Articles | Volume 9, issue 2
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 167–181, 2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-167-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 167–181, 2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-167-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article 09 Mar 2021
Research article | 09 Mar 2021
Growing topography due to contrasting rock types in a tectonically dead landscape
Daniel Peifer et al.
Related authors
Boris Gailleton, Simon M. Mudd, Fiona J. Clubb, Daniel Peifer, and Martin D. Hurst
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 211–230, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-211-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-211-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The shape of landscapes is influenced by climate changes, faulting or the nature of the rocks under the surface. One of the most sensitive parts of the landscape to these changes is the river system that eventually adapts to such changes by adapting its slope, the most extreme example being a waterfall. We here present an algorithm that extracts changes in river slope over large areas from satellite data with the aim of investigating climatic, tectonic or geologic changes in the landscape.
Boris Gailleton, Simon M. Mudd, Fiona J. Clubb, Daniel Peifer, and Martin D. Hurst
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 211–230, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-211-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-211-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The shape of landscapes is influenced by climate changes, faulting or the nature of the rocks under the surface. One of the most sensitive parts of the landscape to these changes is the river system that eventually adapts to such changes by adapting its slope, the most extreme example being a waterfall. We here present an algorithm that extracts changes in river slope over large areas from satellite data with the aim of investigating climatic, tectonic or geologic changes in the landscape.
Andres Payo, Bismarck Jigena Antelo, Martin Hurst, Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Chris Williams, Gareth Jenkins, Kathryn Lee, David Favis-Mortlock, Andrew Barkwith, and Michael A. Ellis
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 4317–4337, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4317-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4317-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new algorithm that automatically delineates the cliff top and toe of a cliffed coastline from a digital elevation model (DEM). The algorithm builds upon existing methods but is specifically designed to resolve very irregular planform coastlines with many bays and capes, such as parts of the coastline of Great Britain.
Simon M. Mudd, Fiona J. Clubb, Boris Gailleton, and Martin D. Hurst
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 505–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-505-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-505-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Rivers can reveal information about erosion rates, tectonics, and climate. In order to make meaningful inferences about these influences, one must be able to compare headwaters to downstream parts of the river network. We describe new methods for normalizing river steepness for drainage area to better understand how rivers record erosion rates in eroding landscapes.
Andrés Payo, David Favis-Mortlock, Mark Dickson, Jim W. Hall, Martin D. Hurst, Mike J. A. Walkden, Ian Townend, Matthew C. Ives, Robert J. Nicholls, and Michael A. Ellis
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 2715–2740, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2715-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2715-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
CoastalME is a generic modelling environment to simulate coastal landscape evolution on spatial scales of kms to tens of kms, over decadal to centennial timescales. The novelty is that it simulates coastal morphology evolution as a set of dynamically linked raster and geometrical objects. Geometrical objects are derived from the raster structure providing a library of coastal elements (e.g. shoreline) that are conventionally used for modelling coastal behaviour on the timescales of interest.
Fiona J. Clubb, Simon M. Mudd, David T. Milodowski, Declan A. Valters, Louise J. Slater, Martin D. Hurst, and Ajay B. Limaye
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 369–385, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-369-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-369-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Floodplains and fluvial terraces can provide information about current and past river systems, helping to reveal how channels respond to changes in both climate and tectonics. We present a new method of identifying these features objectively from digital elevation models by analysing their slope and elevation compared to the modern river. We test our method in eight field sites, and find that it provides rapid and reliable extraction of floodplains and terraces across a range of landscapes.
Martin D. Hurst, Dylan H. Rood, and Michael A. Ellis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 67–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-67-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-67-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Beryllium-10 is a rare isotope that only forms near to the Earth surface, allowing rock surfaces to be dated. In this paper we develop a numerical model for the evolution of shore platforms and associated 10Be concentrations to explore the potential for this method to reveal long-term rates of sea cliff retreat. Tides, sea level, cliffs and beaches all modify how rapidly 10Be accumulates on the shore platform, but there is great potential to measure rates of cliff retreat and platform erosion.
Christopher W. Thomas, A. Brad Murray, Andrew D. Ashton, Martin D. Hurst, Andrew K. A. P. Barkwith, and Michael A. Ellis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 871–884, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-871-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-871-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Complex sandy coastlines, such as capes and spits, are important socio-economically while underpinning and protecting important natural habitats. Although they may protect inshore areas, they are inherently fragile and susceptible to erosion. We have explored how spits and capes might adapt to changing wave climate through modelling. We find that coastlines may not be in equilibrium with current conditions, and past shapes may strongly influence those adapting to new wave climates.
Simon Marius Mudd, Marie-Alice Harel, Martin D. Hurst, Stuart W. D. Grieve, and Shasta M. Marrero
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 655–674, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-655-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-655-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclide concentrations are widely used to calculate catchment-averaged denudation rates. Despite their widespread use, there is currently no open source method for calculating such rates, and the methods used to calculate catchment-averaged denudation rates vary widely between studies. Here we present an automated, open-source method for calculating basin averaged denudation rates, which may be used as a stand-alone calculator or as a front end to popular online calculators.
M. Attal, S. M. Mudd, M. D. Hurst, B. Weinman, K. Yoo, and M. Naylor
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 201–222, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-201-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-201-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Steeper landscapes tend to erode faster. In this study, we also find that sediment produced on steeper landscapes is coarser. Soils are coarser because fragments spend less time in the soil so are less exposed to processes that can break them down. Change in sediment sources impact the sediment transported by rivers: rivers transport sediment up to cobble size in low-slope, soil-mantled areas; they transport much coarser sediment (including boulders supplied from landslides) in the steep areas.
B. W. Goodfellow, A. P. Stroeven, D. Fabel, O. Fredin, M.-H. Derron, R. Bintanja, and M. W. Caffee
Earth Surf. Dynam., 2, 383–401, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2-383-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2-383-2014, 2014
A. Barkwith, M. D. Hurst, C. W. Thomas, M. A. Ellis, P. L. Limber, and A. B. Murray
Earth Surf. Dynam., 2, 233–242, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2-233-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2-233-2014, 2014
M. D. Hurst, M. A. Ellis, K. R. Royse, K. A. Lee, and K. Freeborough
Earth Surf. Dynam., 1, 67–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-1-67-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-1-67-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Physical: Geomorphology (including all aspects of fluvial, coastal, aeolian, hillslope and glacial geomorphology)
How do modeling choices and erosion zone locations impact the representation of connectivity and the dynamics of suspended sediments in a multi-source soil erosion model?
