so-called dunetracking) is important for various fields of application and contributes to a sound and efficient river and sediment management. We developed a new tool, which enables a robust estimation of bedform characteristics and with which comprehensive sensitivity analyses can be carried out. Using a test dataset, we show that the selection of input parameters of dunetracking tools can have a significant impact on the results.
Prakash Pokhrel, Mikael Attal, Hugh D. Sinclair, Simon M. Mudd, and Mark Naylor
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 515–536, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Pebbles become increasingly rounded during downstream transport in rivers due to abrasion. This study quantifies pebble roundness along the length of two Himalayan rivers. We demonstrate that roundness increases with downstream distance and that the rates are dependent on rock type. We apply this to reconstructing travel distances and hence the size of ancient Himalaya. Results show that the ancient river network was larger than the modern one, indicating that there has been river capture.
Hayden L. Jacobson, Danica L. Roth, Gabriel Walton, Margaret Zimmer, and Kerri Johnson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2694, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2694, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Loose grains travel farther after a fire because no vegetation is left to stop them. This matters since loose grains at the base of a slope can turn into a debris flow if it rains. To find if grass growing back after a fire had different impacts on grains of different sizes on slopes of different steepness, we dropped thousands of natural grains and measured how far they went. Large grains went farther 7 months after the fire than 11 months after, and small grain movement didn’t change much.
Elizabeth Orr, Taylor Schildgen, Stefanie Tofelde, Hella Wittmann, and Ricardo Alonso
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-784, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-784, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial terraces and alluvial fans in the Toro Basin, NW Argentina record river evolution and global climate cycles over time. Landform dating reveals lower-frequency climate cycles (100-kyr) preserved downstream and higher-frequency cycles (21/40-kyr) upstream, supporting theoretical predications that longer rivers filter out higher-frequency climate signals. This finding improves our understanding of the spatial distribution of sedimentary paleoclimate records within landscapes.
Orie Cecil, Nicholas Cohn, Matthew Farthing, Sourav Dutta, and Andrew Trautz
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-855, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-855, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using computational fluid dynamics, we analyze the error trends of an analytical shear stress distribution model used to drive aeolian transport for coastal dunes which are an important line of defense against storm related flooding hazards. We find that compared to numerical simulations, the analytical model results in a net overprediction of the landward migration rate. Additionally, two data-driven approaches are proposed for reducing the error while maintaining computational efficiency.
Jens Martin Turowski, Aaron Bufe, and Stefanie Tofelde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 493–514, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial valleys are ubiquitous landforms, and understanding their formation and evolution affects a wide range of disciplines from archaeology and geology to fish biology. Here, we develop a model to predict the width of fluvial valleys for a wide range of geographic conditions. In the model, fluvial valley width is controlled by the two competing factors of lateral channel mobility and uplift. The model complies with available data and yields a broad range of quantitative predictions.
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie C. Bernier, and Arnell S. Forde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 449–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstructed the evolution of Fire Island, a barrier island in New York, USA, to identify drivers of landscape change. Results reveal Fire Island was once divided into multiple inlet-separated islands with distinct features. Later, inlets closed, and Fire Island’s landscape became more uniform as human activities intensified. The island is now less mobile and less likely to resist and recover from storm impacts and sea level rise. This vulnerability may exist for other stabilized barriers.
Chao Zhou, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, and Feng Shi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 433–448, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The drainage-divide stability provides new insights into both the river network evolution and the tectonic and/or climatic changes. Several methods have been proposed to determine the direction of drainage-divide migration. However, how to quantify the migration rate of drainage divides remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a new method to calculate the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data.
