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Although I am traditionally regarded as a structural and metamorphic geologist, over the past ~5 years I have become increasingly interested in geodynamic modeling, and have done a great deal of work in both industry and academic focused on finite element modeling of salt basin evolution and wellbore geomechanics. Over the last ~3 years, my focus has shifted back to studies of mountain belt geodynamics, with a particular emphasis on understanding the thermal and mechanical evolution of these systems. My research group is now developing numerous major research studies that examine how erosion and the greater landscape response will influence (and be influenced by) the structural and thermal evolution of these systems, and how those effects may impact the system mechanical evolution. At UK, I am currently assembling a lab that includes computational clusters and mineral separation facilities to pursue a number of integrative and multidisciplinary structural, tectonic, and surface process studies that will include roughly equal parts numerical modeling and field/lab studies. Because I am an early career faculty member that is relatively new to this subdiscipline, this meeting would represent an ideal forum to meet members of the community and hopefully plant the seeds for new long-term collaborations. +
As a current PhD candidate, I am using the continental margin sediment record in Southeastern Alaska to investigate climate and tectonic interactions in the St. Elias Mountains and how these interactions impact where concentrated glacial erosion occurs. As the St. Elias is a young and tectonically active mountain range, the location where large amounts of mass are removed and then redeposited may have an impact on the overall tectonic structure of the range. Sediment provenance is used to investigate if climate or tectonic forces exert a greater control over the locus of glacial erosion. If climate has the greatest control, provenance varies between glacial and interglacial periods as glaciers advance onto the continental shelf and then retreat, if tectonic forces have the greatest influence, erosion should be consistently concentrated in regions of mechanically weakened rock (i.e. fault zones).
My interest in attending the CTSP meeting is two-fold. Firstly, I’d like to be able to share my research on climate-tectonic interactions in a glacial setting with the community by presenting a poster at the meeting. The paper on this project is in prep and will most likely not be published by the time of the meeting, making this information otherwise unavailable. As the goal of this meeting is to produce a white paper, having the most up to date research is critical. In addition, it will also present me with an opportunity to solicit feedback on my work before publishing. Secondly, I am nearing graduation and am beginning to look for postdoc positions. By attending this meeting I will be able to network with other scientists who share similar research interests, with whom I may be able to work with during a post-doc. Attendance will also help me better understand the direction that future climate-tectonic interaction research is headed, which will assist me in directing my future research. +
As an early career scientist focused on the interactions between geomorphology, tectonics and climate, I am interested in joining this workshop for the following reasons:
(a) I hope that this workshop will present opportunities to learn and share thoughts about recent progress in the field of modeling coupled interactions between geomorphologic and tectonic processes.
(b) The discussions about algorithm development for coupling between geomorphologic and tectonic processes, seems like a way to broaden my perspective on this coupling, as well as a mean to share thoughts about potential directions for such future developments.
(c) I am interested in developing topographic metrics and relations that capture the essence of landscape properties and facilitate comparisons between simulated and natural landscapes, thus promoting evaluation of model performance. I hope that this workshop will produce opportunities to discuss and develop this line of thinking in the context of coupled models.
(d) The workshop will likely present opportunities to develop collaborations. I am particularly interested in collaborations that bridge between local observations of geomorphologic processes and tectonic indicators to large scale topographic and tectonic patterns.
(e) I am developing a graduate class that combines landscape analysis and modeling of tecto-geomorphic processes and think that discussions within this workshop can help in shaping my thoughts regarding the best way to introduce students to the coupling of these processes. +
At present, I am working on the problem of the evolution of elevated passive continental margin like Western Ghats, India and understanding the process of metamorphism and evolution of metamorphic rocks etc., which are the areas of large scientific interest. The Western Ghats at the western margin of Peninsular India is made up of several regional provinces like Deccan Plateau (DP), Dharwar Craton (DC) and Southern Granulite Terrain (SGT) and also covers the southern province of peninsular India. These provinces are traversed by several shear zones separating the different crustal blocks and in the need of delineating the nature underneath the deep-seated structures. Therefore, detail integrated study need to be carried out for a better understanding of the settings of such zones that are important for tracing the tectonic history and their characteristics.
Hence, CTSP: Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes workshop is a golden opportunity to learn the tectonic and surface processes that affects the deformation as well as subsurface structures upto a great depth. It also provides me a foremost opportunity to start a long lasting personal relation with CSDMS community. I am happy to be a part of it.
Thank you. +
Being a researcher in geomorphology, I am particularly interested in the Tectonic geomorphology and Quaternary geomorphology. In last 5 years, I am working in North-east India on a Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt that possesses Ridge and valley topography. The soft sedimentary deformation structure and thrust faults are prominent in this region that is the major interest of my research. +
Being an early career scientist as a Research Associate and upcoming position as a Postdoc, this workshop will provide an opportunity to network and potential develop future research collaborations in this field. The topics covered in this workshop are very well in line with my research interests. Some of the key driving research questions that I am particularly interested include the feedback mechanisms between active tectonics, erosion, climate, and landscape evolution which affect mountain building processes. +
CSDMS is the leader in community-based model integration to explore longstanding questions about the dynamics of our Earth. I am interested in sharing my own contributions at this unprecedented event: linking deformational processes deep within the listhosphere, brittle failure and erosion of bedrock by diverse surface processes, and dynamic responses of climate to constantly evolving topographic patterns, all of which are distributed heterogeneously in space and time. Additionally I am interested in sharing some new innovations with topographic pattern recognition: using machine learning techniques to diagnose historic or presently active tectonic/surface processes based on landscape topology. I am excited at the prospect of rejoining some of my old colleagues and building new friendships through a diversity of collaborations that will emerge at this meeting. I look forward to contributing to these longstanding, interdisciplinary relationships for years to come. Thank you for your consideration! +
Currently a second-year MS student at the University of Kentucky (advisor Ryan Thigpen), I'm researching the fundamental geodynamic mechanisms responsible for shortening accommodation and mass redistribution in large continental collisional systems. I use numerical modeling (Elfen FE) coupled with field and laboratory (metamorphic petrology) data collected from the Himalaya. I will start a Ph.D. next year (advisor Kip Hodges) and my dissertation will be focused on combining that background in modeling thermal-rheological evolution of the subsurface lithosphere with climate-modulated erosion processes and landscape dynamics using a combination of numerical modeling, field mapping, and chronologic datasets derived from samples collected in the field. This workshop will help me explore existing and developing computational infrastructure that will assist with that research. It will also allow me to network with others working on similar and/or complementary problems. +
Dear members of the organizing committee,
I'm currently working in Jean Braun's Earth Surface Processes Modelling group at GFZ Potsdam, and in this application I would like to express my great interest in attending the CTSP Meeting that will be held on April 2018 in Boulder.
One of the main objectives in our research group is to develop a state-of-the-art model of landscape evolution with very efficient numerical methods to simulate it over long time-scales and to allow exhaustive exploration of model behavior.
Our motivation is to better understand how landscape evolution responds to external forcing such as tectonic activity or variations in climate. One big, open challenge is indeed how can we efficiently and accurately couple tectonic and surface processes in models, which requires dealing with multiple length and time scales. The CTSP Meeting represents a great opportunity for us to share our thoughts with experts in the field on how best we can tackle this issue.
More specifically, as a research software engineer I'm working on different projects including a modular library of efficient algorithms for landscape evolution modeling as well as a generic framework that allows fast building and exploration of custom models. These projects might help particularly given the topic of this meeting.
Attending to the CTSP Meeting would be a great opportunity for me to share this ongoing work with the very active and growing CSDMS community as well as other international research communities. It would be very interesting to see how can we collaborate together to improve and integrate our respective tools.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Benoit Bovy +
Deltas of big rivers are one of the most important fluvial landforms on earth. They were the cradle for ancient civilizations and are the rice basket of the world. Some of these large fertile deltas support extremely high population density and are in parts of the world with rapidly developing economies (e.g., the Ganges-Bramhaputra-Meghna Delta (GBMD)), which makes them more vulnerable to natural hazards. The most robust way to evaluate different factors that affect the dynamics of a delta is a realistic high-resolution physically-based numerical model, based upon an increased understanding of the processes at work. Currently the state of art is not at a point where morphological evolution of a delta and its complex physical-processes can be modeled in detail across morphological time-scales. Thus, my long-term research goal is to create a high-resolution modeling framework for deltas, that considers different processes like subsidence, ground-water flow, vegetation growth etc. One of the processes I am interested in for the model of the GBMD system is tectonic processes, which is underlined by the presence of the locked megathrust fault beneath the Indo-Burman mountain ranges, and the catastrophic large earthquake it may cause. Such a huge earthquake has the potential to avulse the rivers forming the GBMD, thus it is imperative for future hazard mitigation to understand how GBMD will react to river avulsions and resulting change in sediment-flux. In the past, analysis has been done to evaluate the effect of 1950 Assam earthquake on the morphological response of the river system, but the analysis was limited to change in sediment load in the system.
My background is in developing high-fidelity CFD models for complex environmental flows, and numerical models for predicting morphological evolution of fluvial-systems. Through this workshop, I hope to learn about the state of the art models for tectonic evolution, which will help me to include them in the models I develop in the future. This workshop will also introduce me to the community of scientists creating models for the evolution of the earth surface.
During the recent years, I have been working with Peter Molnar, Bob Anderson, Eric Kirby, Mike Oskin to understand the Cenozoic evolution of NE Tibetan Plateau. I used basin analysis, low-T themochronology, cosmogenic nuclides to study tectonics, structural geology and geomorphology, mainly focusing on the coupling of tectonic deformation and surface processes. I hope my attendance can help me broaden my research and bridge some potential collaboration between US and China. +
From this workshop, I expect to learn more about cutting-edge research and innovative ideas on coupling large scale landscape evolution modeling and geodynamic modeling. Currently, I am doing research on the surface manifests, particularly sedimentation, of isostasy or mantle flow in North America. There still remains many debates over the mechanisms of surface features such as the formation of the Western Interior Seaway, the uplift history of western US in general and the evolution of eastern US including the uplift of Appalachian Mountains. Hence, I aim to use coupled landscape evolution modeling to place additional constraints on lithospheric and deep mantle evolution underneath North America based on observations on surface processes. For future research, I also plan to utilize geodynamic modeling, either forward or inverse, to explore new possible mechanisms that led to the observed landscape evolution features. Of course, such method can also be applied onto other places. I believe this is a very special opportunity to expose myself to others conducting similar research and share ideas and experiences among attendees. In this workshop, I hope to learn from my peers in similar research areas and even find collaborators to push the frontier of the research on coupling landscape evolution and geodynamic modeling. Therefore, I really want to join this workshop, which is beneficial to me. +
How continental-scale rivers respond to tectonics, climate, and sea level is not well represented in morphodynamic models. Lowland rivers respond to influences more complicated than mountain rivers, and their large spatial scales present modelling challenges. Tectonic deformation and resistant deposits/bedrock especially affects low gradient rivers and their slope, sinuosity, along-stream patterns of sediment transport capacity, channel patterns, floodplain construction, and valley development. During glacial-marine transgressions vast volumes of sediment are deposited due to the infilling of lowland fluvial systems and shallow shelves, material that is removed during ensuing regressions.