Different coastal marsh sites reflect similar topographic conditions under which bare patches and vegetation recovery occur
Coupling threshold theory and satellite-derived channel width to estimate the formative discharge of Himalayan foreland rivers
Inertial drag and lift forces for coarse grains on rough alluvial beds measured using in-grain accelerometers
GERALDINE (Google Earth Engine supRaglAciaL Debris INput dEtector): a new tool for identifying and monitoring supraglacial landslide inputs
Short communication: Multiscalar roughness length decomposition in fluvial systems using a transform-roughness correlation (TRC) approach
Evolution of events before and after the 17 June 2017 rock avalanche at Karrat Fjord, West Greenland – a multidisciplinary approach to detecting and locating unstable rock slopes in a remote Arctic area
Quantifying Thresholds of Barrier Geomorphic Change in a Cross-Shore Sediment Partitioning Model
Complementing scale experiments of rivers and estuaries with numerically modelled hydrodynamics
Characterization of morphological units in a small, forested stream using close-range remotely piloted aircraft imagery
Laboratory observations on meltwater meandering rivulets on ice
Topographic controls on divide migration, stream capture, and diversification in riverine life
Ice sheet and palaeoclimate controls on drainage network evolution: an example from Dogger Bank, North Sea
Experimental study of sediment supply control on step formation, evolution, and stability
Development of smart boulders to monitor mass movements via the Internet of Things: A pilot study in Nepal
A bed load transport equation based on the spatial distribution of shear stress – Oak Creek revisited
Morphometric properties of alternate bars and water discharge: a laboratory investigation
Timing of exotic, far-traveled boulder emplacement and paleo-outburst flooding in the central Himalayas
A 6-year lidar survey reveals enhanced rockwall retreat and modified rockfall magnitudes/frequencies in deglaciating cirques
Effect of stress history on sediment transport and channel adjustment in graded gravel-bed rivers
Short communication: Field data reveal that the transport probability of clasts in Peruvian and Swiss streams mainly depends on the sorting of the grains
Alluvial cover on bedrock channels: applicability of existing models
How Hack distributions of rill networks contribute to nonlinear slope length–soil loss relationships
Scale breaks of suspended sediment rating in large rivers in Germany induced by organic matter
Modelling impacts of spatially variable erosion drivers on suspended sediment dynamics
Mātauranga Māori in geomorphology: existing frameworks, case studies, and recommendations for incorporating Indigenous knowledge in Earth science
The impact of earthquakes on orogen-scale exhumation
Quantifying sediment mass redistribution from joint time-lapse gravimetry and photogrammetry surveys
Controls on the hydraulic geometry of alluvial channels: bank stability to gravitational failure, the critical-flow hypothesis, and conservation of mass and energy
Parameterization of river incision models requires accounting for environmental heterogeneity: insights from the tropical Andes
Measuring river planform changes from remotely sensed data – a Monte Carlo approach to assessing the impact of spatially variable error
Entrainment and suspension of sand and gravel
Morphological evolution of bifurcations in tide-influenced deltas
Short communication: Landlab v2.0: a software package for Earth surface dynamics
Earthquake-induced debris flows at Popocatépetl Volcano, Mexico
Storm-induced sediment supply to coastal dunes on sand flats
Emerging crescentic patterns in modelled double sandbar systems under normally incident waves
Experimental evidence for bifurcation angles control on abandoned channel fill geometry
Large wood as a confounding factor in interpreting the width of spring-fed streams
River patterns reveal two stages of landscape evolution at an oblique convergent margin, Marlborough Fault System, New Zealand
Estimating sand bed load in rivers by tracking dunes: a comparison of methods based on bed elevation time series
Mass balance, grade, and adjustment timescales in bedrock channels
Determining flow directions in river channel networks using planform morphology and topology
Stabilising large grains in self-forming steep channels
Dynamic allometry in coastal overwash morphology
Potential links between Baltic Sea submarine terraces and groundwater seeping
Estimating the disequilibrium in denudation rates due to divide migration at the scale of river basins
Permafrost distribution in steep rock slopes in Norway: measurements, statistical modelling and implications for geomorphological processes
Reconstruction of river valley evolution before and after the emplacement of the giant Seymareh rock avalanche (Zagros Mts., Iran)
Experiments on patterns of alluvial cover and bedrock erosion in a meandering channel
Magdalena Uber, Guillaume Nord, Cédric Legout, and Luis Cea
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 123–144, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-123-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-123-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding soil erosion and suspended sediment transport is an important issue in terms of soil and water resources management. This study analyzes the impact of choices made during numerical model setup on the modeled suspended sediment dynamics at the outlet of two mesoscale watersheds. While the modeled liquid and solid discharges were found to be sensitive to these choices, the actual location of sediment sources in each catchment was the most important feature.
Chen Wang, Lennert Schepers, Matthew L. Kirwan, Enrica Belluco, Andrea D'Alpaos, Qiao Wang, Shoujing Yin, and Stijn Temmerman
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 71–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-71-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-71-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal marshes are valuable natural habitats with normally dense vegetation. The presence of bare patches is a symptom of habitat degradation. We found that the occurrence of bare patches and regrowth of vegetation is related to spatial variations in soil surface elevation and to the distance and connectivity to tidal creeks. These relations are similar in three marshes at very different geographical locations. Our results may help nature managers to conserve and restore coastal marshes.
Kumar Gaurav, François Métivier, A V Sreejith, Rajiv Sinha, Amit Kumar, and Sampat Kumar Tandon
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 47–70, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-47-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-47-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study demonstrates an innovative methodology to estimate the formative discharge of alluvial rivers from remote sensing images. We have developed an automated algorithm in Python 3 to extract the width of a river channel from satellite images. Finally, this channel width is translated into discharge using a semi-empirical regime equation developed from field measurements and threshold channel theory that explains the first-order geometry of alluvial channels.
Georgios Maniatis, Trevor Hoey, Rebecca Hodge, Dieter Rickenmann, and Alexandre Badoux
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 1067–1099, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1067-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1067-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
One of the most interesting problems in geomorphology concerns the conditions that mobilise sediments grains in rivers. Newly developed
smartpebbles allow for the measurement of those conditions directly if a suitable framework for analysis is followed. This paper connects such a framework with the physics used to described sediment motion and presents a series of laboratory and field smart-pebble deployments. Those quantify how grain shape affects the motion of coarse sediments in rivers.
William D. Smith, Stuart A. Dunning, Stephen Brough, Neil Ross, and Jon Telling
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 1053–1065, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1053-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1053-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Glacial landslides are difficult to detect and likely underestimated due to rapid covering or dispersal. Without improved detection rates we cannot constrain their impact on glacial dynamics or their potential climatically driven increases in occurrence. Here we present a new open-access tool (GERALDINE) that helps a user detect 92 % of these events over the past 38 years on a global scale. We demonstrate its ability by identifying two new, large glacial landslides in the Hayes Range, Alaska.
David L. Adams and Andrea Zampiron
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 1039–1051, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1039-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1039-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a novel method of estimating the relative contribution of different physical scales of river bed topography to the total roughness length, based on thalweg elevation profiles. By providing more detailed information regarding the interaction between surface topography and fluid dynamics, the proposed technique may contribute to advances in hydraulics, channel morphodynamics, and bedload transport. Also, it may provide alternatives to existing representative roughness metrics.
