Numerically simulating alpine landscapes: The geomorphologic consequences of incorporating glacial erosion in surface process models
A numerical model that simulates the evolution of glaciated mountain landscapes is presented. By employing a popular, sliding based, glacial erosion model, many common glacial landforms are created. The numerical model builds on earlier work as it is fully two-dimensional and employs the first order...
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Published in | Geomorphology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Vol. 103; no. 2; pp. 180 - 188 |
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Main Author | |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Elsevier B.V
15.01.2009
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | A numerical model that simulates the evolution of glaciated mountain landscapes is presented. By employing a popular, sliding based, glacial erosion model, many common glacial landforms are created. The numerical model builds on earlier work as it is fully two-dimensional and employs the first order forcing on mountain evolution. These forcings include tectonic uplift, isostasy, hillslope processes, fluvial processes, and glacial processes. A climate-dependent model of ice dynamics is employed to determine ice coverage and ice flux. Two simulations are presented; one with generic model parameters, and a second with parameters that correspond to conditions in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Landforms that are produced by the model include climate climate-dependent elevation lowering, similar to what might be expected by a “glacial buzz-saw”, valley overdeepening, terminal moraines, and valley retreat. The model also predicts that current rates of sedimentation are higher than the long-term average, and that several tens of thousands of years are required for the landscape to adjust to a change in the dominant erosional forcing. Therefore, glaciated orogens are unlikely to achieve topographic steady state over Milankovitch timescales. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0169-555X 1872-695X |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.04.021 |