Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Geomorphology and earth surface processes'

Cette thèse porte sur le rôle des précipitations sur l'érosion et la formation des reliefs dans l'Himalaya Népalais. J'étudie chaque étape du processus d'érosion : 1) Evaluation des bases de données de précipitations, 2) Transfert des précipitations au débit fluvial, 3) Mobilisation et transport du matériel dans le bassin versant, et enfin 4) Mécanismes d'érosion sur de longues échelles de temps. Je montre que la base de données de précipitations obtenue par interpolation de données pluviométriques est la plus performante pour la région de l'Himalaya. Je démontre l'importance d'une composante majeure, jusqu'alors ignorée, du cycle de débit de l'Himalaya que j'identifie comme étant les aquifères de sous-sol fracturé, et j'évalue la contribution de la fonte des neiges et glaces aux rivières Himalayennes. Les taux d'érosion calculés à partir des flux de sédiments en suspension et des analyses de nucléides cosmogéniques varient de 0.1 à 4 mm/a. Les rivières au Népal sont limitées par l'apport sédimentaire alors que les versants, en tant que source de sédiments, sont limités par le transport. Enfin, je montre que l'érosion sur des milliers d'années ne dépend des précipitations mais du relief.

Continental and submarine hydrothermal systems are commonly found around the world. Similar systems that sustain water or other fluids are also likely to exist in planetary bodies throughout the solar system. Also, terrestrial submarine systems have been suggested as the locations of the first life on Earth and may, therefore, provide indications of where to find life on other planetary bodies. The study of these systems is vital to the understanding of planetary heat transfer, chemical cycling, and biological processes; hence hydrothermal processes play a fundamental role in planetary evolution. In this thesis, three particular types of hydrothermal systems are investigated through the development of mathematical models: (1) terrestrial low-temperature diffuse flows at mid-oceanic ridges (MORs), (2) submarine near-axis convection on Earth, and (3) convection driven by magmatic intrusives on Mars. Model set-ups for all systems include a two-dimensional space with a vertical, hot wall, maintained at constant temperature, located adjacent to a water-saturated porous medium at a lower temperature. By assuming that convection occurs vigorously and within a thin layer next to the hot wall, boundary layer theory is applicable. The models provide steady-state, single-phase estimates of the total heat and mass transfer rates in each scenario over permeability ranges of 10^-14 m² to 10^-10 m² for the submarine systems and 10^-14 m² to 10^-8 m² for the Martian systems. Heat output results derived from the boundary layer model suggest that diffuse flow on MORs contributes 50% or less of heat output to the ridge system, which falls at the low end of observations. For the near-axis model, results found that heat transfer in the hydrothermal boundary layer was greater than the input from steady state generation of the oceanic crust by seafloor spreading. This suggests that the size of the mushy zone evolves with time. Heat output and fluid flux calculations for Martian systems show that fluid outflow adjacent to a single intrusion is too small to generate observed Martian surface features in a reasonable length of time.