Kristian Svennevig, Trine Dahl-Jensen, Marie Keiding, John Peter Merryman Boncori, Tine B. Larsen, Sara Salehi, Anne Munck Solgaard, and Peter H. Voss
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 1021–1038, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1021-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1021-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The 17 June 2017 Karrat landslide in Greenland caused a tsunami that killed four people. We apply a multidisciplinary workflow to reconstruct a timeline of events and find that three historic landslides occurred in 2009, 2016, and 2017. We also find evidence of much older periods of landslide activity. Three newly discovered active slopes might pose a future hazard. We speculate that the trigger for the recent events is melting permafrost due to a warming climate.
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Justin L. Shawler, and Christopher J. Hein
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-88, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-88, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
The world's sandy coastlines are increasingly altered by humans and sea-level rise, yet quantitative relationships between coastal landscapes and sediment availability remain poorly described. Using a novel modeling framework, we explore the evolution of coastal barrier islands under varying rates of sea-level rise and sediment availability. Our model results suggest that as sea levels increase, minor changes in sediment availability could result in rapid changes to barrier coasts.
Steven A. H. Weisscher, Marcio Boechat-Albernaz, Jasper R. F. W. Leuven, Wout M. Van Dijk, Yasuyuki Shimizu, and Maarten G. Kleinhans
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 955–972, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-955-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-955-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate and continuous data collection is challenging in physical scale experiments. A novel means to augment measurements is to numerically model flow over the experimental digital elevation maps. We tested this modelling approach for one tidal and two river scale experiments and showed that modelled water depth and flow velocity closely resemble the measurements. The implication is that conducting experiments requires fewer measurements and results in flow data of better overall quality.
Carina Helm, Marwan A. Hassan, and David Reid
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 913–929, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-913-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-913-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Forested, gravel-bed streams possess complex channel morphologies which are difficult to objectively characterize. This paper describes a novel technique using a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) to characterize these systems below the forest canopy. The results demonstrate the accuracy and coverage of RPAs for objectively characterizing and classifying these systems relative to more traditional, time-consuming techniques that are generally used in these environments.
Roberto Fernández and Gary Parker
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-90, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-90, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
We present a set of observations from laboratory experiments on meltwater meandering rivulets on ice and compare them (qualitatively and quantitatively) to patterns commonly found in meandering channels flowing over different materials. Our channels display great similarities with real rivers in spite of being much smaller. Higher temperature differences between water and ice create deeper and less sinuous channels with bends that preferentially point downstream and are not as rounded.
Nathan J. Lyons, Pedro Val, James S. Albert, Jane K. Willenbring, and Nicole M. Gasparini
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 893–912, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-893-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-893-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Organisms evolve in ever-changing environments under complex process interactions. We applied a new software modelling tool to assess how changes in river course impact the evolution of riverine species. Models illustrate the climatically and tectonically forced landscape changes that can drive riverine biodiversity, especially where topographic relief is low. This research demonstrates that river course changes can contribute to the high riverine biodiversity found in real-world lowland basins.
Andy R. Emery, David M. Hodgson, Natasha L. M. Barlow, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Carol J. Cotterill, Janet C. Richardson, Ruza F. Ivanovic, and Claire L. Mellett
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 869–891, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-869-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-869-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
During the last ice age, sea level was lower, and the North Sea was land. The margin of a large ice sheet was at Dogger Bank in the North Sea. This ice sheet formed large rivers. After the ice sheet retreated down from the high point of Dogger Bank, the rivers had no water supply and dried out. Increased precipitation during the 15 000 years of land exposure at Dogger Bank formed a new drainage network. This study shows how glaciation and climate changes can control how drainage networks evolve.
Matteo Saletti and Marwan A. Hassan
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 855–868, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-855-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-855-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Mountain streams often display a stepped morphology but the conditions under which these steps form, remain stable, and eventually collapse are still not entirely clear. We run flume experiments to study how (a) the amount of sediment input and (b) channel width variations affect step dynamics in steep channels. Steps form preferentially in areas of flow convergence (channel narrowing) and their frequency is higher when sediment supply is larger than zero but smaller than the transport capacity.
Benedetta Dini, Georgina L. Bennett, Aldina M. A. Franco, Michael R. Z. Whitworth, Kristen L. Cook, Andreas Senn, and John M. Reynolds
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-78, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-78, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
We use Long Range smart sensors connected to a network based on the Internet of Things to explore the possibility of detecting hazardous boulder movements in real time. Prior to the 2019 monsoon season we inserted the devices in 23 boulders spread over debris flow channels and a landslide in northeastern Nepal. The data obtained in this pilot study shows the potential of this technology to be used in remote, hazard prone areas in future early warning systems.
Angel Monsalve, Catalina Segura, Nicole Hucke, and Scott Katz
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 825–839, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-825-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-825-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Part of the inaccuracies when estimating bed load transport in
gravel-bed rivers is because we are not considering the wide distributions of shear stress in these systems. We modified a subsurface-based bed load transport equation to include these distributions. By doing so, our approach accurately predicts bed load transport rates when the pavement layer is still present, while the original one predicts zero transport. For high flows, our method had similar performance to the original equation.
Marco Redolfi, Matilde Welber, Mattia Carlin, Marco Tubino, and Walter Bertoldi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 789–808, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-789-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Alternate bars are large sediment deposits that tend to naturally form in rivers when the channel width is sufficiently large. Our laboratory experiments on a scaled model reveal that equilibrium properties of self-formed alternate bars highly depend on the water discharge with respect to the relevant theoretical thresholds. This work provides fundamental information for predicting the response of rivers to natural or human alterations of the flow regime.
Marius L. Huber, Maarten Lupker, Sean F. Gallen, Marcus Christl, and Ananta P. Gajurel
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 769–787, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-769-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-769-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Large boulders found in two Himalayan valleys show signs of long fluvial transport (>10 km). Paleo-discharges required to mobilize these boulders exceed typical monsoon discharges. Exposure dating shows that a cluster of these boulders was emplaced ca. 5 kyr ago. This period is coeval with a weakening of the Indian monsoon and glacier retreat in the area. We, therefore, suggest that glacier lake outburst floods are likely mechanisms that can explain these exceptional transport processes.
Ingo Hartmeyer, Markus Keuschnig, Robert Delleske, Michael Krautblatter, Andreas Lang, Lothar Schrott, Günther Prasicek, and Jan-Christoph Otto
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 753–768, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-753-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-753-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Rockfall size and frequency in two deglaciating cirques in the Central Alps, Austria, is analysed based on 6-year rockwall monitoring with terrestrial lidar (2011–2017). The erosion rates derived from this dataset are very high due to a frequent occurrence of large rockfalls in freshly deglaciated areas. The results obtained are important for rockfall hazard assessments, as, in rockwalls affected by glacier retreat, historical rockfall patterns are not good predictors of future events.
Chenge An, Marwan A. Hassan, Carles Ferrer-Boix, and Xudong Fu
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-67, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-67, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
Mountain rivers are characterized by large fluctuations of water flow, including both flood and inter-flood low flow. Recently, increasing attention has been paid on how inter-flood low flow affects the sediment transport in subsequent flood. Here we present a series of flume experiments. Results show that the existence of inter-flood low flow can reduce the sediment transport at the beginning of the subsequent flood. However, such effect is gradually erased with the increase of flow intensity.
