Project

modeling; topography; geomorphology; sediment; erosion; deposition

Lead
Lay summary
Earth’s landscape is a dynamic surface shaped by the interplay between tectonics and climate-mediated surface processes related to erosion, sediment transport and deposition. Sediment is moved in flowing surface water from the erosional engine in mountainous regions to its eventual deposition in basins by the sediment routing system. The last decades has seen considerable work on trying to understand different aspects of the sediment routing system using surface process models. Though such models have been successful in their ability to generate realistic looking topography they lack predictive power because they are based on oversimplified physics - particularly concerning overland fluid flow - and because their parameters are poorly constrained. This project proposes to further develop and apply an existing, new generation of surface process developed previously by the main applicant. This numerical model is based on fully dynamic, two dimensional surface water flow coupled to realistic physically-based laws for erosion, sediment transport and deposition. We will firstly parallelise this code in order to take advantage of high performance clusters now available at the university. We will then apply the model to address two main aspects of the sediment routing system. The first is the problem of channel initiation and formation of mature drainage basins, the second is the problem of controls on the morphology and dynamics of alluvial rivers. As part of this research grant, we request 3 years of funding for one new PhD student to be based within the Department of Geology and Paleontology at the University of Geneva, working under the guidance of Dr. Guy Simpson. The project also involves collaboration with Dr. Sebastien Castelltort who is based at the ETH in Zurich.

Direct link to Lay Summary

Last update: 21.02.2013

Active participation

Earth’s landscape is a dynamic surface shaped by the interplay between tectonics and climate-mediated surface processes related to erosion, sediment transport and deposition. Sediment is moved in flowing surface water from the erosional engine in mountainous regions to its eventual deposition in basins by the sediment routing system. The last decades has seen considerable work on trying to understand different aspects of the sediment routing system using surface process models. Though such models have been successful in their ability to generate realistic looking topography they lack predictive power because they are based on oversimplified physics - particularly concerning overland fluid flow - and because their parameters are poorly constrained. This project proposes to further develop and apply an existing, new generation of surface process developed previously by the main applicant. This numerical model is based on fully dynamic, two dimensional surface water flow coupled to realistic physically-based laws for erosion, sediment transport and deposition. We will firstly parallelise this code in order to take advantage of high performance clusters now available at the university. We will then apply the model to address two main aspects of the sediment routing system. The first is the problem of channel initiation and formation of mature drainage basins, the second is the problem of controls on the morphology and dynamics of alluvial rivers. As part of this research grant, we request 3 years of funding for one new PhD student to be based within the Department of Geology and Paleontology at the University of Geneva, working under the guidance of Dr. Guy Simpson. The project also involves collaboration with Dr. Sebastien Castelltort who is based at the ETH in Zurich.