L'évolution des versants est le résultat de l'action combinée des processus d'altération et de transport sédimentaire. Même si il est généralement admis que l'efficacité de ces processus varie en fonction du climat, la quantification de l'influence climatique sur l'érosion des versants reste encore peu développée aujourd'hui. S'inscrivant dans cette problématique, notre étude est consacrée au développement d'un nouveau modèle numérique d'érosion des versants, ayant pour objectif de mieux représenter, à différentes échelles de temps, les multiples aspects du contrôle climatique sur les processus de transport de sol. Ce modèle numérique permet de simuler l'évolution de l'épaisseur de sol et du relief à l'échelle d'un versant; il repose sur une paramétrisation simple de la production de sol couplée à une paramétrisation multi-processus du transport de sol, qui comprend plusieurs variables en étroite relation avec le climat (débit de ruissellement, épaisseur de couche active). Le calcul de ces variables est réalisé sur base de séries temporelles de précipitation et de température avec l'aide d'un modèle de transfert de chaleur et d'un modèle de bilan hydrologique. Le comportement du modèle a été étudié au travers de quelques exemples génériques et d'analyses de sensibilité. Les résultats obtenus montrent des différences significatives dans la façon dont se comporte chaque processus de transport sous conditions climatiques variables, et également dans la manière dont chaque processus affecte l'érosion globale des versants. Ces résultats mettent ainsi en lumière l'importance de la paramétrisation multi-processus du transport de sol dans la modélisation de la réponse des versants aux changements climatiques. Nous avons également développé une méthode associant le modèle d'érosion de versant à un algorithme d'inversion (Neighbourhood Algorithm). Cette méthode a permis de caractériser de manière quantitative l'évolution des versants ardennais (NE Belgique) lors du dernier cycle glaciaire-interglaciaire, sur base d'un scénario climatique simple et de nombreuses données topographiques et d'épaisseurs de sol. Les résultats de l'inversion produisent des prédictions en accord avec certaines observations sur la morphologie des versants ardennais ainsi qu'avec des taux d'érosion estimés indépendamment sur base de concentrations en isotopes cosmogéniques, même si on montre que la distribution actuelle des épaisseurs de sol ne renferme pas assez d'information pour déterminer entièrement les taux de production et de transport de sol lors des périodes froides et tempérées du dernier cycle climatique. Les résultats de l'inversion suggèrent des taux de transport de sol bien plus élevés lors de la période froide que lors de la période tempérée, produisant une succession de systèmes limités par la production de sol d'une part (période froide), et par le transport de sol d'autre part (période tempérée). Un pic de transport de sol est prédit lors des transitions entre ces périodes. Les résultats laissent également suggérer qu'un équilibre dynamique en terme d'épaisseur de sol a été récemment atteint dans les parties convexes des versants, alors que des sols peu épais observés dans les parties concaves pourraient correspondre à des traces de la distribution des épaisseurs de sol qui prévalait lors de la dernière glaciation
Hillslope evolution results from the combined action of weathering and sediment transport processes, which are thought to be both influenced by climate. Yet, the strength and nature of the connection between climate and hillslope erosion remain poorly understood at a quantitative level. In this study, we present a new numerical model of soil production and transport, which aims to better represent, at different time scales, the climate control on soil transport. The numerical model operates at the scale of a single hill and predicts the rates of soil thickness and elevation change, by using a simple parametrization of soil production and a multi-process parametrization of soil transport which includes climate-dependent variables (overland flow discharge and active-layer depth). Simple ground heat transfer and water balance models are used for calculating these variables from time-series of precipitation and temperature. The behaviour of the model has been studied through a few simulation examples and sensitivity analysis. The results highlight the importance of considering multi-process parameterization of soil transport when modelling the response of the hillslope system to climate variations, as these results display significant differences on how each transport process behaves under various climatic conditions and on