Fritz Schlunegger, Romain Delunel, and Philippos Garefalakis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 717–728, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-717-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-717-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We calculated the probability of sediment transport in coarse-grained mountainous streams in the Alps and the Andes where data on water discharge is available. We find a positive correlation between the predicted probability of sediment transport and the grain size sorting of the bed material. We suggest that besides sediment discharge, the bedload sorting exerts a significant influence on the mobility of sediment and thus on the stability of gravel bars in mountainous streams.
Jagriti Mishra and Takuya Inoue
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 695–716, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-695-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-695-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides an extensive review of field- and laboratory-scale studies and mathematical models used for predicting the sediment processes in bedrock river channels. We tested the model capabilities by reproducing and comparing the results with laboratory-scale experiments. This study provides an insight into the strengths and shortcomings of various available models.
Tyler H. Doane, Jon D. Pelletier, and Mary H. Nichols
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-63, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-63, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
This paper explores how the geometry of rill networks contributes to observed nonlinear relationships between soil loss and hillslope length. This work develops probability functions of geometrical quantities of the networks and then extends the theory to hydraulic variables by relying on well-known relationships. Theory is complemented by numerical modeling on numerical and natural surfaces. Results suggest that the particular arrangement of rill networks contributes to nonlinear relationships.
Thomas O. Hoffmann, Yannik Baulig, Helmut Fischer, and Jan Blöthe
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 661–678, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-661-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-661-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We study the dynamics of suspended matter and associated nutrients in large rivers in Germany. The relationship between suspended sediment concentration and discharge is diagnostic of the processes and sources of suspended matter. We show that suspended matter originates from organic growth within the river at low flow and from soil erosion at high flow. In a warmer climate with increased frequency of droughts, low flow states are likely to be more prolonged, affecting the behavior of rivers.
Giulia Battista, Peter Molnar, and Paolo Burlando
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 619–635, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-619-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-619-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Suspended sediment load in rivers is highly uncertain because of spatial and temporal variability. By means of a hydrology and suspended sediment transport model, we investigated the effect of spatial variability in precipitation and surface erodibility on catchment sediment fluxes in a mesoscale river basin.
We found that sediment load depends on the spatial variability in erosion drivers, as this affects erosion rates and the location and connectivity to the channel of the erosion areas.
Clare Wilkinson, Daniel C. H. Hikuroa, Angus H. Macfarlane, and Matthew W. Hughes
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 595–618, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-595-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-595-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This review highlights potential contributions that Indigenous knowledge can make to geomorphic research. We evaluate several frameworks and models for including Indigenous knowledge in geomorphic research and discuss how they can be adapted for use with Indigenous communities across the world. We propose that weaving Indigenous knowledge with geomorphic science has the potential to create new solutions and understandings that neither body of knowledge could produce in isolation.
Oliver R. Francis, Tristram C. Hales, Daniel E. J. Hobley, Xuanmei Fan, Alexander J. Horton, Gianvito Scaringi, and Runqiu Huang
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 579–593, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-579-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-579-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Large earthquakes can build mountains by uplifting bedrock, but they also erode them by triggering large volumes of coseismic landsliding. Using a zero-dimensional numerical model, we identify that the storage of sediment produced by earthquakes can affect surface uplift and exhumation rates across the mountain range. However, the storage also reduces the time span at which the impact of the earthquake can be measured, preventing the recognition of single earthquakes in many long-term records.
Maxime Mouyen, Philippe Steer, Kuo-Jen Chang, Nicolas Le Moigne, Cheinway Hwang, Wen-Chi Hsieh, Louise Jeandet, Laurent Longuevergne, Ching-Chung Cheng, Jean-Paul Boy, and Frédéric Masson
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 555–577, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-555-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-555-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Land erosion creates sediment particles that are redistributed from mountains to oceans through climatic, tectonic and human activities, but measuring the mass of redistributed sediment is difficult. Here we describe a new method combining gravity and photogrammetry measurements, which make it possible to weigh the mass of sediment redistributed by a landslide and a river in Taiwan from 2015 to 2017. Trying this method in other regions will help us to better understand the erosion process.
Jon D. Pelletier
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-44, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-44, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
The sizes and shapes of alluvial channels vary in a systematic way with the water flow they must convey during large floods. It is demonstrated that the depth of alluvial channels is controlled by the resistance of channel bank material to slumping which in turn is controlled by clay content. Deeper channels have faster water flow in a manner controlled by a critical hydraulic state to which channels tend to evolve. Channel width and slope can be further quantified using conservation principles.
Benjamin Campforts, Veerle Vanacker, Frédéric Herman, Matthias Vanmaercke, Wolfgang Schwanghart, Gustavo E. Tenorio, Patrick Willems, and Gerard Govers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 447–470, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-447-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-447-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this contribution, we explore the spatial determinants of bedrock river incision in the tropical Andes. The model results illustrate the problem of confounding between climatic and lithological variables, such as rock strength. Incorporating rock strength explicitly into river incision models strongly improves the explanatory power of all tested models and enables us to clarify the role of rainfall variability in controlling river incision rates.
Timothée Jautzy, Pierre-Alexis Herrault, Valentin Chardon, Laurent Schmitt, and Gilles Rixhon
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 471–484, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-471-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-471-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Remote sensing is widely used to document historical fluvial dynamics. However, the geometric error affecting the inferred planform changes can result in undesired geomorphological misinterpretation. Here, we present a novel approach to quantify the uncertainty associated with eroded/deposited surfaces. Concluding that this uncertainty depends on the magnitude and the shape of the surficial changes, restoration programs targeting lateral mobility of streams can benefit from our approach.
Jan de Leeuw, Michael P. Lamb, Gary Parker, Andrew J. Moodie, Daniel Haught, Jeremy G. Venditti, and Jeffrey A. Nittrouer
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 485–504, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-485-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-485-2020, 2020
Arya P. Iwantoro, Maarten van der Vegt, and Maarten G. Kleinhans
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 413–429, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-413-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-413-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the effect of tides on the morphodynamic evolution of bifurcations in tide-influenced deltas. Using results from a numerical morphodynamic model (Delft3D), we found that tides cause less asymmetric bifurcations and thereby keep both downstream channels open. Our results explain why avulsion rarely occurs in tide-influenced deltas, whereas it occurs more often in river-dominated deltas.
Katherine R. Barnhart, Eric W. H. Hutton, Gregory E. Tucker, Nicole M. Gasparini, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Daniel E. J. Hobley, Nathan J. Lyons, Margaux Mouchene, Sai Siddhartha Nudurupati, Jordan M. Adams, and Christina Bandaragoda
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 379–397, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-379-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-379-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Landlab is a Python package to support the creation of numerical models in Earth surface dynamics. Since the release of the 1.0 version in 2017, Landlab has grown and evolved: it contains 31 new process components, a refactored model grid, and additional utilities. This contribution describes the new elements of Landlab, discusses why certain backward-compatiblity-breaking changes were made, and reflects on the process of community open-source software development.