Moritz Altmann, Madlene Pfeiffer, Florian Haas, Jakob Rom, Fabian Fleischer, Tobias Heckmann, Livia Piermattei, Michael Wimmer, Lukas Braun, Manuel Stark, Sarah Betz-Nutz, and Michael Becht
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 399–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We show a long-term erosion monitoring of several sections on Little Ice Age lateral moraines with derived sediment yield from historical and current digital elevation modelling (DEM)-based differences. The first study period shows a clearly higher range of variability of sediment yield within the sites than the later periods. In most cases, a decreasing trend of geomorphic activity was observed.
Paul A. Carling
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 381–397, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Edge rounding in Shap granite glacial erratics is an irregular function of distance from the source outcrop in northern England, UK. Block shape is conservative, evolving according to block fracture mechanics – stochastic and silver ratio models – towards either of two attractor states. Progressive reduction in size occurs for blocks transported at the sole of the ice mass where the blocks are subject to compressive and tensile forces of the ice acting against a bedrock or till surface.
Stefan Hergarten
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-336, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-336, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Faceted topographies are impressing footprints of active tectonics in geomorphology. This paper investigates the evolution of faceted topographies at normal faults and its interaction with the river network theoretically and numerically. As a main result beyond several relations for the the geometry of facets, the horizontal displacement associated to normal faults is crucial for the dissection of initially polygonal facets into triangular facets bounded by almost parallel rivers.
Gary Parker, Chenge An, Michael P. Lamb, Marcelo H. Garcia, Elizabeth H. Dingle, and Jeremy G. Venditti
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 367–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River morphology has traditionally been divided by the size 2 mm. We use dimensionless arguments to show that particles in the 1–5 mm range (i) are the finest range not easily suspended by alluvial flood flows, (ii) are transported preferentially over coarser gravel, and (iii), within limits, are also transported preferentially over sand. We show how fluid viscosity mediates the special status of sediment in this range.
Lindsay Marie Capito, Enrico Pandrin, Walter Bertoldi, Nicola Surian, and Simone Bizzi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 321–345, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We propose that the pattern of erosion and deposition from repeat topographic surveys can be a proxy for path length in gravel-bed rivers. With laboratory and field data, we applied tools from signal processing to quantify this periodicity and used these path length estimates to calculate sediment transport using the morphological method. Our results highlight the potential to expand the use of the morphological method using only remotely sensed data as well as its limitations.
Caroline Fenske, Jean Braun, François Guillocheau, and Cécile Robin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-160, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-160, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We have developed a new numerical model to represent the formation of ferricretes which are iron-rich, hard layers found in soils and at the surface of the Earth. We assume that the formation mechanism implies variations in the height of the water table and that the hardening rate is proportional to precipitation. The model allows us to quantify the potential feedbacks they generate on the surface topography and the thickness of the regolith/soil layer.
Xuxu Wu, Jonathan Malarkey, Roberto Fernández, Jaco H. Baas, Ellen Pollard, and Daniel R. Parsons
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 231–247, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The seabed changes from flat to rippled in response to the frictional influence of waves and currents. This experimental study has shown that the speed of this change, the size of ripples that result and even whether ripples appear also depend on the amount of sticky mud present. This new classification on the basis of initial mud content should lead to improvements in models of seabed change in present environments by engineers and the interpretation of past environments by geologists.
Andrea D'Alpaos, Davide Tognin, Laura Tommasini, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 181–199, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sediment erosion induced by wind waves is one of the main drivers of the morphological evolution of shallow tidal environments. However, a reliable description of erosion events for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal systems is still lacking. By statistically characterizing sediment erosion dynamics in the Venice Lagoon over the last 4 centuries, we set up a novel framework for a synthetic, yet reliable, description of erosion events in tidal systems.
Davide Tognin, Andrea D'Alpaos, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 201–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Reliable quantification of sediment transport processes is necessary to understand the fate of shallow tidal environments. Here we present a framework for the description of suspended sediment dynamics to quantify deposition in the long-term modelling of shallow tidal systems. This characterization, together with that of erosion events, allows one to set up synthetic, yet reliable, models for the long-term evolution of tidal landscapes.