how each process affect the evolution of the system. Our numerical model has also been combined with an inversion scheme (Neighbourhood Algorithm) to extract quantitative information on the evolution of hillslopes in the Ardenne (Belgium, NW Europe) during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Cycle, using a simple climatic scenario and a unique set of topographic and soil thickness data. Model predictions based on inversion results are consistent with independent observations on hillslope morphology and cosmogenic nuclide-derived erosion rates, although the inversion results show that soil production and transport rates under both the cold and warm phases of the last climatic cycle cannot be fully constrained by the present-day soil thickness distribution. The inversion results suggest that soil transport is by far more efficient during the cold climatic phase than during the warm phase, resulting in the succession of weathering-limited (cold phase) and transport-limited (warm phase) systems. Maximum soil transport rates are predicted during the transitions between the cold-warm phases. The results also suggest that a soil thickness dynamic equilibrium has been recently reached on convex regions of the hillslopes, while shallow soils found in convergent areas may be the relics of the soil thickness distribution that formed during the cold phase

Planetary research is often user-based and requires considerable skill, time, and effort. Unfortunately, self-defined boundary conditions, definitions, and rules are often not documented or not easy to comprehend due to the complexity of research. This makes a comparison to other studies, or an extension of the already existing research, complicated. Comparisons are often distorted, because results rely on different, not well defined, or even unknown boundary conditions. The purpose of this research is to develop a standardized analysis method for planetary surfaces, which is adaptable to several research topics. The method provides a consistent quality of results. This also includes achieving reliable and comparable results and reducing the time and effort of conducting such studies. A standardized analysis method is provided by automated analysis tools that focus on statistical parameters. Specific key parameters and boundary conditions are defined for the tool application. The analysis relies on a database in which all key parameters are stored. These databases can be easily updated and adapted to various research questions. This increases the flexibility, reproducibility, and comparability of the research. However, the quality of the database and reliability of definitions directly influence the results. To ensure a high quality of results, the rules and definitions need to be well defined and based on previously conducted case studies. The tools then produce parameters, which are obtained by defined geostatistical techniques (measurements, calculations, classifications). The idea of an automated statistical analysis is tested to proof benefits but also potential problems of this method. In this study, I adapt automated tools for floor-fractured craters (FFCs) on Mars. These impact craters show a variety of surface features, occurring in different Martian environments, and having different fracturing origins. They provide a complex morphological and geological field of application. 433 FFCs are classified by the analysis tools due to their fracturing process. Spatial data, environmental context, and crater interior data are analyzed to distinguish between the processes involved in floor fracturing. Related geologic processes, such as glacial and fluvial activity, are too similar to be separately classified by the automated tools. Glacial and fluvial fracturing processes are merged together for the classification. The automated tools provide probability values for each origin model. To guarantee the quality and reliability of the results, classification tools need to achieve an origin probability above 50 %. This analysis method shows that 15 % of the FFCs are fractured by intrusive volcanism, 20 % by tectonic activity, and 43 % by water & ice related processes. In total, 75 % of the FFCs are classified to an origin type. This can be explained by a combination of origin models, superposition or erosion of key parameters, or an unknown fracturing model. Those features have to be manually analyzed in detail. Another possibility would be the improvement of key parameters and rules for the classification. This research shows that it is possible to conduct an automated statistical analysis of morphologic and geologic features based on analysis tools. Analysis tools provide additional information to the user and are therefore considered assistance systems.