Velio Coviello, Lucia Capra, Gianluca Norini, Norma Dávila, Dolores Ferrés, Víctor Hugo Márquez-Ramirez, and Eduard Pico
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-36, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2020-36, 2020
Revised manuscript under review for ESurf
Short summary
Short summary
The Puebla-Morelos earthquake (19 September 2017) was the most damaging event in central Mexico since 1985. The seismic shaking produced hundreds of shallow landslides on the slopes of Popocatépetl volcano. The larger landslides transformed into large flows of sediment and water that travelled for kilometres. We describe this dramatic mass-wasting cascade and its predisposing factors, which have important implications for both the evolution of the volcanic edifices and for hazard assessment.
Filipe Galiforni-Silva, Kathelijne M. Wijnberg, and Suzanne J. M. H. Hulscher
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 335–350, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-335-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-335-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Storm surges are often related to coastal dune erosion. We found that, for specific coastal settings, storm surges may enhance dune growth rather than only undermine it. Using a computer model and elevation data, we noticed that storm surges could deposit sand onto the sand flat from sand previously deposited closer to the sea. As they move to areas farther from the sea, it becomes easier for the wind to move this sand to the dunes. These findings may help coastal managers and policymakers.
Giovanni Coco, Daniel Calvete, Francesca Ribas, Huib E. de Swart, and Albert Falqués
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 323–334, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-323-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-323-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Sandbars are ubiquitous features of the surf zone. They are rarely straight and often develop crescentic shapes. Double sandbar systems are also common, but the possibility of feedback between inner and outer sandbars has not been fully explored. The presence of double sandbar systems affects wave transformation and can result in a variety of spatial patterns. Here we model the conditions, waves and initial bathymetry that lead to the emergence of different patterns.
Léo Szewczyk, Jean-Louis Grimaud, and Isabelle Cojan
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 275–288, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-275-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-275-2020, 2020
Dana Ariel Lapides and Michael Manga
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 195–210, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-195-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-195-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Spring-fed streams throughout volcanic regions of the western United States are wider than runoff-fed streams with similar flow levels. We used high-resolution satellite imagery in combination with flow and climate data to examine the relationship between wood loading and stream width in 38 spring-fed and 20 runoff-fed streams. This study identifies distinct wood dynamics in spring-fed and runoff-fed streams and a strong correlation between stream width and wood length in spring-fed streams.
Alison R. Duvall, Sarah A. Harbert, Phaedra Upton, Gregory E. Tucker, Rebecca M. Flowers, and Camille Collett
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 177–194, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-177-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-177-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we examine river patterns and the evolution of the landscape within the Marlborough Fault System, South Island, New Zealand, where the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates collide. We find that faulting, uplift, river capture and the long-lived nature of the drainage network all dictate river patterns at this site. Based on these results and a wealth of previous geologic studies, we propose two broad stages of landscape evolution over the last 25 million years of orogenesis.
Kate C. P. Leary and Daniel Buscombe
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 161–172, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-161-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-161-2020, 2020
Jens Martin Turowski
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 103–122, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-103-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-103-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Bedrock channels are the conveyor belts of mountain regions, evacuating sediment produced by erosion. Bedrock channel morphology and dynamics affect sediment transport rates and local erosion and set the base level for hillslope response. Here, using mechanistic considerations of the processes of fluvial erosion and transport, and considerations of the mass balance of sediment and bedrock, I discuss the principles governing steady-state channel morphology and the dynamic paths to achieve it.
Jon Schwenk, Anastasia Piliouras, and Joel C. Rowland
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 87–102, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-87-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-87-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Standing on a riverbank, it is usually obvious which direction the river flows. However, when observing a river from space, we cannot see the flowing water and must use other clues to determine flow directions. For complicated river channel networks like those of deltas and braided rivers, determining the flow direction of each channel within the network is not trivial. We present and demonstrate a method to automatically determine flow directions for each link in aerially viewed river channels.
William H. Booker and Brett C. Eaton
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 51–67, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-51-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-51-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Using experiments, we found that the form and behaviour of a river depends on its ability to move the larger of its constituents. The manner in which all particles move depends upon the rate and calibre of the supplied material, as well as the rate of supplied water. This goes against the prevailing theory of a single important and representative grain size under depositing conditions, and these results may alter how we interpret river deposits to explain their formation.
Eli D. Lazarus, Kirstin L. Davenport, and Ana Matias
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 37–50, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-37-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-37-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Scaling relationships mathematically describe how two geometric traits of a geomorphic feature change relative to each other in a systematic way (how length changes with area in drainage basins and sedimentary deposits, for example). Here we demonstrate the emergence of scaling relationships in coastal overwash morphology. These findings may help to predict overwash deposition and offer insight into how spatial patterns in overwash morphology may self-organise.
Martin Jakobsson, Matt O'Regan, Carl-Magnus Mörth, Christian Stranne, Elizabeth Weidner, Jim Hansson, Richard Gyllencreutz, Christoph Humborg, Tina Elfwing, Alf Norkko, Joanna Norkko, Björn Nilsson, and Arne Sjöström
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-1-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We studied coastal sea floor terraces in parts of the Baltic Sea using various types of sonar data, sediment cores, and video. Terraces (~1 m high, > 100 m long) are widespread in depths < 15 m and are formed in glacial clay. Our study supports an origin from groundwater flow through silty layers, undermining overlying layers when discharged at the sea floor. Submarine groundwater discharge like this may be a significant source of freshwater to the Baltic Sea that needs to be studied further.
Timothée Sassolas-Serrayet, Rodolphe Cattin, Matthieu Ferry, Vincent Godard, and Martine Simoes
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 1041–1057, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-1041-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-1041-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The topographic steady-state assumption is often used in geomorphology. However, recent studies suggest that a drainage network is more mobile than previously thought. Using landscape evolution models, we show that those migrations have a significant impact on basin-wide denudation rates even if an overall topographic steady state is achieved at large scale. Our approach provides new tools to derive minimal uncertainties in basin-scale denudation rates due to this topographic disequilibrium.
Florence Magnin, Bernd Etzelmüller, Sebastian Westermann, Ketil Isaksen, Paula Hilger, and Reginald L. Hermanns
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 1019–1040, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-1019-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-1019-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study proposes the first permafrost (i.e. ground with temperature permanently < 0 °C) map covering the steep rock slopes of Norway. It was created by using rock temperature data collected at the near surface of 25 rock walls spread across the country between 2010 and 2018. The map shows that permafrost mostly exists above 1300–1400 m a.s.l. in southern Norway and close to sea level in northern Norway. The results have strong potential for the study of rock wall sliding and failure.