Modelling key multi-directional processes controlling these rivers would illuminate system-scale morphodynamics, fluxes, and complexity in response to base level change, yet such problems are computationally formidable. Large environmental systems are characterized by strong process interdependency across domains, yet traditional supercomputers have slow nodal communications that stymies interconnectivity.
The newly developed Landscape-Linked Environmental Model (LLEM) utilizes massively parallel architectures (GPUs with >5000 cores and ~100x the interconnect bandwidth of CPU blades) to simulate multiple-direction flow, sediment transport, deposition, and incision for exceptionally large (30-80 million nodes per GPU) lowland dispersal systems covering large spatial and temporal scales. LLEM represents key fluvial processes such as bed and bar deposition, lateral and vertical erosion/incision, levee and floodplain construction, floodplain hydrology channel hydraulic geometry, dissection of weak sedimentary deposits during falling sea level, tectonic and glacial-isostatic flexure. LLEM also uses novel, ultra-fast Optane storage to reference a detailed 3D record of all stratigraphy (and associated biogeochemistry) that is created and destroyed. +
I acquire seismological data to image Earth's interior and its active deformation, while working closely with geodesists to measure surface deformation accompanying dynamic processes. My focus is on seismic and aseismic deformation in the creation of tectonic and orographic landscapes, and in understanding the surface processes modulating the dynamic and isostatic processes. My students work on seismological data constraining the kinematics of fault rupture leading to topography creation, and numerical models of the faulting and magmatic system responses. Our primary goal in attending the meeting is to consider dynamic and magmatic processes in the creation and modification of rift flank and orographic relief. +
I am Oluwaseun Idowu Fadugba, a third-year Ph.D. student at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI), University of Memphis. I am working on the effects of pre-existing structures on the seismicity of the Charlevoix Seismic Zone, southeastern Quebec, Canada. I wish to apply for the workshop on Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes (CTSP).
The Charlevoix seismic zone (CSZ) occurs along the ancient St. Lawrence rift zone in southeastern Quebec at the location of a major Devonian impact crater. The crater superimposed three major basement faults trending N35E and dipping at 70 degrees to the southeast. Many earthquakes are recorded each year in the CSZ and are concentrated within and beneath the impact crater. Some large-magnitude earthquakes associated with the rift faults occurred outside the crater. Using PyLith, an open-source finite-element code for simulations of crustal deformation, we set up a model for a 150 x 150 x 40 km crustal block. The model includes the three rift faults with friction coefficient in the ranges of 0.1 and 0.6 and cohesion between several MPa to 10s of MPa. We constrain the fault geometry using recent hypocenter relocation studies. In this study, we present a new set of numerical models that include more realistic relative spacings of the rift faults on stress distributions and correlate the observed stress distributions with the recent hypocenter relocations to better explain the seismicity. Our work provides an explanation to the change in the SHmax orientation inverted from earthquake focal mechanism compared to SHmax orientation determined from borehole breakout measurements. We also consider and discuss the effects of the high-velocity bodies imaged at mid-crustal depths in recent tomography study on the region's stress distribution.
I hope to be accepted for this workshop because it will give me the opportunity to contribute to the geodynamic community in the development of efficient numerical algorithms by asking questions relating to numerical models from experiences in my Ph.D. research workflow. I will also present the preliminary results of my research work. The wealth of knowledge of scientists and the helpful questions during and after the presentation will go a long way in my Ph.D. research. This will also help in shaping my research ideas and enhance collaborations with researchers and fellow students with a view to enhancing the impact of CIG and CSDMS communities.
I am PI/organizer of the Coupling Surface and Tectonic Processes workshop (25-27 April 2018, Boulder) +
I am a PhD student at the Geoscience-Environment lab in Toulouse. My work consists of modeling the interaction between erosion, silicate weathering and climate at the global scale and at the geological timescale. The aim is to explain climatic variations throughout the Earth History by changes in the erosion/weathering system (such as orogenies or mountain ranges decline). Such a modeling work requires a spatial discretization of continents, as well as upscaling of smaller-scale processes due to the coarse resolution (hundred of kilometers). In the future, I would like to explore further how weathering is affected by the horizontal advection of sediments, tectonic forcings and landscape evolution. The complexity of small-scale processes and computational costs are the main limitations of this investigation. Therefore, I wish to discuss the possibilities and barriers of upscaling from the catchment scale to the continental scale: what is the appropriate scale for each process, (tectonic forcings, evolution of topography, weathering, climate…). For instance, one key issue is how well hydrographic network should be represented (for sediment routing or calculation of drainage area), and how to upscale it. Another issue is how well constrained are the existing models and to what extent a combined model at these spatial and time scales would be relevant. This meeting is a very good opportunity to have a scientific discussion about those topics. +
I am a Research Fellow at the Department of Geology, Utah State University, specializing in numerical techniques for modeling lithospheric and upper mantle dynamics (https://ravi-vs-kanda.github.io). My research focuses on the use of laboratory based viscous creep and plastic rheologies to understand how a realistic lithosphere and crust modulate deformation over the region encompassing the uppermost mantle to the surface. Present-day surface topography, mantle tomography, along with long-term surface sedimentary and paleo-altitude records are key constraints on near-surface rheology, was well as in quantifying the relative importance of surface vs. mantle processes for surface topography.
For numerical modeling, I have been using SULEC (Buiter & Ellis 2012) – an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian visco-plastic code capable of modeling a true free surface of the Earth. I recently modified the 2D version of SULEC to incorporate spatially heterogeneous, material dependent, (1D) parameterizations of surface erosion and sedimentation (e.g., based on regional topographic slope, curvature, and/or nearest topographic peak). I tested the modified code with simulations of first-order topography across central Colorado Plateau (2D section, since 50 Ma). While preliminary results are promising, the extensions of my current 1D algorithms to 2D surface processes are numerically expensive and inefficient for practical use, specifically owing to the very different spatio-temporal scales of surface and mantle driven processes.
We recently got funded for a numerical study of the distribution of deformation and seismicity in the Intermountain Seismic Belt, using realistic rheologies – surface processes could be important in redistributing regional crustal stresses from deeper mantle sources there. I would like to learn more from the CIG-ASPECT community regarding their plans for surface processes. I want to attend the CTSP meeting in order to not only learn from leading experts regarding the latest advances in integrating surface process simulations into LTT models, but also to explore potential collaborations within such a broad, diverse group of researchers. As an early career scientist, I will greatly benefit from the experience of writing a White Paper exploring avenues to fund such future collaborations.
I am a first year faculty member who has long been interested in problems related to the coupling of surface and tectonic processes. I have a diverse background which I believe gives me an important perspective on this topic. Specifically, as a graduate student, I focused on field based structural geology and the tectonics of mountain ranges. I then did a four year postdoc working on various problems using landscape evolution models and separate projects using cosmogenic isotopes and developing tools for topographic analysis. With practical experience in both tectonics and surface processes, I am now uniquely suited to contribute to the broader community effort focused on studying the coupling of surface and tectonic processes. This workshop would be an invaluable opportunity for me to (1) get a sense of what others are working on, (2) identify problems to which my skills might be best applied, and (3) build collaborative relationships with potential new colleagues. +
I am a first-year doctoral student in sedimentology. As a sedimentologist, my previous experience is either about analyzing the large-scale basin development (subsidence history in foreland basins) or the smaller scale sediment transport processes (meandering river migration and avulsion). I preferred to use the sedimentary records in the filed and numerical modeling to approach these questions. Such background gradually makes me realize that smaller scale sediment transport processes might possibly affect the larger scale basin evolution sometimes. However, the connection between the two different scale (both spatially but and temporally) earth processes is rarely noticed or mentioned by previous studies. Therefore I choose to continue a doctoral project about it.