Emma L. S. Graf, Hugh D. Sinclair, Mikaël Attal, Boris Gailleton, Basanta Raj Adhikari, and Bishnu Raj Baral
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 135–161, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using satellite images, we show that, unlike other examples of earthquake-affected rivers, the rivers of central Nepal experienced little increase in sedimentation following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Instead, a catastrophic flood occurred in 2021 that buried towns and agricultural land under up to 10 m of sediment. We show that intense storms remobilised glacial sediment from high elevations causing much a greater impact than flushing of earthquake-induced landslides.
Mohamad Nasr, Adele Johannot, Thomas Geay, Sebastien Zanker, Jules Le Guern, and Alain Recking
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 117–134, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrophones are used to monitor sediment transport in the river by listening to the acoustic noise generated by particle impacts on the riverbed. However, this acoustic noise is modified by the river flow and can cause misleading information about sediment transport. This article proposes a model that corrects the measured acoustic signal. Testing the model showed that the corrected signal is better correlated with bedload flux in the river.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 105–115, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a detailed characterization of the frequency, intensity and duration of flooding events at a site along the Texas coast. Our analysis demonstrates the suitability of relatively simple wave run-up models to estimate the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding. Our results validate and expand a probabilistic model of coastal flooding driven by wave run-up that can then be used in coastal risk management in response to sea level rise.
Shunsuke Oya, Fumitoshi Imaizumi, and Shoki Takayama
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 67–86, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows was performed at Ohya landslide scar, central Japan. The pore water pressure in some partly saturated flows greatly exceeded the hydrostatic pressure. The depth gradient of the pore water pressure in the lower part of the flow was generally higher than the upper part of the flow. We conclude that excess pore water pressure is present in many debris flow surges and is an important mechanism in debris flow behavior.
Gabriele Barile, Marco Redolfi, and Marco Tubino
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 87–103, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River bifurcations often show the closure of one branch (avulsion), whose causes are still poorly understood. Our model shows that when one branch stops transporting sediments, the other considerably erodes and captures much more flow, resulting in a self-sustaining process. This phenomenon intensifies when increasing the length of the branches, eventually leading to branch closure. This work may help to understand when avulsions occur and thus to design sustainable river restoration projects.
Rémi Bossis, Vincent Regard, Sébastien Carretier, and Sandrine Choy
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3020, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The erosion of rocky coasts occurs episodically through wave action and landslides, constituting a major natural hazard. Documenting the factors that control the coastal retreat rate over millennia is fundamental to evidencing any change in time. However, the known rates to date are essentially representative of the last few decades. Here, we present a new method using the concentration of an isotope, 10Be in sediment eroded from the cliff to quantify its retreat rate averaged over millennia.
Dieter Rickenmann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 11–34, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-11-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-11-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Field measurements of the bedload flux with a high temporal resolution in a steep mountain stream were used to analyse the transport fluctuations as a function of the flow conditions. The disequilibrium ratio, a proxy for the solid particle concentration in the flow, was found to influence the sediment transport behaviour, and above-average disequilibrium conditions – associated with a larger sediment availability on the streambed – substantially affect subsequent transport conditions.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal flooding can cause significant damage to coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities and is expected to increase in frequency with the acceleration of sea level rise. In order to respond to it, it is crucial to measure and model their frequency and intensity. Here, we show deep-learning techniques can be successfully used to automatically detect flooding events from complex coastal imagery, opening the way to real-time monitoring and data acquisition for model development.
Judith Y. Zomer, Bart Vermeulen, and Antonius J. F. Hoitink
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1283–1298, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1283-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1283-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Secondary bedforms that are superimposed on large, primary dunes likely play a large role in fluvial systems. This study demonstrates that they can be omnipresent. Especially during peak flows, they grow large and can have steep slopes, likely affecting flood risk and sediment transport dynamics. Primary dune morphology determines whether they continuously or intermittently migrate. During discharge peaks, the secondary bedforms can become the dominant dune scale.