Planetenforschung umfasst oft zeitintensive Projekte, bei denen Expertise und Erfahrung eine wesentliche Rolle spielen. Auf Grund äusserst komplexer und sich selten wiederholender Forschungsfragen sind Annahmen, Definitionen und Regeln zur Lösung dieser Fragen nicht leicht nachvollziehbar oder aber nicht eindeutig dokumentiert. Ein Vergleich der Ergebnisse unterschiedlicher Forscher zum selben Thema oder eine Erweiterung der Forschungsfrage macht dies somit nur schwer möglich. Vergleiche liefern oftmals verzerrte Ergebnisse, da die Ausgangslage und Randbedingungen unterschiedlich definiert worden sind. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es eine Standardmethode zur Oberflächenanalyse zu entwickeln, die auf zahlreiche Untersuchungsfragen angewandt werden kann. Eine gleichbleibende Qualität der Ergebnisse muss durch diese Methode gewährleistet sein. Ein weiteres Ziel ist es, dass diese Methode ohne Vorwissen und Expertise angewandt werden kann und die Ergebnisse in kurzer Zeit vorliegen. Ausserdem müssen die Ergebnisse vergleichbar und nachvollziehbar sein. Automatisch operierende Analysewerkzeuge können die zahlreichen Anforderungen erfüllen und als Standardmethode dienen. Statistische Ergebnisse werden durch diese Methode erzielt. Die Werkzeuge basieren auf vordefinierten, geowissenschaftlichen Techniken und umfassen Messungen, Berechnungen und Klassifikationen der zu untersuchenden Oberflächenstrukturen. Für die Anwendung dieser Werkzeuge müssen Schlüsselstrukturen und Randbedingungen definiert werden. Des Weiteren benötigen die Werkzeuge eine Datenbank, in der alle Oberflächenstrukturen, aber auch Informationen zu den Randbedingungen gespeichert sind. Es ist mit geringem Aufwand möglich, Datenbanken zu aktualisieren und sie auf verschiedenste Fragestellungen zu adaptieren. Diese Tatsache steigert die Flexibilität, Reproduzierbarkeit und auch Vergleichbarkeit der Untersuchung. Die vordefinierten Randbedingungen und die Qualität der Datenbank haben jedoch auch direkten Einfluss auf die Qualität der Ergebnisse. Um eine gleichbleibend hohe Qualität der Untersuchung zu gewährleisten muss sichergestellt werden, dass alle vordefinierten Bedingungen eindeutig sind und auf vorheriger Forschung basieren. Die automatisch operierenden Analysewerkzeuge müssen als mögliche Standardmethode getestet werden. Hierbei geht es darum Vorteile, aber auch Nachteile zu identifizieren und zu bewerten. In dieser Arbeit werden die Analysewerkzeuge auf einen bestimmten Einschlagskratertyp auf dem Mars angewandt. Krater mit zerbrochenen Kraterböden (Floor-Fractured Craters) sind in verschiedensten Regionen auf dem Mars zu finden, sie zeigen zahlreiche Oberflächenstrukturen und wurden durch unterschiedliche Prozesse geformt. All diese Fakten machen diesen Kratertyp zu einem interessanten und im geologischen und morphologischen Sinne sehr komplexen Anwendungsgebiet. 433 Krater sind durch die Werkzeuge analysiert und je nach Entstehungsprozess klassifiziert worden. Für diese Analyse sind Position der Krater, Art des Umfeldes und Strukturen im Kraterinneren ausschlaggebend. Die kombinierten Informationen geben somit Auskunft über die Prozesse, welche zum Zerbrechen des Kraterbodens geführt haben. Die entwickelten Analysewerkzeuge können geologische Prozesse, die sehr ähnlich zueinander sind, von einander abhängig sind und zusätzlich auch dieselben Oberflächenstrukturen formen, nicht eindeutig unterscheiden. Aus diesem Grund sind fluviale und glaziale Entstehungsprozesse für den untersuchten Kratertyp zusammengefasst. Die Analysewerkzeuge liefern Wahrscheinlichkeitswerte für drei mögliche Entstehungsarten. Um die Qualität der Ergebnisse zu verbessern muss eine Wahrscheinlichkeit über 50 % erreicht werden. Die Werkzeuge zeigen, dass 15 % der Krater durch Vulkanismus, 20 % durch Tektonik und 43 % durch Wasser- und Eis-bedingte Prozesse gebildet wurden. Insgesamt kann für 75 % des untersuchten Kratertyps ein potentieller Entstehungsprozess zugeordnet werden. Für 25 % der Krater ist eine Klassifizierung nicht möglich. Dies kann durch eine Kombination von geologischen Prozessen, einer Überprägung von wichtigen Schlüsselstrukturen, oder eines bisher nicht berücksichtigten Prozesses erklärt werden. Zusammenfassend ist zu sagen, dass es möglich ist planetare Oberflächenstrukturen quantitativ durch automatisch operierende Analysewerkzeuge zu erfassen und hinsichtlich einer definierten Fragestellung zu klassifizieren. Zusätzliche Informationen können durch die entwickelten Werkzeuge erhalten werden, daher sind sie als Assistenzsystem zu betrachten.