As a first-year Ph.D. student, I am still developing my research topic. Although it is not decided yet, it will be related to how sediment transport processes reflect or influence the evolution of continental rift systems. My hope is to approach this problem with both traditional stratigraphic analysis and numerical modeling. This short course, which is about the long-term tectonic processes coupling with surface processes, is tightly related to my research interest. It is an amazing opportunity for me to communicate with people who are specialists in both tectonics and surface process. Besides, I also want to know more about the techniques in numerical modeling and researches from tectonic aspect. In general, I strongly believe that this short course will inspire me and help me figure out the specific topic I want to pursue for my Ph.D project or even future career. +
I am a fluvial geomorphologist, and a postdoctoral researcher. My PhD focused on the coupling of tectonics and climate. Specifically I worked on the climate side, trying to understand how rainfall influences fluvial incision in mountainous bedrock rivers, and to develop simple, yet accurate and representative, techniques to describe that influence for use in landscape evolution models. We have had success in this project, and I am itching to learn how to apply our new theoretical tools in a new generation of landscape evolution models with dynamic tectonics and coupled dynamic climate. I am interested in taking an active part of defining the next steps for landscape evolution modelling. I can contribute my climate, hydrology and geomorphology background to the discussion, and I want to learn about the cutting edge in tectonic modelling. Further, as a postdoc, I am currently open to new projects, ideas and collaborations for the next stage of my career, and would benefit from the exposure to this workshop. +
I am a fourth-year PhD student in Geomorphology at CU Boulder. My research focuses on the evolution of hillslopes developed in layered sedimentary and igneous rocks, particularly when they occur in tilted formations (hogbacks). Every hillslope model I make uses an initial condition that assumes a certain tectonic history. For example, models of hogback evolution begin with a predetermined rock fracture structure and dip of tilted layers, and are driven by independently assigned boundary incision or rock uplift rates. While these tectonically-relevant processes control much of the behavior of the model, I have yet to implement them in a physically-based way. Additionally, this modelling approach fundamentally focuses solely on the influence of tectonics on hillslope evolution without considering interactions between the two. The Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes workshop would be an ideal opportunity for me to connect with other researchers in order to better understand the feedbacks between hillslope evolution and tectonic drivers at the landscape scale. If given the opportunity to attend, I plan to present a poster about my collaborative work with Charlie Shobe regarding the role of large blocks of rock in a 2-D coupled hillslope and fluvial model in Landlab. This project is relevant to the workshop because it illustrates how feedbacks between hillslopes and can modulate the propagation and overall effects of tectonically-induced base level change on landscape evolution. +
I am a geologist with the Seismology, Geomorphology, and Geophysics group at Bureau of Reclamation. Our group performs seismic hazard evaluations for federal dams, which typically involves a fault study at each dam site. While traditionally we have focused our investigations on fault scarps, we are working on expanding our investigations to a wide range of landscape response to faulting. This development is significant because our research is limited by the location of the dam, and we often work with subtle tectonic expression at less than ideal sites. We would like to incorporate more computational modeling into our site analyses, which have traditionally been based on field work, imagery analysis, and trenching. We would also like to take advantage of the growing availability of lidar datasets, in addition to the lidar datasets funded by our agency, from an analytical perspective. We believe that becoming more familiar with current numerical modeling techniques will help us to better take advantage of accessible data as well as providing us with additional tools to apply in our seismic hazard assessments. My personal research background (I completed my MS in August 2017) is in the tectonic deformation of the Lake Bonneville shorelines by the Wasatch Fault Zone. The majority of my experience in numerical analysis is developing algorithms to take measurements from present day elevation data. One problem in my research was the uncertainty in measurement variability – which ultimately was a reflection of our uncertainty in landscape response to tectonics versus erosional processes. This issue becomes important to my work at BOR as we try to integrate some of the numerical tools I have developed in our fault investigations. As an aside - I live in Denver and will not need lodging or transportation costs covered. Thank you for your consideration. +
I am a metamorphic petrologist and geochronologist. My research is focused on deciphering the pressure-temperature-deformation-time history followed by high-grade rocks. I am particularly interested in the influence of climate-related processes (e.g., mass flux due to fluvial and glacial systems) on the exhumation and cooling history of these high-grade metamorphic rocks. I am currently writing a proposal with two PIs to investigate these processes within the highly active New Zealand Southern Alps. The CTSP theme of this meeting directly relates to the questions that we are proposing to address within the proposal. I am keen to hear the latest in this research field and share some perspectives of research that is currently being done on the deeper tectonic levels of orogenic systems (i.e., the mid- to lower-crust and within ultrahigh-pressure terranes). +
I am a postdoc at Stockholm U., previously a postdoc at U. Tuebingen (Germany), PhD from U. Washington in 2014. See more about me at karllang.info
I would like to attend because I have been working on projects concerning the coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes since 2008 but have never actually attended a workshop dedicated to this theme - its thrilling! I have a lot to share on this topic, but still a lot to learn from others. My background is in low-temperature thermochronology and geochronology, particularly applied in a detrital context. I have experience with thermo-kinematic modeling (namely PECUBE and PECUBE-D) used to predict thermochronometric cooling ages.
My PhD and Postdoc work has been focused on using detrital cooling ages to reconstruct paleo-exhumation rates from foreland basin sequences - actually testing modeling of landscape evolution over 10^6 yr timescales. I have focused specifically on testing the "Tectonic Aneurysm" models of the eastern Himalaya (PhD) as well as the influence of a rainshadow on the evolution of the New Zealand Southern Alps (Postdoc).
I am also eager to work on older orogenic records for which there is no modern context and modeling is key to interpreting paleo-exhumation rates (e.g. Caledonian orogeny). To this end, I am looking to learn about new modeling approaches that can integrate tracking of particle thermal histories for T/t reconstruction of cooling age calculations.
I am happy to present parts of my PhD, Postdoc work or both! +
I am a second year Masters student in fluvial geomorphology. While my current research is not directly related to tectonics or simulations, I will be starting a Ph.D. program at UBC next year focused on landscape evolution from a fluvial perspective and will be using/developing numerical models. Additionally, I am already familiar with concepts in tectonic geomorphology and numerical modeling as I have a background in geology and computer science (BS and BA, respectively, UC Santa Cruz 2015). I want to attend this conference to explore the current state of research, meet researchers in the field, and start focusing ideas for my upcoming Ph.D. work. +
I am a second-year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Juliet Crider on developing a project on fault scarp degradation in jointed bedrock. I have completed fieldwork in Iceland and am compiling my results on the morphologies and other characteristics of the scarps. I hope to one day integrate these results into a numerical model of fault scarp degradation in jointed basalt. I believe that this workshop would be an excellent opportunity to deepen my knowledge of numerical techniques and how they relate to my specific coupled tectonic/surface processes project. +
I am a second-year PhD student at Yale University, studying tectonics, structural geology and geomorphology. My dissertation research, advised by Mark Brandon, focuses on the deformation, uplift and erosion of Santa Lucia and the Coastal Ranges in California. Attending this workshop on Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes (CTSP) will allow me to be introduced to new knowledge and develop new skills in my field. It will also provide me an opportunity to meet both the CIG and CSDMS communities, and to develop new collaborations with colleagues that are also interested in answering broad tectonic questions that relate to surface processes using numerical methods.
Understanding tectonic processes and their relationship with surface processes and climate has always been a passion of mine. My M.Sc. research at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem coupled tectonic uplift with sea-level changes based on uplifted fossil reef terraces. Although I had no prior experience with numerical methods prior to my current research project, I do have general programming knowledge in C, C++, and Matlab. Currently I am working with ‘Gale’ to build a geo-dynamic model for the uplift of Santa Lucia. For the next step I would like to couple the tectonic uplift with erosion using a PeCube inverse approach and thermochronologic data.
I am always looking for opportunities to advance my knowledge and skills and to learn about current topics of tectonics and surface processes. Even so, I was surprised to come across a workshop that seems to fit so well with my interests as this Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes. I feel that advancing my knowledge in current research questions and numerical techniques will be most beneficial as I am a newcomer to the field. Thank you in advance for your consideration of my application.
Sincerely,
Neta +
I am a tectonic geomorphologist interested in studying interactions between Earth surface processes, tectonics, and climate. Most of my research projects integrate field observations, geochronology, data analysis and numerical modeling to test specific hypotheses. I am interested in attending the Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes workshop for several reasons. First, as an early career scientist (I will be beginning as an Assistant Professor at CSU in January of 2018), I am excited to interact with other like-minded researchers and hope to foster new collaborations through participation in the workshop. Second, I am interested in learning what software is available through the CIG and CSDMS communities that I might be unaware of which might benefit my current research. Finally, I would like to talk with other scientists about ideas that I have to integrate some of my existing numerical models into the new LandLab landscape evolution model and gauge community interest in building these modules. +
I am a third-year PhD student. My PhD project focuses on investigating how deep Earth processes (e.g. mantle convection, mantle upwelling, subduction) influence continental-scale landscape and drainage evolution, and the associated formation of stratigraphic architecture on continental margins through geological time, using landscape evolution modelling. Specifically, I worked on how dynamic topography contributes to drainage reorganizations and how it influences the development of stratigraphic sequences on passive continental margins. I obtained rich experience in the numerical modelling of the coupling between tectonic and surface processes. However, I have not worked on examples in the real world. The aims to attend this workshop are to: 1/ discuss about the numerical tectonics of the coupling modeling; 2/ obtain deeper understanding of the coupling between tectonic and surface processes; 3/ get some insights on applying the numerical modeling to the real world. I hope I could contribute by sharing my experience and ideas. +
I am currently a Harry H. Hess Fellow at the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University. I would be extremely interested in attending this workshop for that it would allow me to connect with a diverse group of potential future collaborators, with a unique shared interest of coupling of Earth surface processes to tectonic forcing.
I have previously studied a diverse range of geomorphological and geological phenomena using experimental, numerical and theoretical techniques combined with field observations. In my research, I look for universal laws of transport, erosion, and deformation applicable to Earth surface and subsurface processes, and seek a fundamental understanding of geomorphological an geological processes, from asperity and grain rearrangements to geological (fault and basin lengthscale, up to million year timescale) spatiotemporal scales, with knowledge of the behavior of disordered amorphous Earth materials.
In the past year, I worked on developing a unifying mechanistic framework for sediment transport and landscape evolution from slow earthflows to fast landslides, across the scales and environments. In continuation of this work, I intend to next focus on tectonically active regions, taking into account tectonic evolution, deformation of continental crust and uplift rates and tectonic patterns
for future landscape evolution models. This step would require i) developing a rigorous physical understanding of how these processes (landsliding, mass wasting and tectonic forcings including uplift) interact and result in recurrence time and size distributions of earth surface slips; ii) finding and testing the functional form(s) of the transition to landsliding in steep hillslopes, and physics of healing that is perhaps a controlling factor of landslide recurrence times.
I will use the great opportunity of this workshop to discuss and learn about these ideas and hopefully find potential collaborators with whom I can can work on them.
I am currently a postdoc research fellow at the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona. I have wide interests in geomorphological and tectonic research using numerical modeling combined with field observations. It will be a great opportunity of this workshop to discuss and share my research and idea with my colleagues and potential collaborators.
In my present and previous research, I mainly worked on developing a couple of model frameworks about sediment transport and landscape evolution from the mountainous environment to coastal environment. One of my previous research is about hazard-related surface processes in subduction zone like earthquakes and tsunamis. We are trying to develop a physical process-based model framework to simulate the landscape evolution during tsunami and earthquakes. Based on tsunami deposit in the geological record, we can analyze the frequency of earthquakes or tsunamis in a given period and then reconstruct the coastal landscape evolution history. My present research is about post-fire debris flows and landslides in Southern California area. Sediment flux in the channels often increases by more than an order of magnitude after fires. Rainstorms following fires can lead to channel infilling and debris flows that cause loss of life and property. Since the post-fire debris flows significantly change the local landscape, now we are trying to account debris flow into our landscape evolution models to predict landform response to climate and tectonics.