Matthew C. Morriss, Benjamin Lehmann, Benjamin Campforts, George Brencher, Brianna Rick, Leif S. Anderson, Alexander L. Handwerger, Irina Overeem, and Jeffrey Moore
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1251–1274, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we investigate the 28 June 2022 collapse of the Chaos Canyon landslide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. We find that the landslide was moving prior to its collapse and took place at peak spring snowmelt; temperature modeling indicates the potential presence of permafrost. We hypothesize that this landslide could be part of the broader landscape evolution changes to alpine terrain caused by a warming climate, leading to thawing alpine permafrost.
Cited articles
Aldiss, D. T. and Edwards, E. J.: The Geology of the Falkdland Islands,
British Geological Survey Technical Report WC/99110, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, UK, available at:
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/507542/1/WC99010.pdf (last access: February 2021), 1999. a
Ball, D. F. and Goodier, R.: Large Sorted Stone-Stripes in the Rhinog Mountains, North Wales, Geogr. Ann. A, 50, 54–59, https://doi.org/10.2307/520871, 1968. a, b
Balme, M., Gallagher, C., Page, D., Murray, J., and Muller, J.-P.: Sorted Stone Circles in Elysium Planitia, Mars: Implications for Recent Martian Climate, Icarus, 200, 30–38, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.11.010, 2009. a
Barrows, T., Stone, J. O., and Fifield, L. K.: Exposure Ages for Pleistocene Periglacial Deposits in Australia, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 23, 697–708, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2003.10.011, 2004. a
Bertran, P., Klaric, L., Lenoble, A., Masson, B., and Vallin, L.: The Impact of Periglacial Processes on Palaeolithic Sites: The Case of Sorted Patterned Grounds, Quatern. Int., 214, 17–29, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2009.10.021, 2010. a
Boelhouwers, J., Holness, S., and Sumner, P.: The Maritime Subantarctic: A
Distinct Periglacial Environment, Geomorphology, 52, 39–55,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(02)00247-7, 2003. a, b, c
Chandler, B. M., Lovell, H., Boston, C. M., Lukas, S., Barr, I. D.,
Benediktsson, Í. Ö., Benn, D. I., Clark, C. D., Darvill, C. M.,
Evans, D. J., Ewertowski, M. W., Loibl, D., Margold, M., Otto, J.-C., Roberts, D. H., Stokes, C. R., Storrar, R. D., and Stroeven, A. P.: Glacial
Geomorphological Mapping: A Review of Approaches and Frameworks for Best
Practice, Earth-Sci. Rev., 185, 806–846, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.07.015, 2018. a
Clapperton, C. M.: Evidence of Cirque Glaciation in the Falkdland Islands, J. Glaciol., 10, 121–125, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000013058, 1971. a, b
Clapperton, C. M. and Sudgen, D. E.: The Maximum Extent of Glaciers in Part of West Falkland, J. Glaciol., 17, 73–77, https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000030732, 1976. a, b
Conway, D.: The Climate and Hydrology of the Upper Blue Nile River, Geogr. J., 166, 49–62, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4959.2000.tb00006.x, 2000. a
Costa, K., Russell, J., Konecky, B., and Lamb, H.: Isotopic Reconstruction of
the African Humid Period and Congo Air Boundary Migration at Lake Tana, Ethiopia, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 83, 58–67,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.10.031, 2014. a, b
de Deus Vidal Junior, J. and Clark, R. V.: Afro-Alpine Plant Diversity in