The Cenozoic evolution of the Pyrenean-Cantabrian mountain belt was driven by both internal andexternal processes, such as tectonics, erosion and deposition. This alpine belt is made up by thePyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains, and is characterized by significant lateral variations intotal shortening, structural styles and topography. This thesis aims to better constrain the controlson exhumation and topography development during syn- to post-orogenic times, from the Eoceneto the Pliocene, by focusing on two characteristic parts of the belt: the Southern Central Pyreneesand the Central Cantabrian Mountains. To this purpose, a multi-disciplinary approach isdeveloped, combining low-temperature thermochronology with different numerical modelingtools. To better understand lateral variations in exhumation of the belt, a new low-temperaturethermochronology dataset is presented for the Cantabrian domain. The first part of this thesispresents new apatite fission-track data and (U-Th)/He analysis on zircons, constraining the timingand amount of exhumation along the central Cantabrian cross-section. In particular, the Eocene toOligocene ages obtained from the different thermochronometers allow us to infer a more importantamount of burial and, consequently, a thicker Mesozoic sedimentary section than previouslyconsidered, thereby also refining the structural style of the section at the upper crustal scale.The extensive thermochronological dataset existing in the central Pyrenees is then used toreconstruct the late-stage evolution of the South Central Axial Zone by thermo-kinematic inversemodeling. The model predicts rapid exhumation of the area during late Eocene (late syn-orogenic)times, followed by a post-orogenic evolution that is strongly controlled by base-level changes. Asa consequence of the establishment of endorheic conditions in the adjacent Ebro foreland basin,together with the strong erosion of the Axial Zone, the southern foreland area was infilled by animportant amount of erosional deposits in late Eocene to early Oligocene times. The models allowus to constrain the level of infilling at ~2.6 km and to date the excavation of these sediments at~10 Ma, following opening of the Ebro basin toward the Mediterranean Sea. The thickness ofsediments draping the foreland fold-and thrust belt was verified using fission-track analysis and(U-Th)/He measurements on apatites from foreland sediments. Thermal modeling of the dataprovides an estimate of 2 to 3 km of sediments on top of the foreland and confirms its incision inLate Miocene times. The effect of syn-orogenic deposition on the building and late evolution ofthe southern Pyrenean fold-and-thrust belt has been modeled in the last chapter of this thesis usinga 2D thermo-mechanical numerical modeling approach. The models highlight the potential effectof syn-tectonic sedimentation on thrust kinematics at several stages of wedge building. Ourmodeling also shows that the addition of an Oligocene sediment blanket perturbs the thrustingsequence by stabilizing the central part of the external wedge and enhancing both frontal andinternal accretion; a pattern that reproduces the observed deformation in the Southern CentralPyrenees.

Human activity such as surface mining can have substantial impacts on the natural environment. Performing a Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Assessment (CHIA) of such impacts on surface water systems requires knowing the location and extent of these impacted streams. The Jurisdictional Determination (JD) of a stream’s protected status under the Clean Water Act (CWA) involves locating and classifying streams according to their flow regime: ephemeral, intermittent, or perennial. Due to their often remote locations and small size, taking a field inventory of headwater streams for surface mining permit applications or permit reviews is challenging. A means of estimating headwater stream location and extent, according to flow regime using publicly available spatial data, would assist in performing CHIAs and JDs. Using headwater point-of-origin data collected from Robinson Forest in eastern Kentucky along with data from three JDs obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), headwater streams in the Appalachian Coal Belt were characterized according to a set of spatial parameters. These characteristics were extrapolated using GIS to delineate headwater streams over a larger area, and the results were compared to the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).