In this workshop, I would like to present and get feedback about our coastal landscape evolution model and debris flow model. I also want to expand my ideas and ways for incorporating our debris flow and landslide model with tectonic models. It will be a great chance to discuss with tectonics modelers who are interested in integrating tectonics into surface processes model to share ideas or write a proposal together. +
I am currently working on implementing fully coupled models of tectono-magmatic extension and surface processes to understand the feedbacks between deformation and topography growth. This workshop would allow me to present novel results and learn about state of the art techniques from fellow modelers. +
I am deeply inspired and eager to have an opportunity to learn during the scientific program “Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes (CTSP)” going to be organized by the prestigious institution, University of Colorado (Boulder), USA. As a fresh Ph.D. graduate, I am currently looking for opportunities to pursue my career objectives. I plan to be a researcher in geoscience. My areas of interests are, Seismology, Seismic Tomography, Tectonics, Geodynamics and Seismotectonics etc. I believe that this workshop will enrich me in new ideas and give a great impact on my career plan. The topic and theme of this workshop seems promising and fruitful for me in terms of the learning opportunities, training facilities and intelligent and knowledgeable technical lectures and discussions by the eminent and globally renowned scientists and researchers. The energetic, strong technical and scientific environment with an international exposure, which aims and ensures the crosscutting scientific skills and experiences to the researchers, motivate me. This program is an unmissable opportunity for me to explore variety of different aspects of research, share best practices and findings and find out about the latest and cross-cutting research in my intended research field. The interactive technical sessions during the program would lead me to gain invaluable knowledge and research skills. I would also have the golden opportunity to interact and share my knowledge and skills with the renowned researchers and international delegates and may get an opportunity to collaborate and work with them in future. I believe that close interactions with the cutting edge researchers, early career geoscientists will be a great benefit for my future career as a geophysicist or seismologist who can contribute and give constructive feedback for my intended research field. I also plan to expand my networks within geoscience community which will be useful for future collaboration.
I am doing my PhD on the interactions between tectonics, climate, and erosion at the Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (University of Lausanne, Switzerland) under the supervision of Frédéric Herman. In my project, I am developing an inverse model to quantify the spatial and temporal exhumation history of the Chilean Andes, using own and literature low-T thermochronological data as model inputs. The constrained exhumation rates are compared to the structural and climatic evolution of the orogen to get insights into the response of erosion to climatic variability and tectonic changes. As a second project, I am investigating the influence of glacial erosion on exhumation at the latitude of Santiago, where the geology is well constrained and remained relatively stable since the last 23 Ma. I use a thermo-kinematic model, modified from Riesner (2017, PhD thesis), to simulate thermochronological ages using geologically constrained fault kinematics and observed shortening rates.
Modelling of thermochronometric data requires a good understanding of the surface evolution, since relief formation modifies the subsurface thermal field. Attending to your workshop would enable me to improve my competences in landscape evolution modelling. In turn, I could contribute to the understanding of (inverse) numerical models to constrain exhumation using low-T thermochronological data. +
I am going to work on the coupling of surface processes using Badlands (Basin and Landscape Dynamics) and tectonic processes using DynEarthSol (Dynamic Earth Solver). This is an extension to my current project involving the stress modeling of the effects of upper mantle structures on the seismicity of the New Madrid Seismic Zone. I ignored the effects of the ongoing surface processes in this area (e.g. erosion of Mississippi river) which may further affect the seismicity and want to investigate the complete coupled system in this project.
This workshop will give me useful insights into the current state of available codes and guide me into the numerical limitations for my project. If possible, I would also like to exchange my ideas with the developers of the codes I am planning to couple to get their feedback. +
I am interested in climate-erosion-tectonic interactions and feedbacks and, therefore, in what the CSDMS community uses to asses forces and drivers at the various temporal and spatial scales. Tectonics can be measured at different temporal and spatial scales as well, so it is important to specify which aspects of tectonics are being referred to in an explanation of rates of surficial change, such as erosion. I think that we need to determine scaling parameters in order to be able to say how LTT plays out temporally in affecting rates of surface processes. This may take more than modeling, but modeling can be used to generate hypotheses about where and how to test for these through physical measurements in the field. I have being doing my own modeling by writing my own MATLAB code and interested in the community developments and how I might incorporate them. I am also early career and trying to become more engaged with the modeling community for the topic. +
I am interested in computational lithosphere dynamics and coupling of tectonic with surface processes models. We had a few related publications on this during the last few years. +
I am interested in participating in this workshop, because I am working with a coupled tectonics and surface processes model (TISC) for one of my postdoctoral research projects at New Mexico Tech. Eventually, we aim to utilize this code to model continental extension, erosion, and sedimentation in the western U.S. As part of this project, I have been working to modify the source code to include additional sedimentation processes that are not yet accounted for and to improve various aspects of fault movement in the model as well. Because my research background is in a different field (seismology and tectonics), I think that I would benefit greatly from discussions at the workshop, particularly given the expertise of the organizers and the participants that have already signed up. I would also be very interested to get some feedback on the work that I have been doing with this project. +
I am interested in the long-term evolution of the solid Earth. One research approach I take is to link surface processes to deep Earth dynamics through quantitative landscape evolution simulation. This CSDMS workshop provides valuable resources for furthering this research. +
I am interested primarily in the interaction between tectonic processes and river channel evolution. My PhD thesis work focuses on the erosion of rivers that experience the delivery of large blocks of rock from adjacent hillslopes (Shobe et al., 2016, GRL; Shobe et al., submitted, JGR-ES). Such landscapes require two conditions to form, both of which are controlled by tectonics. First, the underlying bedrock must be pervasively fractured. Second, the channel must be eroding rapidly enough to steepen hillslopes and allow block delivery. Tectonic stresses control fracturing of rock, and tectonic uplift relative to baselevel sets long-term rates of river erosion. As such, tectonic processes govern the two boundary conditions for block-influenced river channels. My numerical models of channel evolution do not include physically-based descriptions of these processes, but I am interested in learning how to potentially implement tectonic forcings into my models. Attending the CTSP workshop would allow me to learn the newest approaches to modeling tectonic processes.
Attending the workshop would allow me to progress on other work as well. I have recently developed a model for the long-term evolution of bedrock-alluvial rivers (Shobe et al., in press, GMD), and am looking for ways to use this model to test two-way feedbacks between fluvial erosion and tectonics (e.g., the connections between fluvial sediment transport, lithospheric flexure, and landscape evolution). Meeting other attendees with far more expertise in these areas than I have will help me focus my efforts on the most salient problems. +
I am leading a NSF-sponsored project in which we study drainage development in a continental rift. Because in our study area the tectonic history is well known, we are using a 3D kinetic tectonic model (in which we can prescribe fault slip), and have coupled this with a surface processes model that includes erosion, transport, and deposition.
Our modeling approach is thus different from other groups that often use dynamic models for the tectonic development of the study area. Two members of my group are applying for this conference as well: Michael Berry, and Erica Emry.
I just finished a project in which we report on a rift-wide Mio-Pliocene unconformity in the Rio Grande rift. We have been able to directly relate this lacuna to mantle convection. +
I am one of the main developers and maintainers of the open source geodynamics software ASPECT, which is also used in the tectonics community. I would like to participate because surface evolution is a topic of interest for a number of our users, and I would like to help with designing an interface that allows ASPECT to be coupled to surface evolution codes. I also think I can contribute to discussions about the requirements for such an interface from the tectonics point of view. +
I am one of the main developers of the ASPECT mantle convection code that gathered increasing interest in the tectonic's community. I would like to participate to stay in the loop, learn from this community, and provide guidance and help for implementation. +
I am one of the maintainers of the ASPECT modelling code, and was already responsible for the interfaces between ASPECT and codes such as GPlates, Perplex, and Hefesto. Since surface evolution is a topic of interest for many of our users, I would like to participate in discussing and designing the necessary software interfaces. Additionally, I think I can contribute to the discussion about suitable approaches for coupling, and the technical problems that are likely encountered. +
I am very interested in attending the CSDMS workshop on Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes (CTSP) at CU Boulder. I a fluvial geomorphologist and a PhD candidate at Colorado State University, advised by Dr. Ellen Wohl. My PhD research focuses on the geomorphic controls on floodplain carbon storage in sediments and downed large wood and floodplain dynamics in the Yukon River Basin in interior Alaska. I investigate the geomorphic controls on carbon dynamics in river corridors across spatial scales. My research interests are broad, however, and I am interested in expanding my knowledge of numerical techniques to investigate surface processes and the linkages between tectonics, landscape denudation, and sediment yields. I would also like to create connections and interact with researchers with diverse interests in earth surface processes and tectonic processes. Although I currently am not working on projects directly related to the topic of the workshop, I would like to move towards incorporating long term tectonic processes into my work. In addition, I am interested in geomorphic research that incorporates multiple temporal and spatial scales. +
I am very interested in participating in this Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes workshop and learn about numerical techniques. I am a post-doc in the University of Cincinnati that researches active tectonic and neotectonics and surface processes, currently applying geochronology techniques (TCN and OSL), processing my own samples in the Quaternary Geochronology Laboratories in the UC. In this sense, one of the lines of research that I have been following is investigating long term processes, such as long-term fault slip rates, erosion rates for basins or long term crustal deformation such as investigating Pleistocene uplift rates and their relationship with sea-level oscillations and GIA. I have conducted research for my PhD in Portugal (where I am native from) and presently I am conducting research on temporal and spatial variation in fault slip rates across the Cajon Pass area, San Andreas Fault (Banning strand), Eastern California shear zone (Calico and Camp Rock faults), along several faults in the Walker Lane, Pleistocene landscape development across the Eastern Caucasus Mountains, where I investigate a section of an intracontinental mountain belt through the quantification of catchment-wide erosion rates and applying several tools for morphometric analysis. I am extending my previous studies on the regional uplift analysis for SW Portugal through the morph-analysis of a wider area applying TanDEM-X (high precision digital elevation) and also including basin erosion rates. I have learned greatly from my previous experiences participating in workshops while a graduate student and I believe that interacting with other researchers will also benefit my post-doc research and my academic career. Sharing different experiences about different tectonic and climate settings which ultimately condition surface processes at different rates is a great way to find common and news paths of research as well as getting the chance to establish new collaborations.