the Tropical Mountains of Africa, Encyclopedia of the World's Biomes, Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11885-8, 2019. a
Francou, B. and Bertran, P.: A Multivariate Analysis of Clast Displacement
Rates on Stone-banked Sheets, Cordillera Real, Bolivia, Permafrost Periglac. Process., 8, 371–382, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1530(199710/12)8:4<371::AID-PPP263>3.0.CO;2-7, 1997. a
Francou, B., Méhauté, N. L., and Jomelli, V.: Factors Controlling
Spacing Distances of Sorted Stripes in a Low-Latitude, Alpine Environment
(Cordillera Real, 16∘ S, Bolivia): Spacing Distances of Sorted Stripes in the Cordillera Real, Permafrost Periglac. Process., 12, 367–377, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.398, 2001. a, b
Galloway, R. W.: Late Quaternary Climates in Australia, J. Geol., 73, 603–618, https://doi.org/10.1086/627096, 1965. a
Gebrechorkos, S. H., Hülsmann, S., and Bernhofer, C.: Long-Term Trends in
Rainfall and Temperature Using High-Resolution Climate Datasets in East Africa, Sci. Rep., 9, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47933-8, 2019. a
Gindraux, S., Boesch, R., and Farinotti, D.: Accuracy Assessment of Digital Surface Models from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles' Imagery on Glaciers, Remote Sens., 9, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9020186, 2017. a
Grab, S.: Glacial and Periglacial Phenomena in Ethiopia: A Review, Permafrost Periglac. Process., 13, 71–76, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.405, 2002. a, b
Groos, A. R., Bertschinger, T. J., Kummer, C. M., Erlwein, S., Munz, L., and
Philipp, A.: The Potential of Low-Cost UAVs and Open-Source Photogrammetry Software for High-Resolution Monitoring of Alpine Glaciers: A Case Study from the Kanderfirn (Swiss Alps), Geosciences, 9, 1–21, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9080356, 2019. a, b
Hallet, B.: Stone Circles: Form and Soil Kinematics, P. Roy. Soc. A, 371,
1–17, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2012.0357, 2013. a, b, c, d
Hallet, B., Sletten, R., and Whilden, K.: Micro-Relief Development in Polygonal Patterned Ground in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, Quatern. Res., 75, 347–355, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.009, 2011. a
Harris, S. A. and Pedersen, D. E.: Thermal Regimes beneath Coarse Blocky
Materials, Permafrost Periglac. Process., 9, 107–120, 1998. a
Hedberg, O.: Vegetation belts of East African Mountains, Svensk bot Tidskr, 45, 140–202, 1951. a
Hendrickx, H., Jacob, M., Frankl, A., Guyassa, E., and Nyssen, J.: Quaternary
Glacial and Periglacial Processes in the Ethiopian Highlands in Relation to the Current Afro-Alpine Vegetation, Z. Geomorphol., 59, 37–57,
https://doi.org/10.1127/0372-8854/2014/0128, 2014. a
Ivy-Ochs, S., Synal, H.-A., Roth, C., and Schaller, M.: Initial Results from
Isotope Dilution for Cl and 36Cl Measurements at the PSI/ETH
Zurich AMS Facility, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 223–224, 623–627, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2004.04.115, 2004. a
Ivy-Ochs, S., Kerschner, H., Maisch, M., Christl, M., Kubik, P. W., and
Schlüchter, C.: Latest Pleistocene and Holocene Glacier Variations in the European Alps, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 28, 2137–2149,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.03.009, 2009. a
James, M. R. and Robson, S.: Mitigating Systematic Error in Topographic Models Derived from UAV and Ground-Based Image Networks, Earth Surf. Proc.