Michele Delchiaro, Marta Della Seta, Salvatore Martino, Maryam Dehbozorgi, and Reza Nozaem
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 929–947, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-929-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-929-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides insights into the causes and effects of the largest landslide and related damming that occurred on the emerged Earth surface. Understanding the hazard conditions is important for refining risk mitigation strategies for extreme landslide scenarios. We mapped and dated lacustrine and fluvial terrace sediments constraining the evolutionary model of the valley, thus providing the basis for future studies on the possible seismic trigger for such an extreme case study.
Roberto Fernández, Gary Parker, and Colin P. Stark
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 949–968, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-949-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-949-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes the case of a meandering bedrock river with loose sediment on the bed. In such rivers, the sediment hits and erodes the bed as it moves with the flow. We did experiments in a laboratory flume to identify the areas where the sediment moves and those where it deposits. We discovered that the size and location of those areas change with the amount of sediment in the channel and its curvature. The fluctuations of sediment cover over the bed drive the erosion potential.
Cited articles
Ahnert, F.: Functional relationships between denudation, relief, and uplift in large, mid-latitude drainage basins, Am. J. Sci., 268, 243–263,
https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.268.3.243, 1970.
Alkmim, F. F. and Marshak, S.: Transamazonian orogeny in the Southern Sao
Francisco craton region, Minas Gerais, Brazil: evidence for Paleoproterozoic
collision and collapse in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Precambrian
Res., 90, 29–58, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-9268(98)00032-1, 1998.
Alvares, C. A., Stape, J. L., Sentelhas, P. C., de Moraes Gonçalves, J. L., and Sparovek, G.: Köppen's climate classification map for Brazil, Meteorol. Z., 22, 711–728, https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2013/0507, 2013.
Balco, G., Stone, J. O., Lifton, N. A., and Dunai, T. J.: A complete and easily accessible means of calculating surface exposure ages or erosion rates from 10Be and 26Al measurements, Quat. Geochronol., 3, 174–195, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2007.12.001, 2008.
Baldwin, J. A., Whipple, K. X., and Tucker, G. E.: Implications of the shear
stress river incision model for the timescale of postorogenic decay of
topography, J. Geophys. Res.-Solid, 108, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000550, 2003.
Barreto, H. N., Varajão, C. A., Braucher, R., Bourlès, D. L., Salgado, A. A., and Varajão, A. F.: Denudation rates of the Southern Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil, determined by in situ-produced cosmogenic beryllium-10, Geomorphology, 191, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.01.021, 2013.
Beeson, H. W., McCoy, S. W., and Keen-Zebert, A.: Geometric disequilibrium of
river basins produces long-lived transient landscapes, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 475, 34–43, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.07.010, 2017.
Bierman, P. R. and Caffee, M.: Slow rates of rock surface erosion and sediment production across the Namib Desert and escarpment, southern Africa, Am. J. Sci., 301, 326–358, https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.301.4-5.326, 2001.
Bishop, P.: Long-term landscape evolution: linking tectonics and surface
processes, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 32, 329–365, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1493, 2007.
Bishop, P. and Brown, R.: Denudational isostatic rebound of intraplate highlands: the Lachlan River valley, Australia, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 17,
345–360, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290170405, 1992.
Bishop, P. and Goldrick, G.: Lithology and the evolution of bedrock rivers in post-orogenic settings: constraints from the high-elevation passive continental margin of SE Australia, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 346, 267–287,
https://doi.org/10.1144/SP346.14, 2010.
Blackburn, T., Ferrier, K. L., and Perron, J. T.: Coupled feedbacks between
mountain erosion rate, elevation, crustal temperature, and density, Earth
Planet. Sc. Lett., 498, 377–386, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.07.003, 2018.
Braun, J., Simon-Labric, T., Murray, K. E., and Reiners, P. W.: Topographic
relief driven by variations in surface rock density, Nat. Geosci., 7, 534–540, https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO2171, 2014.
Bursztyn, N., Pederson, J. L., Tressler, C., Mackley, R. D., and Mitchell,
K. J.: Rock strength along a fluvial transect of the Colorado Plateau–quantifying a fundamental control on geomorphology, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 429, 90–100, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.07.042, 2015.
Campforts, B., Vanacker, V., Herman, F., Vanmaercke, M., Schwanghart, W., Tenorio, G. E., Willems, P., and Govers, G.: Parameterization of river incision models requires accounting for environmental heterogeneity: insights from the tropical Andes, Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 447–470, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-447-2020, 2020.
Chemale Jr., F., Rosière, C. A., and Endo, I.: The tectonic evolution of
the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Precambrian
Res., 65, 25–54, https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-9268(94)90098-1, 1994.
Clubb, F. J., Bookhagen, B., and Rheinwalt, A.: Clustering river profiles to
classify geomorphic domains, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 124, 1417–1439,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005025, 2019.
Cyr, A. J., Granger, D. E., Olivetti, V., and Molin, P.: Distinguishing between tectonic and lithologic controls on bedrock channel longitudinal profiles using cosmogenic 10Be erosion rates and channel steepness
index, Geomorphology, 209, 27–38, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.12.010, 2014.
Davis, W. M.: The geographical cycle, Geogr. J., 14, 481–504,
https://doi.org/10.2307/1774538, 1899.
DiBiase, R. A.: Increasing vertical attenuation length of cosmogenic nuclide
production on steep slopes negates topographic shielding corrections for
catchment erosion rates, Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 923–931,
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-923-2018, 2018.
DiBiase, R. A. and Whipple, K. X.: The influence of erosion thresholds and
runoff variability on the relationships among topography, climate, and erosion rate, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 116, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002095, 2011.
DiBiase, R. A., Whipple, K. X., Heimsath, A. M., and Ouimet, W. B.: Landscape
form and millennial erosion rates in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA, Earth
Planet. Sc. Lett., 289, 134–144, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.10.036, 2010.
Dorr, J. V. N.: Physiographic, stratigraphic, and structural development of
the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil, United States
Geological Survey Professional Paper 641-A, US Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., 1969.
Duvall, A., Kirby, E., and Burbank, D.: Tectonic and lithologic controls on
bedrock channel profiles and processes in coastal California, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth, 109, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JF000086, 2004.
Egholm, D. L., Knudsen, M. F., and Sandiford, M.: Lifespan of mountain ranges
scaled by feedbacks between landsliding and erosion by rivers, Nature, 498,
475–478, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12218, 2013.
Ferrier, K. L., Huppert, K. L., and Perron, J. T.: Climatic control of bedrock river incision, Nature, 496, 206–209, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11982, 2013.
Fick, S. E. and Hijmans, R. J.: WorldClim 2: new 1-km spatial resolution
climate surfaces for global land areas, Int. J. Climatol., 37, 4302–4315,
https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5086, 2017.
Flint, J. J.: Stream gradient as a function of order, magnitude, and discharge, Water Resour. Res., 10, 969–973, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR010i005p00969, 1974.
Forte, A. M., Yanites, B. J., and Whipple, K. X.: Complexities of landscape
evolution during incision through layered stratigraphy with contrasts in rock strength, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 41, 1736–1757, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3947, 2016.