I am very interested in the response of the local rivers to the creation of the Rift Valley during the Miocene. While some of the rivers look "normal" with standard drainage patterns, some exhibit peculiar meanders and channel features that suggest they were operating during a period there were two competing base levels. Relatively little work was done on the subject and I hope the workshop will give me some insights into tectonics and tools of how to couple uplift and subsidence with river processes. +
I am writing to apply to attend the CSDMS annual meeting in 2018. I am a PhD candidate in geology from Oklahoma State University. I learned about CSDMS annual meeting and its workshop when I talked with Dr. Arthur Olive in GeoPrisms early this year. I notice the conference theme, Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Process, is especially relevant to my professional expertise, and therefore I would highly appreciate being given an opportunity to attend this event gathering feedback and suggestions.
My PhD research proposes to examine the geomorphic response to tectonic uplift in the East African Rift system, especially focusing on the distribution and rate of uplift in Ethiopian Plateau using numerical models and morpho-tectonic analysis. The results of my work will provide insights into the identification of potential source areas, transportation paths, and sediment accumulation rates in a tectonic rift setting. Therefore, this workshop provides me a great opportunity for me to gain feedback and push my work forward. I will also bring back to my research group at Oklahoma State University, this newly gained knowledge, and numerical models. My attendance will also benefit our research group at large.
Also, my work will enhance diversity in the field of surface dynamics modeling. For example, I am building up a knickpoint celerity model to reconstruct an end-member age framework in the environment of Landlab. These work will provide some insight on the variation of channel incision and uplift in both spatial and temporal scale. Therefore, it can contribute to the modeling of surface processes from the perspective of tectonic geomorphology and provide examples at continental rift settings.
As I have outlined, CSDMS will be an excellent platform to establish myself and exchange ideas. I am looking forward to attending the CSDMS conference, and I kindly request that the committee looks favorably on my application. Please let me know if you need further information.
I am writing to express my interest and motivation in attending the Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes Workshop in Boulder, Colorado. I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, and I specialize in 2D and 3D forward numerical simulations of convergent margins at lithospheric scale.
During my PhD, I have been using numerical models to better understand the evolution of continental collisions, how mountain belts are formed and why the Himalaya-Tibet belt is so strikingly different from all other mountain belts. For my postdoctoral research at IGPP, I employ numerical models to address questions regarding the dynamics and evolution of subduction and surface uplift in the context of South American tectonics.
In my work so far, I have strongly focused on analyzing the evolution of topography at convergent margins. Topography represents the dynamic adjustment between tectonic forces and surface processes. However, how do surface processes link to subduction is not clear. Currently, I am interested in investigating how sediment fluxes influence subduction dynamics or the height of mountain ranges above subduction zones. My goal is to understand the factors that cause convergent margins to either accrete continental material delivered by the subducting plate or, alternatively, to subduct the trench sediment pile and even erode the basement of the upper plate.
The main reason why I am keen on participating in the CTSP workshop is that I am highly interested in expanding my knowledge and skills necessary for studying the dynamics and evolution of convergent margins in an interdisciplinary perspective of coupling tectonics and surface processes. I believe that the CTSP workshop is one of the best opportunities to stay up-to-date with latest research in this regard. +
I have a longstanding interest in understanding the feedbacks between climate, erosion, and tectonics and am currently working on the impact of glaciation on the dynamics of critical wedge topography. I also would like to become better connected to the CSDMS community. +
I have been engaged in numerical modeling of continental extension throughout my career. I am interested in expanding on that work to consider feedbacks between tectonic processes and surface processes in extensional systems, particularly as regards uplift, exhumation, and formation and filling of sedimentary basins. The workshop is timely for me, as recent growth in my department has added strengths in quantitative geomorphology and surface processes that create new opportunities for research and graduate teaching at CSU. Arrival of these new faculty creates new opportunities for collaborative research and graduate teaching. I hope to use what I learn from this workshop to establish a foundation for these future collaborations. My goals in attending the workshop are to develop a current understanding of i) the physical and numerical methods used to address surface processes, ii) how such processes can be integrated into numerical models of continental extension, and iii) the outstanding issues concerning coupling between tectonic and surface process that will likely focus research in the next few years. +
I have been working on coupling the numerical models of long term tectonics (LTM) with short term surface processes. I have used SNAC (LTM code) to run the long term simulations and then used CHILD ( Landscape evolution code ) to model the surface processes associated with it. I remained involved in the development of coupling these two codes under Basic Model Interface (BMI). I also worked on Fastscape (Landscape evolution code) to run simulations for landscape evolution.
Our main focus in the coupling is to model the dynamical topography resulting from the mantle flow at a very large spatial scale over tens of millions of years. Modeling topography from the interaction of the coupled tectonics with surface processes helps us better understand the interaction between these systems at different spatial and temporal scales. Modeling has proved to be helpful in understanding the behavior of large scale systems specially when they are coupled together and the interaction continues over the scale of thousands of years. I ran the initial models successfully and got some initial results ( thanks to Dr. Gregory E Tucker for replying to my emails and helping me understand the finer details of CHILD code). I still believe that when it comes to interpret/understand basic results from model simulations, I lack the skills to do that. I also feel a strong need to be exposed to more experts in this field to learn how the coupled interaction of different processes works and how we can better construct the history of landscape evolution. Reading more scientific publications definitely helps but as a early carrier research student, I believe that joining a workshop like this will be a great initiative to learn the fundamental aspects of coupling of short term-long term processes of earth. I also believe that this workshop will help me lead my work to new possible scientific directions. +
I have been working on this problem (CTSP) my entire career. My work in this arena has included a combination of field work, analytical/theoretical efforts, and landscape evolution modeling. I am particularly interested in the conundrum that although all models (physical, simple analytical, complex coupled numerical) indicate there should be strong coupling between tectonic and surface processes, this coupling has proved hard to demonstrate in the field. There is plenty of evidence consistent with expectations, but a dearth of compelling evidence that it must be so. If theory and models were telling us there should be no coupling, there is no field data that would have geoscientists arguing that the models have to be wrong.
Also my recent students and I have some - we think important - new constraints (data and theory) on the link between climate and erosional efficiency that I would like to share (a healthy fraction remains unpublished to date).
I would be happy to prepare a poster, but also willing to leave the poster space to younger participants. I'll click yes below to indicate willingness to contribute as called upon. +
I have great interest to participate in CTSP: Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes,going to be held at SEEC building on east campus
Boulder Colorado, United States 25 - 27 April 2018. I have wish for invited talk on "ANALYSES OF STRESS PATTERNS AND OCCURRENCE OF QUATERNARY THRUSTING IN HIMALAYAS" for the oral presentation. I will appreciate for the full financial support in the form of round trip travel, boarding-loading and living expenses. Frankly speaking my participation only depends on your full financial support and I will not get any financial support from our institute for the conference. I am presenting author form the developing countries. If possible consider me invited speaker. I will try to use cheapest Airfare and accommodation depending upon your convenience.
This conference is very beneficial for me to enhance my professional development in the field of research and teaching to learn the experiences of the learned leading scientists and professional gathered there. This visit would also give me an opportunity to search the possibility for the future research collaboration with the interested scientific community.
Therefore, I request to you and LOC for the full conference support( Travel support must). I take this opportunity to wish you all CSDMS community a very happy, healthy and disaster free New Year 2018 and beyond and wish the conference great success.
With regards.
Daya SHANKER
. +
I have spent a significant fraction of my research time in the past couple of years working on algorithms for efficient modelling of the landscape evolution / tectonic coupling problem for massively parallel environments and would like to share my experiences / learn what I really should have been doing all along. +
I have two broad research focuses that fit into the theme of coupling tectonics and surface processes. First, I am working to link lithologic characteristics to bedrock river morphology, sediment dynamics, and riparian vegetation. This project seeks to understand how bedrock characteristics like fracture geometry (a reflection of the tectonically influenced stress regime) influence the morphology of bedrock rivers. In turn, I am attempting to understand how morphology controls factors such as sediment retention and resulting vegetation growth in valley bottoms, which can have strong feedbacks on weathering and therefore erodibility. At the CTSP workshop, I would like to discuss how to connect the long-term feedbacks between surface processes and tectonics, namely how tectonically-influenced fracture geometry can influence bedrock river erodibility on the scale of mountain ranges over long time periods.
I also have an ongoing research theme focusing on carbon storage in mountain river valley bottoms in the context of climate change. This project compares 4 mountain river basins across the western U.S. to model how differences in climate (influencing hydrologic regime and primary productivity) and uplift (influencing valley morphology and erosion rate) relate to differences in carbon storage magnitude. This project has implications regarding the feedbacks between climate and mountain building. If climate and tectonics regulate surface processes in a way that alters the magnitude of the land carbon sink, that may act as a feedback regulating climate. I would like the opportunity to discuss how to integrate this kind of biogeomorphic research with numerical modeling to better understand the feedbacks between tectonics, landscape evolution, and climate. I would like to contribute to the broader discussion of applying our understanding of surface processes to improve numerical modeling of landscape evolution over large spatial and temporal scales.
I hope to attend this workshop to expand my understanding of tectonic and surface processes coupling, establish new collaborations, and share my research experience. I am a post-doc, I have extensive experience with geospatial computation tools, and I am a developer of the two-dimensional modeling framework, Landlab. My research is centered on the earth surface processes that link tectonics, climate, and life. I envision that the presentations at this workshop will provide a breadth of worldwide research within my interests, and present as well as reinforce the challenges that I will face in my early career.
I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to discussions and a white paper that describe how our communities can conquer research challenges and needs. I will apply observations from recent literature, workshops and meetings. For example, the challenges associated with bridging the great timescales in which earth processes operate was repeatedly mentioned at the July 2017 Feedbacks among Climate, Tectonics, and Erosion (FACET) meeting. I believe the LTT and surface processes communities can make a strong case for the potential of numerical models to address this challenge especially with the resources and capabilities of CIG and CSDMS.
