Labs WMT Child Exercises

From CSDMS

Landscape Evolution Modeling with CHILD

Authors: Gregory E. Tucker, University of Colorado Boulder, and Stephen T. Lancaster, Oregon State University
These short course notes prepared for SIESD 2012: Future Earth: Interaction of Climate and Earth-surface Processes,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, August 2012. Notes and exercises updated for WMT by Stephanie
Higgins, University of Colorado Boulder, August 2014.
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Before beginning these exercises, download the CHILD visualization tools here

1. Overview
The learning goals of this exercise are:

  • To gain a clearer understanding of how a typical landscape evolution model (LEM) solves the governing equations that represent geomorphic processes.
  • To gain hands-on experience actually using a LEM.
  • To understand how continuity of mass is maintained by a typical LEM, and some of the limitations that arise.
  • To appreciate some of the ways in which climate and hydrology can be represented in a LEM, and some of the simplifications involved.
  • To appreciate that working with LEMs involves choosing a level of simplification in the governing physics that is appropriate to the problem at hand.
  • To get a sense for how and why soil creep produces convex hillslopes.
  • To appreciate the concepts of transient versus steady topography.
  • To acquire a feel for the similarity and difference between detachment-limited and transport-limited modes of fluvial erosion.
  • To understand the connection between fluvial physics and slope-area plots.
  • To appreciate that LEMs (1) are able to reproduce (and therefore, at least potentially, explain) common forms in fluvially carved landscapes, (2) can enhance our insight into dynamics via visualization and experimentation, but (3) leave open many important questions regarding long-term process physics.
  • To develop a sense of ``best practices in using landscape evolution models.
  • <\ul> STEP1 Load the 2D Sedflux component

    >> If you have never used WMT, learn how to use it here.
    >> Pick SedFlux2D from the list of components in WMT
    >> SedFlux2D component is the sole driver of this simulation, so there is no need to assemble its ports.

    LoadSedflux2D component.png