Land., 39, 1413–1420, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3609, 2014. a
Juliussen, H. and Humlum, O.: Thermal Regime of Openwork Block Fields on the
Mountains Elgåhogna and Sølen, Central-Eastern Norway, Permafrost Periglac. Process., 19, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.607, 2008. a
Kaser, G., Hardy, D. R., Mölg, T., Bradley, R. S., and Hyera, T. M.: Modern Glacier Retreat on Kilimanjaro as Evidence of Climate Change:
Observations and Facts, Int. J. Climatol., 24, 329–339,
https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1008, 2004. a
Kessler, M. A. and Werner, B. T.: Self-Organization of Sorted Patterned Ground, Science, 299, 380–383, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1077309, 2003. a, b, c, d
Kessler, M. A., Murray, A. B., Werner, B. T., and Hallet, B.: A Model for
Sorted Circles as Self-Organized Patterns, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 13287–13306, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000279, 2001. a, b
Křížek, M., Krause, D., Uxa, T., Engel, Z., Treml, V., and
Traczyk, A.: Patterned Ground above the Alpine Timberline in the High Sudetes, Central Europe, J. Maps, 15, 563–569, https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2019.1636890, 2019. a, b
Lemma, B., Mekonnen, B., Glaser, B., Zech, W., Nemomissa, S., Bekele, T.,
Bittner, L., and Zech, M.: Chemotaxonomic Patterns of Vegetation and Soils
along Altitudinal Transects of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, and Implications for Paleovegetation Reconstructions – Part II: Lignin-Derived Phenols and Leaf-Wax-Derived n-Alkanes, Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 189–200, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-189-2019, 2019. a
Lemma, B., Kebede Gurmessa, S., Nemomissa, S., Otte, I., Glaser, B., and Zech, M.: Spatial and Temporal 2H and 18O Isotope Variation of Contemporary Precipitation in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, Isotop. Environ. Health Stud., 56, 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2020.1717487, 2020. a, b
Levin, N. E., Zipser, E. J., and Cerling, T. E.: Isotopic Composition of Waters from Ethiopia and Kenya: Insights into Moisture Sources for Eastern Africa, J. Geophys. Res., 114, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD012166, 2009. a, b
Lifton, N., Sato, T., and Dunai, T. J.: Scaling in Situ Cosmogenic Nuclide
Production Rates Using Analytical Approximations to Atmospheric Cosmic-Ray
Fluxes, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 386, 149–160, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.10.052, 2014. a, b
Mangold, N.: High Latitude Patterned Grounds on Mars: Classification,
Distribution and Climatic Control, Icarus, 174, 336–359,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2004.07.030, 2005. a
Marrero, S. M., Phillips, F. M., Borchers, B., Lifton, N., Aumer, R., and
Balco, G.: Cosmogenic Nuclide Systematics and the CRONUScalc Program, Quatern. Geochronol., 31, 160–187, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2015.09.005, 2016. a, b
Matsuoka, N.: Temporal and Spatial Variations in Periglacial Soil Movements on Alpine Crest Slopes, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 30, 41–58,
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1125, 2005. a, b
Messerli, B. and Winiger, M.: Climate, Environmental Change, and Resources of the African Mountains from the Mediterranean to the Equator, Mt. Res. Dev., 12, 315–336, https://doi.org/10.2307/3673683, 1992. a
Miller, R., Common, R., and Galloway, R. W.: Stone Stripes and Other Surface Features of Tinto Hill, Geogr. J., 120, 216–219, https://doi.org/10.2307/1791537, 1954. a
Mohr, P.: Ethiopian Flood Basalt Province, Nature, 303, 577–584,
https://doi.org/10.1038/303577a0, 1983. a
Mulheran, P. A.: Theory of Self-Organisation in Sorted Stone Stripes, J. Phys., 4, 1–5, 1994. a
Nicholson, F. H.: Patterned Ground Formation and Description as Suggested by Low Arctic and Subarctic Examples, Arct. Alp. Res., 8, 329–342, https://doi.org/10.2307/1550437, 1976. a
Ossendorf, G., Groos, A. R., Bromm, T., Tekelemariam, M. G., Glaser, B., Lesur, J., Schmidt, J., Akçar, N., Bekele, T., Beldados, A., Demissew, S., Kahsay, T. H., Nash, B. P., Nauss, T., Negash, A., Nemomissa, S., Veit, H., Vogelsang, R., Woldu, Z., Zech, W., Opgenoorth, L., and Miehe, G.: Middle