I will contribute to this workshop my recent research. This includes my exploration of how landscapes and species co-evolve using a landscape evolution and a species evolution models that I coupled. Simulated tectonic processes drive increases of species diversity. I envision that this research is yet another example of the relevance of our research to highlight to outside communities. At this workshop and elsewhere I seek new collaborations to develop proposals that build on current research directions and establish new ones. +
I implement adaptive time stepping and rate (and state) friction into long term tectonic (LTT) geodynamics code. Therefore, I can study Tectonic and Surface Processes across time scales. My research aligns well with this workshop. I would like to exchange ideas with other attendees. +
I love surface processes, tectonics and models!!! Plus, I'm so interested I'm on the planning committee! +
I specialized in the development and use of numerical methods to study the complex interactions between surface processes, climat and tectonics. I believe I can contribute to the very interesting topic go this workshop and learn from other participants about ongoing issues on the subject, both from a fundamental and technical point of view. I have asked one of my collaborators, Benoit Bovy, to apply as well. +
I study paleo and modern erosion rates in mountain ranges by measuring and analyzing the cosmogenic radionuclide concentrations in sedimentary rocks and alluvium, respectively. I am particularly interested in questions such as: at which point does the tectonic perturbation to base level overshadow the influence of climate in driving surface processes? Attending the Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes workshop will allow me to apply numerical modeling to evaluate which scenarios more likely explain the observations and data that I obtain in the field. Moreover, it will be a valuable opportunity to not only deepen my understanding of the state of the art landscape evolution modeling but also network with colleagues in the field to hopefully spur new collaborations. +
I want to attend this meeting to help define the problems our current models have and what we need to overcome them. I hope that I can contribute by helping us move towards solving them. I think a good way of understanding the next steps in how surface processes interact with long term tectonic processes is to catalog the current capabilities and limitations of our models. Some questions that I would like to ask and help answer are: What are our current numerical landscape evolution models good at, and how can we tell? What results can our landscape and tectonic models not reproduce? What are the missing processes that our landscape evolution models need to reproduce these results? What are the numerical and computational obstacles stopping us from incorporating these processes? From my adviser, Gary Parker, I have learned a great deal about reduced complexity modeling, and I know that adding extra complexity to a model adds extra complexity to the numerical and computational aspects of the code as well as complexity to the interpretation of the results. A problem I am currently working on involves understanding the feedbacks and interactions between landslides and landscape evolution. Landslides are important to landscape evolution because they can provide sediment that incises the beds of rivers by acting as an abrasive material. To study these interactions, I need to resolve how sediment moves within the landscape by coupling alluvial morphodynamics with a landscape evolution model. Currently, this incorporation into my code requires the time step in my model to be much smaller than what long-term landscape evolution and tectonic models normally use. I want to help develop a way to couple these spatially small and temporally short alluvial processes to large-scale and long-term landform processes in an efficient manner. This meeting would be a good opportunity to find others whom are interested in working on this problem or want to collaborate on other new ideas.
I wish to attend the workshop on Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes (CTSP) because of the strong relevance to my research. The workshop is very well timed as I am beginning the second year of my PhD research.
My research involves multi-scale investigation of sediment dynamics and channel morphologies of coarse-bedded rivers in New Zealand’s Wairarapa region (southern North Island). I have used high-resolution topographic data sets (e.g. LiDAR) to identify tectonic forcings on rivers at multiple spatial scales and am in the process of developing a hierarchical typology. This typology will reflect both fluvial and topographic signatures at multiple spatial scales with implications for follow-on work reflecting multiple temporal scales. I have also used a qualitative integration morphotectonics with fluvial hazards to provide a multi-hazard foundation to prioritizing field site selection for the high-resolution (Structure from Motion) component of my study.
I am specifically interested in the CTSP workshop to increase my knowledge of and gain proficiency in state-of-the-art numerical techniques. My primary aim is to increase objectivity in the previously mentioned elements of my work. I am happy to forward copies of either the poster and oral presentations I’ve recently given at the Geoscience Society of New Zealand (GSNZ) and International Society for River Science (ISRS) conferences in support for my application. I greatly appreciate this opportunity and hope your review of my application is favourable. +
I work on landscape evolution modeling over long time scales. I believe that tectonic/geodynamic models and surface models, until recently, have not been properly coupled: teconic/geodynamic models are used to drive uplift in surface models, but in many cases the surface models have no feedback on the teconics processes. Recent modeling work has been done to this effect but there is a high computational cost. I am interested in learning about these recent state of the art models, as well as reduced complexity models which may be sufficient to simulate tectonic processes and can be more efficiently coupled to landscape evolution models. +
I would be attending this workshop as somebody who uses landscape evolution modeling on a daily basis from solving the simplest form of an advective-diffusion equation to pushing hard to integrate mechanics-based approaches from grain-scale and event-scale frameworks into landscape evolution modeling. I would like to attend this workshop to: (1) share and get feedback on new ideas I have regarding the means by which we can use drainage basin geometry and changes in basin geometry to map long-wavelength, low-magnitude surface uplift of the type expected from dynamic topography; (2) share and get feedback on ideas I have for using characteristics of the upper reaches of the network, those primarily traversed by debris flows, as a high-resolution metric of surface uplift; (3) share and get feedback on ideas for bringing “real” mechanics into landscape evolution modeling from grain-scale and event-scale frameworks; (4) expand my ideas and toolkit for ways of incorporating tectonics into landscape evolution models (I know there is more than uniform U); (5) become better integrated with the tectonics modelers and people interested in integrating tectonics into Earth surface processes models such that I could write competitive collaborative proposals. +
I would like to attend as part of my duties as program officer at NSF. I am the managing program officer for the award that funds this workshop so, naturally, I am very interested in the results of the workshop. +
I would like to attend the CTSP course because I am strongly interested in the meetings' main subject. As an Earth Sciences PhD candidate, carrying out research at the Southern Central Andean western slope, I have strongly understood and considered the key aspect of erosive processes upon structural development of orogens (e.g., [1]).
I am currently developing analogue models applied to the Andean range, regarding basin inversion and doubly-vergent crustal wedges, thoroughly analized by means of numerical methods (MatPIV tool). My intention is to complement the aforementioned approach with a palinspastically restored structural cross-section at the western slope of the Southern Central Andes at c. 34°S. My ultimate goal is to combine the analog modeling with structural thermochronology, establishing relationships between mass balance, wedge geometry and rock uplift rates, towards a comprehensive and robust understanding of the Southern Central Andes as a crustal-scale doubly vergent wedge. Thus, further learning regarding how deep tectonic processes and surficial factors are combined, and how their interplay greatly modifies mountain building is at the core of my research, as well as for the development of my career as a geologist.
I believe I can contribute greatly to the courses' development. I have the basic skills regarding the course scope; I have a strong basis in structural geology and experience with numerical programming software (Matlab). I am familiar with the literature regarding deformation-erosion interplay, and I intend to go in depth into this subject during my doctoral research and further studies (plans for a postdoc at the US). Last, but not least, I am a sociable person who is eager to develop team-work and learn from other Earth scientists.
Sincerely,
Sebastian
1. Whipple, K., Meade, B. 2004. Controls on the strength of coupling among climate, erosion, and deformation in two-sided, frictional orogenic wedges at steady state. JGR 109. F01011
I'm a graduate student major in geodynamics. My research is about using numerical modeling to study strike-slip fault and landscape effects on river offsets. I want to attend the meeting to show the results and communicate with other researchers about the implications of my results. What's more, I want to learn some frontier numerical techniques and how to use these numerical models to solve problems. +
I'm a member of the CIG Science Steering Committee and have developed numerical models in glaciology and long-term tectonics. I would like to discuss coupling objectives and challenges from a scientific and computational perspective. +
I'm interested in the coupling of tectonic, erosion and climate processes. Currently I'm working on a project that focuses the spatial pattern of glacial erosion in mountain ranges. I’m using a numerical model (Parallel Ice Sheet Model) to simulate the glaciation in mountain belts under various climatic conditions. My goals for this meeting are 1) learning some state-of-the-art numerical techniques that simulate tectonic processes in mountain ranges, 2) developing ideas of coupling tectonic process models with the ice sheet model I’m using, 3) learning techniques of model-field data comparison. +
I'm so excited that this workshop for coupled tectonic and surface processes is happening and have been waiting and watching for the applications to open. This last year, I've been expanding my work in surface processes into the realm of numerical modeling (mostly 2D and 3D advection-diffusion models in Matlab, but I’ve been learning Python and am interested in switching to LandLab). In my work, I focus on understanding how changing forcing on short-term, small-scale geomorphic processes adds up to drive long-term, large-scale patterns in landscape evolution. Specifically, my work generally seeks to link environmental variables (that can change with climate, internal hydrologic feedbacks, and land use decisions) to bedrock weathering, to rock strength, to patterns in landscape evolution.
For example, one of my current projects explores how grazing-induced soil erosion and the resulting change in rock-moisture patterns changed effective rock strength and the balance between hillslope diffusion and channel incision. Field observations, rock moisture data, and analysis of repeat high-resolution topographic data suggest two drastically different stable landscape states are possible. We’re using numerical modeling to explore how observable short-term patterns might play out on longer timescales, and how a bi-stable landscape might react to tectonic and climatic change.
I would love to attend this meeting as a way to further develop my skills in landscape evolution modeling, to join the discussion of how to integrate observation and modeling of processes across extremely different time and spatial scales, and to engage in the community and learn about tools others are using to explore the coupling of tectonic and surface processes. I would love to be involved in discussions and collaboration to help shape the direction this community is going. Thanks for considering my application. +
I'm working on the tectonic geomorphology and structural geology of Indoburman Range and interested in applying model to investigate the formation and surface processes of this area. Therefore, this workshop will be very useful my research. +
In my research I am deducing information from the morphological characteristics of a landscape in order to reconstruct tectonic history. The ratio of the amount of stream power used to transport sediment as opposed to that used for incision varies as a function of the geomorphological position within a landscape and correlates with dynamic characteristics, such as the rate of channel and divide migration or the frequency of channel captures. Reading the topographic features left behind by these processes provides additional information about the nature of the tectonic processes, e.g. about lateral advection or uplift margin migration. Along these lines I am decoding the geomorphic evolution of the Carpathian region and would be happy to present some unique phenomena during the poster session.
I am strongly committed to theoretical research. More should be known about the nature of the transport limited dynamics, or about the explicit genesis of the erosional features we intuitively categorize in many languages as rills, gullies and valleys. Only theoretical advances enable an enhanced level of the interpretation of landscapes. However theoretical advances are often hampered by the lack of qualitative capacity of models. Setting the direction of future development of models can also be a fruitful outcome of this meeting. +
I’m an early career researcher working at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. My research interests are active tectonics and earthquake geology, with a focus on tectonic geomorphology. I'm particularly interested in high-resolution topography (especially LiDAR and Structure from Motion (SfM) Photogrammetry), in the study of fault zones structure and geomorphology and in earthquake surface ruptures.