Gallen, S. F.: Lithologic controls on landscape dynamics and aquatic species
evolution in post-orogenic mountains, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 493, 150–160,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.04.029, 2018.
Gallen, S. F., Wegmann, K. W., and Bohnenstiehl, D. R.: Miocene rejuvenation of topographic relief in the southern Appalachians, GSA Today, 23, 4–10,
https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATG163A.1, 2013.
Gilbert, G.: Geology of the Henry Mountains, USGS Unnumbered Series, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., USA, https://doi.org/10.3133/70038096, 1877.
Gilchrist, A. R. and Summerfield, M. A.: Differential denudation and flexural
isostasy in formation of rifted-margin upwarps, Nature, 346, 739–742,
https://doi.org/10.1038/346739a0, 1990.
Hack, J. T.: Interpretation of erosional topography in humid temperate regions, Am. J. Sci., 258, 80–97, 1960.
Hack, J. T.: Dynamic equilibrium and landscape evolution, in: Theories of
landform development, edited by: Melhorn, W. N. and Flemal, R. C., State
University of New York Press, Binghamton, NY, USA, 87–102, 1975.
Hack, J. T.: Physiographic divisions and differential uplift in the Piedmont
and Blue Ridge, United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 1265, US Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., 1982.
Harel, M. A., Mudd, S. M., and Attal, M.: Global analysis of the stream power
law parameters based on worldwide 10Be denudation rates, Geomorphology, 268, 184–196, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.05.035, 2016.
Hergarten, S., Robl, J., and Stüwe, K.: Tectonic geomorphology at small
catchment sizes-extensions of the stream-power approach and the χ method, Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-1-2016, 2016.
Howard, A. D. and Kerby, G.: Channel changes in badlands, GSA Bull., 94,
739–752, https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1983)94<739:CCIB>2.0.CO;2, 1983.
Jansen, J. D., Codilean, A. T., Bishop, P., and Hoey, T. B.: Scale dependence of lithological control on topography: Bedrock channel geometry and catchment
morphometry in western Scotland, J. Geol., 118, 223–246, https://doi.org/10.1086/651273, 2010.
Kirby, E. and Whipple, K. X.: Quantifying differential rock-uplift rates via
stream profile analysis, Geology, 29, 415–418,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029<0415:QDRURV>2.0.CO;2, 2001.
Kirby, E. and Whipple, K. X.: Expression of active tectonics in erosional
landscapes, J. Struct. Geol., 44, 54–75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2012.07.009, 2012.
Kohl, C. P. and Nishiizumi, K.: Chemical isolation of quartz for measurement
of in-situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 56, 3583–3587, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90401-4, 1992.
Korup, O.: Rock type leaves topographic signature in landslide-dominated
mountain ranges, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, 1–5, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034157, 2008.
Lague, D.: The stream power river incision model: evidence, theory and beyond, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 39, 38–61, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3462, 2014.
Lague, D., Davy, P., and Crave, A.: Estimating uplift rate and erodibility
from the area-slope relationship: Examples from Brittany (France) and
numerical modelling, Phys. Chem. Earth Pt. A, 25, 543–548,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1464-1895(00)00083-1, 2000.
Lal, D.: Cosmic ray labeling of erosion surfaces: in situ nuclide production, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 104, 424–439, https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821X(91)90220-C, 1991.
Liu, L.: Rejuvenation of Appalachian topography caused by subsidence-induced
differential erosion, Nat. Geosci., 7, 518–523, https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO2187, 2014.
Lobato, L., Ribeiro-Rodrigues, L., Zucchetti, M., Noce, C., Baltazar, O., Da
Silva, L., and Pinto, C.: Brazil's premier gold province. Part I: The tectonic, magmatic, and structural setting of the Archean Rio das Velhas
greenstone belt, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Miner. Deposita., 36, 228–248, https://doi.org/10.1007/s001260100179, 2001.
Lobato, L. M., Baltazar, O. F., Reis, L. B., Achtschin, A. B., Baars, F. J.,
Timbó, M. A., Berni, G. V., de Mendonça, B. R. V., and Ferreira, D. V: Projeto Geologia do Quadrilátero Ferrífero – Integração e
Correção Cartográfica em SIG com Nota Explicativa, CODEMIG, Belo
Horizonte, 2005.
Mandal, S. K., Lupker, M., Burg, J. P., Valla, P. G., Haghipour, N., and
Christl, M.: Spatial variability of 10Be-derived erosion rates across the southern Peninsular Indian escarpment: A key to landscape evolution across passive margins, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 425, 154–167,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.05.050, 2015.
Matmon, A., Bierman, P. R., Larsen, J., Southworth, S., Pavich, M., and Caffee, M.: Temporally and spatially uniform rates of erosion in the
southern Appalachian Great Smoky Mountains, Geology, 31, 155–158,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0155:TASURO>2.0.CO;2, 2003.
Meybeck, M.: Global chemical weathering of surficial rocks estimated from river dissolved loads, Am. J. Sci., 287, 401–428, https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.287.5.401, 1987.
Miller, S. R., Sak, P. B., Kirby, E., and Bierman, P. R.: Neogene rejuvenation of central Appalachian topography: Evidence for differential rock uplift from stream profiles and erosion rates, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 369, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.04.007, 2013.
Mills, H. H.: Inferring erosional resistance of bedrock units in the east
Tennessee mountains from digital elevation data, Geomorphology, 55, 263–281, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(03)00144-2, 2003.
Molnar, P. and England, P.: Late Cenozoic uplift of mountain ranges and global climate change: chicken or egg?, Nature, 346, 29–34,
https://doi.org/10.1038/346029a0, 1990.
Monteiro, H. S., Vasconcelos, P. M., Farley, K. A., Spier, C. A., and Mello,
C. L.: (U–Th)/He geochronology of goethite and the origin and evolution of
cangas, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 131, 267–289, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2014.01.036, 2014.
Monteiro, H. S., Vasconcelos, P. M., and Farley, K. A.: A combined (U-Th)/He and cosmogenic 3He record of landscape armoring by biogeochemical iron cycling, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 123, 298–323, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JF004282, 2018.
Montgomery, D. R.: Slope distributions, threshold hillslopes, and steady-state topography, Am. J. Sci., 301, 432–454, https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.301.4-5.432, 2001.
Montgomery, D. R. and Brandon, M. T.: Topographic controls on erosion rates in tectonically active mountain ranges, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 201, 481–489, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(02)00725-2, 2002.
Moon, S., Chamberlain, C. P., Blisniuk, K., Levine, N., Rood, D. H., and
Hilley, G. E.: Climatic control of denudation in the deglaciated landscape of
the Washington Cascades, Nat. Geosci., 4, 469–473, https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1159, 2011.
Mudd, S. M., Attal, M., Milodowski, D. T., Grieve, S. W., and Valters, D. A.: A statistical framework to quantify spatial variation in channel gradients
using the integral method of channel profile analysis, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 119, 138–152, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JF002981, 2014.
