The influence of alpine glaciation on the relief of tectonically active mountain belts

A surface processes model incorporating large-scale fluvial processes, local hill-slope processes, and glacial erosion is used to investigate the effect of glaciation on the relief of a fast-growing, narrow orogen. The results of several simulations show that: glaciers concentrate erosion near peaks; fluvial erosion is reduced downstream of glaciers; glaciers with frozen bases can lead to an increase in relief; and the net affect of glaciation in the absence of widespread basal freezing is to reduce relief.