I’ve been busy over the past year working on the analysis of near-fault and far-field geological surface effects produced by the Mw 6.0 - 6.5 2016 central Italy seismic sequence (Amatrice, Visso and Norcia earthquakes). In particular, the impressive and complex pattern of surface faulting produced these earthquakes raised a considerable interest in the study of the short-term morphologic evolution of fresh coseismic ruptures during the immediate postseismic and interseismic phases.
I recently had the opportunity to start a project with other INGV colleagues to monitor the surface expression of the fault system responsible for the 2016 central Italy surface ruptures (Mt. Vettore - Mt. Bove fault system) and of selected active faults in the Abruzzi and Umbria regions (central Apennines), in order to detect their short-term morphological evolution and possible coseismic and postseismic dislocation through repeated high-resolution topographic (LiDAR and SfM) surveys and ground based Synthetic Aperture Radar interferometry.
Fault scarps and associated offset geomorphic markers form and evolve due to the competition between tectonic slip during the coseismic phase and erosional/depositional processes prevailing during the interseismic phase. Thus, tectonic landforms morphology reflects not only on the repeating occurrence of slip along a fault but also on the degradational processes that modify its original shape.
In this framework it is essential to monitor in detail the morphologic evolution of fresh coseismic ruptures since they trigger a plenty of moulding surface processes in response to the topographic anomalies produced by sudden tectonic forcing. Understanding such morphologic evolution can lead to a better interpretation of the cumulative expression of a surface rupturing fault. Understanding the morphologic evolution of fault scarps will be useful for the reckoning of long-term erosional and depositional rates that impact on the long-term slip-rate and slip distribution estimates derived by the sole morphological offsets. In fact, a multi-temporal monitoring of near-fault surface processes is crucial for the validation of recent techniques that estimates slip-rate and paleoseismological record on active faults on the base of cosmogenic dating methods of the bedrock fault scarp exposure.
I think attending the workshop would be beneficial to develop collaborations with researchers working on the coupling between tectonics and surface processes, in particular with those working on the relationship between climate-influenced erosion and long-term exhumation of rocks and also with the geochronology community.
Member of organizing committee +
My PhD project (under Taras Gerya’s supervision) is about understanding oroclines formation and evolution using numerical modelling of both surface and deep processes. I am performing large scale simulations of narrow retreating subduction zones over long (Ma) time scales. I am using I3ELVIS thermomechanical code coupled to a diffusion/advection code for surface material (FDSPM). Assessing the respective roles and interactions of slab retreat mechanics and material displacement at the surface of the models is central to my project. Meeting with researchers from the CIG and CSDMS communities to discuss different techniques of coupling tectonic and landscape evolution modelling is of particular interest to me. Getting feedback on the modelling technique I am using and how to further develop it would also be very useful. +
My PhD projects involve the study of surface processes in coastal areas. I investigate the landform dynamics as a result of local interactions and feedbacks among hydrodynamics, vegetation, and sediment transport. I use remote sensing, field measurements and numerical modeling as main tools. I have implemented a large-scale physics based model to answer the question of “how do upland and estuarine characteristics influence coastal wetland distribution and resilience to future changes?”. For my future research as a postdoc, I will be studying the surface processes of steep mountain rivers to explore mountain landform evolution, sediment formation and transport from source to sink in coastal zones. This workshop will be a unique opportunity to prepare me for my postdoc research. It helps me develop skills that are necessary for numerical modeling of tectonic processes corresponding to mountain formation at small and large scales. Besides the training aspect of this experience, this workshop will be a great opportunity to extend my professional connections in new disciplines (e.g. surface processes of other landforms and tectonic processes) by meeting and interacting with other scientists. In short, this collaboration opportunity will be key to reaching my goals and in building my future career path in Science. +
My dissertation is focused on landscape evolution in continental extensional settings, principally on how fluvial settings responding to active extension. +
My interest in attending is based on an interest in coupling long-term (> 10 Myr) lithospheric dynamics simulations with surface processes. From a technical standpoint, the primary question I am interested in are the relative benefits of coupling between distinct codes verse adding new features to existing lithospheric dynamics codes. The relative benefits in question range from HPC performance to the physical accuracy (e.g., robustness) of different surface process approximations. An additional topic of interest is thermodynamic self-consistency in modeling sedimentation within lithospheric dynamics codes. +
My interest in attending the workshop stems from my commitment to studying how landscapes record tectonic deformation through the filter of geomorphic processes. Because processes like sediment transport and bedrock incision can be observed on short timescales, it’s compelling to consider how we can best extrapolate modern observations to geologic timescales. In this sense, spatial patterns of landscape form and erosion offer opportunities to constrain geomorphic models and parameters if the tectonic boundary conditions are well constrained. On the flip side, tectonicists often look to geomorphologists for morphologic (or other) proxies for deformation. The extent to which these two perspectives/needs can be moved forward together requires a collective effort with sufficient disciplinary representation.
I am interested in learning about advances in the modeling of tectonic processes as well as how coupling with surface process models can be accomplished. My graduate students and postdocs have worked on a diverse array of geomorphic models and field settings that exploit tectonic gradients to assess landscape evolution. Defining the potential couplings and feedbacks will require improvements in our models and datasets and the workshop would be highly inspiring and influential for our community. +
My interests are in improving our knowledge of active plate boundaries and our understanding how active structures in these settings connect, interact and co-evolve, with a particular focus on geohazards, heat flow potential and the link between plate boundary architecture and surface processes. My main study areas are southern California (Santa Barbara Channel, Los Angeles Basin and Cajon Pass and the Salton Trough - N. Gulf of California), the Indo-Burma Arc and Lipari Island, Italy. Using seismic imaging techniques and the analysis of borehole breakouts, I am able to provide constraints on crustal structure and in situ stress and also monitor the influence of fluids on natural seismicity. Some of my main results include stress variations at the sub-kilometer scale in the Los Angeles basin near active faults, which interestingly show an increased variation at shallower depths. I have also shown with numerical models using FLAC style codes that basal shear and rift obliquity control the number of basins and distributed faulting in transtensional settings. However, increasing evidence suggests that surface loads, e.g., changes in sediment distribution and sedimentation rate; groundwater recharge or depletion and subsidence related to seasonal groundwater changes or CO2 storage are in some cases controlled by active faults and basement structure. Conversely, what role do surface processes play in reactivating faults or transferring slip between fault segments through stress perturbations? What are the best methods for modeling and integrating surface processes with long term tectonic models that reflect ~10,000 year time scales and the smallest spatial scales of hundreds of meters. And how do these processes change the architecture and interactions within active fault networks? +
My main research interest lies in recognizing and quantifying (or trying to) the tectonic from the erosion/slope processes/landsliding processes in active/seismogenically deforming areas. Up to now the study areas are the seismogenic normal faults in the central Apennines where we run a network of measurement points along these bedrock fault scarps in order to access their exposure and try to individualize the fault slip rates from the cumulative exposure rates.
I would very much like to attend this workshop in order to participate in presentations and discussions of the numerical techniques designed to study the coupling between tectonic and surface processes, the activity we are entering in with trying to model the evolution of the mountain fronts bearing the seismogenic normal faults. +
My main research interests are in tectonics and geomorphology. I use a wide array of techniques to study evolving landscapes in tectonic settings, including numerical modeling, field observations, and geochronological and thermochronological data. I am pleased to see a coming together of the CIG and CSDMS communities as we have many overlapping scientific pursuits and techniques, but have, to this point, interacted very little. I look forward to attending this meeting and will be presenting one of the overview talks regarding future needs in surface processes. +
My name is Rachel Atkins and I am working on my PhD at NC State University with Drs. Karl Wegmann and Paul Byrne. My research focuses on the interactions between tectonic processes and channel profile evolution. As such, I am applying and adapting methodological techniques and physical scaling relationships from Earth-based studies to channels developed on fault-uplifted topography on Mars. My research is at the point where I would benefit significantly from a solid understanding of the current state of CIG and CSBMS, and the resources available to address my research questions pertaining to Mars and Earth-analog sites.
Professionally, the opportunity to attend the CTSP workshop would allow me to make connections with other researchers in the field. I am particularly interested in developing research connections with others involved in coupling tectonics and surface processes and brainstorming avenues that would allow for future collaboration. +
My research efforts in the past several years focused on the identification and categorization of fluvial surficial patterns that emerge in response to various tectonic kinematic regimes, and on the possibility and techniques for inferring 3D tectonic rates and modes of deformation from fluvial patterns. My main research tool is numerical modelling.
By attending the workshop, I hope to learn about challenges and to participate in and contribute to discussions that address outstanding questions with regard to the coupled interactions between tectonic and surface processes.
I’m listing here five questions that emerge from recent discussions that I had with various colleagues and relate to this coupling:
1. What is the degree of uniqueness of the interpretation of surficial patterns as an outcome of tectonic deformation?
2. What are the scales over which tectonics affects surface processes and surface processes affect the state of stress in the crust and in the lithosphere?
3. As the above scales are expected to differ, what kind of numerical schemes could bridge over the various scales?
4. How geologic structures interact with surface processes? and how can these interactions be represented in numerical models?
5. How can we learn about past and present planetary tectonic activity from planetary surface observations?
I hope that insights and tools derived from the workshop will serve me as a teacher of undergraduate and graduate students by providing motivations and perspectives for explaining and demonstrating the coupling between the two fields (that are perceived by many students as independent). As a supervisor of graduate students, I hope to learn how to guide them in exploring broader implications of their research to the interactions between tectonic and surface processes, and as an investigator in this field, I hope to be able to contribute to discussions that address the directions in which the community should be heading, to learn about new tools and approaches that can be adopted in my research, and to form new collaborations.