Stone Age Foragers Resided in High Elevations of the Glaciated Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, Science, 365, 583–587, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw8942, 2019. a
Richmond, G. M.: Stone Nets, Stone Stripes, and Soil Stripes in the Wind River Mountains, Wyoming, Geol. J., 57, 143–153, 1949. a
Seleshi, Y. and Zanke, U.: Recent Changes in Rainfall and Rainy Days in
Ethiopia, Int. J. Climatol., 24, 973–983, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1052, 2004. a
Steinemann, O., Reitner, J. M., Ivy-Ochs, S., Christl, M., and Synal, H.-A.:
Tracking rockglacier evolution in the Eastern Alps from the Lateglacial to
the early Holocene, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 241, 1–19,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106424, 2020. a
Tierney, J. E., Russell, J. M., Huang, Y., Damsté, J. S. S., Hopmans, E. C., and Cohen, A. S.: Northern Hemisphere Controls on Tropical Southeast African Climate During the Past 60,000 Years, Science, 322, 252–255, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02251, 2008. a
Tierney, J. E., Russell, J. M., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., Huang, Y., and
Verschuren, D.: Late Quaternary Behavior of the East African Monsoon and the Importance of the Congo Air Boundary, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 30, 798–807, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.01.017, 2011.
a
Umer, M., Kebede, S., and Osmaston, H. A.: Quaternary Glacial Activity on the
Ethiopian Mountains, in: Developments in Quaternary Sciences, vol. 2
of Quaternary Glaciations – Extent and Chronology, Part IIII, 1st Edn., edited by: Ehlers, J. and Gibbard, P., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 171–174, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1571-0866(04)80122-2, 2004. a
Vieira, G., Mora, C., and Faleh, A.: New Observations Indicate the Possible
Presence of Permafrost in North Africa (Djebel Toubkal, High Atlas, Morocco), The Cryosphere, 11, 1691–1705, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1691-2017, 2017. a
Viste, E. and Sorteberg, A.: Moisture Transport into the Ethiopian Highlands, Int. J. Climatol., 33, 249–263, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.3409, 2013. a
Vockenhuber, C., Miltenberger, K.-U., and Synal, H.-A.: 36Cl Measurements with a Gas-Filled Magnet at 6 MV, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 455, 190–194, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2018.12.046, 2019. a
Washburn, A.: Permafrost Features as Evidence of Climatic Change, Earth-Sci.
Rev., 15, 327–402, https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-8252(80)90114-2, 1980. a, b
Wicky, J. and Hauck, C.: Air Convection in the Active Layer of Rock Glaciers, Front. Earth Sci., 8, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00335, 2020. a
Williams, F.: Safeguarding Geoheritage in Ethiopia: Challenges Faced and the Role of Geotourism, Geoheritage, 12, 1–22,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-020-00436-9, 2020. a
Wilson, P., Bentley, M. J., Schnabel, C., Clark, R., and Xu, S.: Stone Run
(Block Stream) Formation in the Falkland Islands over Several Cold Stages, Deduced from Cosmogenic Isotope (10Be and 26Al) Surface Exposure Dating, J. Quaternary Sci., 23, 461–473, https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.1156,
2008. a
Wöllauer, S., Zeuss, D., Hänsel, F., and Nauss, T.: TubeDB: An
on-demand processing database system for climate station data, Comput. Geosci., 146, 2–10, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2020.104641, 2020. a
Short summary
Large sorted stone stripes have been discovered on the 4000 m high central Sanetti Plateau of the tropical Bale Mountains in Ethiopia. The stripes are a mystery as similar landforms have so far only been reported in the temperate zone and polar regions. Our investigations suggest that the stripes formed in the vicinity of a former ice cap on the plateau during a much colder climatic period. The distinct pattern is the result of a process related to cyclic freezing and thawing of the ground.
Large sorted stone stripes have been discovered on the 4000 m high central Sanetti Plateau of...
