Descripción del proyecto
Los ríos desplazan sedimentos y remodelan los valles excavados por el hielo
Los ciclos glaciales-interglaciales acontecidos durante los últimos 2,6 millones de años han influido de forma notable en la topografía de las cadenas montañosas de todo el mundo. La erosión glaciar y los corrimientos de tierra en valles escarpados de desglaciación generan enormes volúmenes de sedimentos. Estos sedimentos pueden acelerar el ritmo al que los ríos labran canales tras la desglaciación, si los sedimentos actúan como una herramienta para erosionar el lecho del río, o pueden inhibir la erosión si protegen el lecho. En este contexto, no se ha cuantificado bien la forma en que los sedimentos afectan a la erosión y la evolución del paisaje a través de ciclos de oscilaciones climáticas. En el proyecto POSTCOLD, que cuenta con el apoyo de las Acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, se desarrollará y aplicará un modelo de evolución del paisaje que incorpore los efectos de la dinámica de los sedimentos en la erosión fluvial. Los conocimientos resultantes respaldarán la evaluación de peligros naturales y la gestión de ecosistemas.
Objetivo
Repeated glacial-interglacial cycles during the Quaternary have significantly impacted the topography of many mountain ranges around the world. Yet, the response of landscape evolution to repeated climate oscillations has not been well quantified. In recently deglaciated landscapes, the transition from glacial to fluvial/hillslope processes have induced progressive topographic adjustments, and the large amounts of sediments inherited from glacial periods and generated through landsliding of oversteepened glaciated topography may act as a fundamental control on the incision of postglacial rivers. These sediments can enhance fluvial incision rate by providing more tools for erosion, or inhibit incision by armoring the river bed. Characterizing when and where sediment enhances or inhibits fluvial incision in postglacial landscapes is critical for understanding the changes in postglacial landscape evolution rates over time and quantifying the response times of mountain ranges to deglaciation. In this project, I propose to develop a landscape evolution model to account for the complex impact of sediment dynamics on fluvial incision in postglacial landscapes. I will utilize this model to investigate the response of fluvial incision to changes in sediment supply and assess the effects of sediment on postglacial landscape evolution. I will apply the model to quantify response times of the deglaciated European Alp, leveraging the rich observational datasets in this region. The proposed work will provide a quantitative understanding of postglacial fluvial incision histories, which is critical for ecosystem management and natural hazard assessment in recently deglaciated mid-latitude mountain ranges and perhaps in high-latitude mountain ranges where continued climate change may eventually lead to deglaciation.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanetary geology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- social sciencessociologygovernancecrisis management
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographynatural disasters
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinador
14473 POTSDAM
Alemania