My research focused on quantifying landscape evolution to understand the interactions among the geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. My work bridges the modeling and observation fields to advance a quantitative understanding of landscape dynamics. Tectonics is a first order driver of landscape dynamics in many landscapes across the Earth and thus a primary interest in my research is to understand how tectonics processes influence topography. Modeling is a vital tool in this endeavor. My goal for attending this workshop is twofold: (1) learn about state-of-the-art approaches in modeling tectonics that could help drive numerical models of landscapes; and (2) develop new and existing relationships across these disciplinary boundaries to advance coupled surface-tectonic modeling approaches to help advance new frontiers in this research direction. +
My research focuses on the integration of a wide range of data types (sedimentology, thermochronology, geochronometry, remote sensing) and models (numerical and analogical) to understand the evolution of the landscape. I am currently focusing on the development of new tools for numerical modeling, as a member of the Landlab development team. I would like to develop tools that help coupling of long-term, sub-surface processes (tectonics, isostasy) with surface processes and landscape evolution. This workshop is the perfect opportunity for me to understand what type of tools would help the community. +
My research interesting is to under the co evolution of plants, their communities and landscape. Though this is mainly through the interaction betseen plants and the surface processes, the tectonic acctivitis set the stage for these interaction occur and in very long term , vegetation can also affect tectonic acctivities. This mechanism has poorly ivestigated.
I want to learn the most advanced knowledge on the interaction between techtonic and surface processes, which will highly benefit my study. +
My research interests sit at the intersection of surface and geodynamic processes. Much of my approach comes from field and laboratory studies. However, recently during my postdoc working with Jean Braun I’ve been using continental-scale landscape modeling combined with geologic data to investigate the geodynamic history of southern Africa. Such a project, which requires many tens of thousands of large-scale landscape model runs, has only been feasible due to the development of extremely efficient algorithms such as FastScape. I am more of a user than a developer of algorithms like this, but I am very interested in the strengths, uses, limitations, and ongoing development of these efficient numerical models. I am interested in attending this workshop to get a better sense of the state of the art of the available numerical techniques, and the direction in which they are headed. As someone who collects geologic data, I am also particularly interested in discussing data integration and model validation using real world data. Finally, I am interested in attending this workshop for the excellent networking opportunity it provides to meet researchers and potential collaborators who are interested in the types of problems which couple surface and tectonic processes. +
My research is primarily focused on using a number of independent datasets to determine the subsurface geometry of the Himalayas. I am currently using seismic and thermochronologic constraints to define the correct lateral geometry of the Main Himalayan Thrust. I would like to extend this to understanding the connection between subsurface geometry in convergent margins to topography and geomorphic markers. The exact relationship between the two is not currently well-defined. One way that I would like to understand the connection is to combine kinematic models of the region with a landscape evolution model. This combination would allow me to test different subsurface geometries, and understand how differences in the sequential development of an orogen can lead to differences in topography. Combining this with results from thermal modeling and seismic data would result in a three-pronged approach in producing a thoroughly well-constrained three-dimensional model for the subsurface of Nepal. This method could in the future then be extended across the Himalayas, and eventually to other orogens.
This workshop would assist me greatly in understanding the mathematics and physics underlying the numerical modeling of landscapes, and how I can potentially apply them to my own work. Additionally, it would allow me to interact with research groups that are doing research on different applications of landscape evolution models, and how tectonics are coupled to them. As a graduate student, this would allow me to broaden my focus and understand the total breadth of issues and potential uses of the methods. I would also be able to look for potential post-doctoral projects, and move forward to becoming and independent researcher in my own right. +
My research primarily focuses on exploring the geomorphic response to tectonic movement at mountain range scale, in particular along convergent margins across the globe. My approach is heavily dependent on numerical methods for which I model kinematic velocity fields based on realistic fault geometries that are then fed into landscape evolution models. This integration allows me to efficiently combine realistic bedrock motion with surface processes in a controlled environment to study how landscapes adjust to such motion. In an advanced step kinematic models can be derived from more complex, possibly multiple, palinspastic reconstructions across fold-thrust belts and also used to model crustal heat transfer to predict cooling ages. From here an entire set of tools would be available to be applied in the field to test such numerically generated landscapes, e.g. comparison of topographic features, river profile analysis, comparison of measured and predicted thermochronological ages in bedrock and as detrital signal.
However, this approach does face, not unexpectedly, technical challenges due to its large spatial and temporal scale. Thus, I am very interested in exploring more efficient solutions in modeling landscapes on such scale, as well as testing new algorithms that are suitable to integrate efficiently the modeling of tectonic motion and erosion through surface processes without losing access to tools I wish to apply (e.g. channel steepness analysis, cooling age prediction). As a post-doc I would also be looking forward to meet established figures to survey the current status in the field, and receive input on potential new research opportunities. The workshop would also provide a chance for potential future collaborations and ideas on joint funding proposals in my first step as a more independent researcher striving for a faculty position in the near future. +
My scientific interests lie at the intersection of Earth's surface dynamics and other geologic processes. My current research focuses on the long-term and large-scale evolution of terrestrial drainage networks in response to tectonic and other forcings, and how surface processes affect other geologic systems. Towards that end, I am currently working to couple a continent-scale landscape evolution model to kinematic tectonic models. I have developed a surface process model that incorporates bedrock river incision, alluvial transport and deposition, delta formation and progradation, and submarine sediment diffusion. By perturbing this model with tectonic and geodynamic deformation, I hope to connect our process understanding of surface dynamics over short timescales to longer-term change evident in the geologic record, and to characterize the patterns of river networks and their changes that emerge from different tectonic regimes.
I hope to use this meeting both to share what I have been working on with others and to hear new perspectives, from both the surface process and tectonics communities. Since my research integrates geomorphology with geodynamic processes, I believe that it is critical for me to have a solid grounding in both. I expect that exposure to an intellectually diverse group of scientists will help me better inform my scientific approach and the questions I hope to answer. I also hope to receive guidance from other scientists on improving my model algorithms, both for the surface process and tectonic/geodynamic components. By explicitly combining tectonics and surface processes, this conference offers a unique opportunity to connect with these two fields at the intersections between them. +
Organising committee and invited speaker +
Organizing Committee +
Part of the organizing committee but am interested in attending only if there is space available. +
Rivers are coupled to tectonic processes through surface and rock uplift, regional faulting and temporal variations of clastic sediment supply and runoff. The general way in which rivers respond to each of these drivers is well known. For example, the popular Lane's balance conceptualizes how a river profile will evolve given a change in sediment and/or water supply (or sediment caliber). The timescale over which these changes occur is difficult to predict due in part to local filtering of the upstream supply changes along a river network. The raises the question whether landscape evolution models adequately represent this uncertainty, and whether models capture the underlying physical processes governing the filtering of upstream signals. This knowledge gap is growing in importance as landscape evolution models tend toward higher spatial resolutions. One goal of my future research is to contribute work to this problem, building off of my PhD which offers one means to estimate response timescales. I think this CSDMS workshop provides an excellent opportunity to take the first concrete step toward this goal, and to learn from landscape evolution modeling experts so that the context for the questions raised above is well founded and focused on the true gaps. +
The competition between surface processes (e.g. sedimentation) and the vertical flow of the dee crust (exhumation) influences strain localisation during rifting. Ductile layers in the lithosphere will exert a first-order control on the deformation mode within a rift, and sedimentation will impact the thermal structure of the rift. The dynamic interaction between sedimentation and ductile flow is addressed in a suite of 2D numerical experiments under lithospheric extension (2 cm/yr^1), where two densities of rift infill (2620, 2800 kg/m^3) and three deep crust viscosities (weak, moderate, strong) are used. In addition, the thickness of the crust (40-60 km) and the temperature of the Moho (600-800°C) are varied between reasonable end-member values.
Experiments with a 40 km crust exhibit lithospheric thinning as the result of strain localisation, regardless of the viscosity of the deep crust or the density of the rift infill. However, the viscosity of the deep crust and the density of rift infill control how the deep crust is thinned. Experiments with an intermediate or strong deep crust exhibit crustal scale conjugate shear zones and a triangular shaped basin. Experiments with a weak deep crust and a high-density rift infill exhibit basin depths of ~25 km concurrent with uplift of the asthenosphere to ~30 km, which results in lateral transport of the deep crust. The transition from rifting to drifting occurs at 33-40% extension, depending on the viscosity of the deep crust. Experiments with a 60 km crust do not exhibit rift to drift transition prior to 55% extension. Instead a weak or intermediate deep crust results in the formation of thin basins that expand laterally above a mobile deep crust, and a strong deep crust results in graben formation similar to that present in experiments with a 40 km crust. These experiments illustrate that the deposition of sediments and its impact on the mechanical behavior of the deep crust will influence rifting processes.
The corrugated topography of the Basin and Range province of North America is the manifestation of a coupling between tectonics and topographic evolution. Researchers in the USGS Geologic Mapping program are discussing a new multi-year project to conduct variable-scale mapping on a large east-west transect from Colorado through Nevada. This promises to produce fundamental observations about the history of deformation, erosion, and deposition across gradients in climate, lithology, and rates and durations of tectonic deformation. My research interest in this endeavor is to identify natural experiments where spatial substitutions could help understand the role and record of tectonics (among other forcings) in landscape morphology. This conference would be a great opportunity to learn more about the issues central to the pursuits of a broader academic community and to identify collaborations that could benefit from geologic maps (with associated data) constructed by the USGS. In particular, I would look forward to discussions about how we as a community can incorporate geologic data (e.g., spatial and geometric data from maps and geo- and thermo- chronologic data) into coupled tectonic-surface process models. How can we use primary geologic observations in an effort to test both our numerical models and our interpretations of the geologic framework? I have limited experience with the tectonic side of this problem, so could gain a lot from interacting with this group. +
The coupling of surface process models with lithospheric deformation models lies at the heart of two of my current projects, with Lucile Bruhat on one side and with Jean-Arthur Olive, Mark Behn and Roger Buck on the other. In the first one, a model for wave-base erosion is coupled to a reconstruction of the interseismic deformation over the Cascadia subduction zone to identify the morphological signatures of fault coupling. The second project (ongoing since 2013) seeks to establish the evolution of normal faults under varying climatic and lithospheric conditions. In it, we couple a 2D horizontal landscape evolution model to a 2D vertical visco-plasto-elastic geodynamic model of the lithosphere.
My background is in geomorphology and my collaborators are geophysicists. The very questions that will be discussed at the CSDMS workshop reflect thoughts and discussions I have with them. I would be very interested in taking part in the workshop to better integrate the community that spans the interface between geodynamics and geomorphology and participate in the discussions that will potentially shape the path forward. I am a postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz after finishing my PhD at Caltech in 2016. +
