Constraints on landscape evolution from slope histograms

Research Article| June 01, 2005 Constraints on landscape evolution from slope histograms Matthew A. Wolinsky; Matthew A. Wolinsky 1Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Lincoln F. Pratson Lincoln F. Pratson 1Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Matthew A. Wolinsky 1Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA Lincoln F. Pratson 1Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 18 Oct 2004 Revision Received: 27 Jan 2005 Accepted: 04 Feb 2005 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 The Geological Society of America, Inc. Geology (2005) 33 (6): 477–480. https://doi.org/10.1130/G21296.1 Article history Received: 18 Oct 2004 Revision Received: 27 Jan 2005 Accepted: 04 Feb 2005 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Matthew A. Wolinsky, Lincoln F. Pratson; Constraints on landscape evolution from slope histograms. Geology 2005;; 33 (6): 477–480. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G21296.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract We analyzed >10,000 topographic slope histograms subsampled from digital elevation models (DEMs) of 28 landscapes throughout the continental United States. These landscapes are made up of diverse lithologies and have different climatic and tectonic histories, but their slope distributions are consistently unimodal and collectively exhibit a systematic change from positively skewed to negatively skewed as mean slope increases. This change not only occurs between landscapes, but can also occur within them, and is recorded in DEMs of different spatial resolution. The transition from positive to negative skewness cannot be accounted for by scaling of relief, but requires a fundamental change in landscape morphology. Process-based landscape modeling reproduces the trend and suggests that a change in the dominant hillslope process—from creep and/or wash to slope failure—is responsible for the transition from positive to negative skewness with increasing mean slope. This process transition is governed by a dimensionless uplift number that reflects the balance between processes of relief generation and denudation. The uplift number provides a basis for understanding the morphologic similarity between landscapes in our analysis, illustrating how different combinations of climate, tectonics, and lithology can lead to equivalent morphologies. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.