Mudd, S. M., Harel, M. A., Hurst, M. D., Grieve, S. W., and Marrero, S. M.: The CAIRN method: automated, reproducible calculation of catchment-averaged
denudation rates from cosmogenic nuclide concentrations, Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 655–674, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-655-2016, 2016.
Mudd, S. M., Clubb, F. J., Gailleton, B., and Hurst, M. D.: How concave are
river channels?, Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 505–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-505-2018, 2018.
Mudd, S. M., Clubb, F. J., and Hurst, M. D.: LSDTopoTools2 v0.3, Zenodo,
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3769703, 2020.
Myers, R. H.: Classical and modern regression with applications, 2nd Edn., Duxbury Press, Boston, MA, USA, 1990.
Pazzaglia, F. J. and Brandon, M. T.: Macrogeomorphic evolution of the
post-Triassic Appalachian mountains determined by deconvolution of the
offshore basin sedimentary record, Basin Res., 8, 255–278,
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2117.1996.00274.x, 1996.
Perne, M., Covington, M. D., Thaler, E. A., and Myre, J. M.: Steady state,
erosional continuity, and the topography of landscapes developed in layered
rocks, Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 85–100, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-85-2017, 2017.
Perron, J. T. and Royden, L.: An integral approach to bedrock river profile
analysis, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 38, 570–576, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3302, 2013.
Portenga, E. W. and Bierman, P. R.: Understanding Earth's eroding surface with 10Be, GSA Today, 21, 4–10, https://doi.org/10.1130/G111A.1, 2011.
Quigley, M., Sandiford, M., Fifield, K., and Alimanovic, A.: Bedrock erosion
and relief production in the northern Flinders Ranges, Australia, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 32, 929–944, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1459, 2007.
Roberts, G. G. and White, N.: Estimating uplift rate histories from river
profiles using African examples, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, 1–24,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JB006692, 2010.
Salgado, A. A. R., Braucher, R., Varajão, A. C., Colin, F., Varajão,
A. F. D. C., and Nalini Jr., H. A.: Relief evolution of the Quadrilátero
Ferrífero (Minas Gerais, Brazil) by means of (10Be) cosmogenic
nuclei, Z. Geomorphol., 52, 317–323, https://doi.org/10.1127/0372-8854/2008/0052-0317, 2008.
Sant'Anna, L. G., Schorscher, H. D., and Riccomini, C.: Cenozoic tectonics of
the Fonseca basin region, eastern Quadrilátero Ferrífero, MG, Brazil, J. S. Am. Earth Sci., 10, 275–284, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-9811(97)00016-3, 1997.
Snyder, N. P., Whipple, K. X., Tucker, G. E., and Merritts, D. J.: Landscape
response to tectonic forcing: Digital elevation model analysis of stream
profiles in the Mendocino triple junction region, northern California, GSA
Bull., 112, 1250–1263, https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<1250:LRTTFD>2.0.CO;2, 2000.
Spier, C. A., Vasconcelos, P. M., and Oliviera, S. M.:
Spotila, J. A., Moskey, K. A., and Prince, P. S.: Geologic controls on bedrock channel width in large, slowly-eroding catchments: Case study of the New River in eastern North America, Geomorphology, 230, 51–63,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.11.004, 2015.
Stock, J. D. and Montgomery, D. R.: Geologic constraints on bedrock river
incision using the stream power law, J. Geophys. Res.-Solid, 104, 4983–4993, https://doi.org/10.1029/98JB02139, 1999.
Stone, J. O.: Air pressure and cosmogenic isotope production, J. Geophys.
Res.-Solid, 105, 23753–23759, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JB900181, 2000.
Strahler, A. N.: Quantitative analysis of watershed geomorphology, Eos, 38,
913–920, https://doi.org/10.1029/TR038i006p00913, 1957.
Summerfield, M. A. and Hulton, N. J.: Natural controls of fluvial denudation
rates in major world drainage basins, J. Geophys. Res.-Solid, 99, 13871–13883, https://doi.org/10.1029/94JB00715, 1994.
Tucker, G. E. and van Der Beek, P.: A model for post-orogenic development of
a mountain range and its foreland, Basin Res., 25, 241–259,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2117.2012.00559.x, 2013.
Twidale, C. R.: On the survival of paleoforms, Am. J. Sci., 276, 77–95,
https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.276.1.77, 1976.
Vasconcelos, P. M. and Carmo, I. D. O.: Calibrating denudation chronology
through
Vasconcelos, P. M., Farley, K. A., Stone, J., Piacentini, T., and Fifield, L. K.: Stranded landscapes in the humid tropics: Earth's oldest land surfaces, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 519, 152–164, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.04.014, 2019.
von Blanckenburg, F., Hewawasam, T., and Kubik, P. W.: Cosmogenic nuclide
evidence for low weathering and denudation in the wet, tropical highlands of
Sri Lanka, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 109, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JF000049, 2004.
Watts, A. B., McKerrow, W. S., and Fielding, E.: Lithospheric flexure, uplift, and landscape evolution in south-central England, J. Geol. Soc., 157,
1169–1177, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs.157.6.1169, 2000.
Whipple, K. X. and Tucker, G. E.: Dynamics of the stream-power river incision
model: Implications for height limits of mountain ranges, landscape response
timescales, and research needs, J. Geophys. Res.-Solid, 104, 17661–17674, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JB900120, 1999.
Whipple, K. X., Hancock, G. S., and Anderson, R. S.: River incision into
bedrock: Mechanics and relative efficacy of plucking, abrasion, and cavitation, GSA Bull., 112, 490–503, https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<490:RIIBMA>2.0.CO;2, 2000a.
Whipple, K. X., Snyder, N. P., and Dollenmayer, K.: Rates and processes of
bedrock incision by the Upper Ukak River since the 1912 Novarupta ash flow
in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Alaska, Geology, 28, 835–838,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<835:RAPOBI>2.0.CO;2, 2000b.
White, A. F. and Blum, A. E.: Effects of climate on chemical weathering in
watersheds, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 59, 1729–1747, https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(95)00078-E, 1995.
Zondervan, J. R., Stokes, M., Boulton, S. J., Telfer, M. W., and Mather, A. E.: Rock strength and structural controls on fluvial erodibility: Implications for drainage divide mobility in a collisional mountain belt, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 538, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116221, 2020a.
Zondervan, J. R., Whittaker, A. C., Bell, R. E., Watkins, S. E., Brooke, S. A., and Hann, M. G.: New constraints on bedrock erodibility and landscape response times upstream of an active fault, Geomorphology, 351, 1–14,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.106937, 2020b.
Short summary
Plate tectonics drive the formation of mountain ranges. Yet when tectonic forces cease, mountain ranges persist for hundreds of millions of years, forming major Earth surface features. This work presents denudation rate estimates from one such ancient mountain range that show that denudation is strongly tied to rock type. Resistant rocks denude more slowly despite having much steeper topography, and contrasts in rock type cause increasing relief in the absence of active tectonics.
Plate tectonics drive the formation of mountain ranges. Yet when tectonic forces cease, mountain...