In this dissertation, we have examined mineral assemblages and geomorphologic features in the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars, as well as examined the mineral assemblage of palagonite in Iceland. Chapter 2 is focused on the mineral assemblages detected on possible glaciovolcanic edifices in the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars. Minerals were identified utilizing visible/near-infrared orbital spectra from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). Analysis of eleven CRISM images located on the volcanic edifices revealed three distinct spectral classes in the region which are interpreted to be: gypsum-dominated, smectite-zeolite- iron oxide-dominated (possibly palagonite), and polyhydrated sulfate-dominated material. The possible palagonite detections on the volcanic edifices, the geomorphology of the region, and the analogous terrestrial mineralogy of subglacial eruptions strongly suggests the formation of these minerals during subglacial eruptions or associated hydrothermal systems. This implies that thick water ice sheets were present in this region in the late Noachian or early Hesperian, and that the subglacial hydrothermal systems could have supported habitable environments with excellent biosignature preservation potential. Chapter 3 is focused on evaluating the variability of the composition and crystallinity of palagonite on Earth in order to inform efforts to identify it on Mars. We hypothesized that variability in palagonite composition and crystallinity could occur due to differences in environmental conditions during formation. Palagonite samples were collected in Iceland at subglacial volcanic sites around Reykjavík in the Western Volcanic Zone, on the southern coast in the Eastern Volcanic Zone, and from the Herðubreið tuya and Askja volcano in the Northern Volcanic Zone. Visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, thermal-infrared emission spectroscopy, and quantitative XRD were used to assess the bulk mineralogy, crystallinity, and clay composition of all samples. Results show the sampled palagonites contain partially devitrified glass, unaltered glass, and secondary minerals including clay minerals, poorly crystalline ferric oxides, and zeolites. However, one sample (SCoast01) shows a vastly different mineral assemblage in all sample techniques, including well-crystalline Fe/Mg-clays as opposed to the poorly-crystalline Al-clays observed in our other samples. Based on previous studies of subaqueous palagonites and the location this sample was collected from, we hypothesize that the SCoast01 sample was formed in a submarine environment rather than subglacial. This suggests that it may be possible to differentiate submarine vs. subglacial palagonite on Earth based on composition and from remote sensing observations on Mars. Chapter 4 is a geomorphologic study of the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars where we identified and classified the tops of the Sisyphi Montes as well as geomorphologically mapped the Sisyphi Planum region. Here, we address an overarching question: What is the relationship between the Sisyphi Montes and the ice in this region? To do this, we identified 106 edifices in the region and classified them into five categories: 1) flat topped, 2) rounded tops, 3) sharp peaks, 4) cratered peaks, and 5) height less than 300 meters – a “catch-all” category for all features below the specified height, which exhibit less distinctive morphologies in MOLA topography. While many of the edifices could be sub-glacial in origin, we find that the only morphologic class that exhibits uniquely subglacial morphologies are the flat-topped edifices. These edifices are similar to terrestrial tuyas, which form when a subglacial volcano breaches an ice sheet and erupts a plateau of sub-aerial lavas. Based on the geomorphologic map and topographic data, we have shown that flat-topped edifices are all located outside of regions that we map as the Mantled Unit, which we infer to be related to the Dorsa Argentina Formation. The combination of the flat topped edifices and their location outside of the mapped ice-related regions strongly suggests that the ice in the region was once more extensive than what is currently observed. While this has been proposed in the past, it has not been documented how far the ice sheet could have extended. Here we show that the ice must have extended to at least as far as the flat topped edifices in the region. The combination of these chapters using both mineralogy and morphology suggest that the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars was subglacial in origin.

Understanding climate-driven changes in global land-based ice volume is a critical component in our capability to predict how global sea level will rise as a consequence of the current human-driven climate change. At the last glacial maximum (LGM, which peaked around 20 ka), ephemeral ice sheets covered vast regions of the northern hemisphere while both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets were more extensive than at present. As global temperatures rose at the transition into the Holocene, driving the LGM deglaciation, eustatic sea level rose by approximately 125 m. The east Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS) is the largest ice sheet on Earth today, holding an ice volume equivalent to ca. 53 m rise in global sea level. Considering current trends in global climate, specifically rapidly increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels and global temperature, it is important to improve our understanding of how the EAIS will respond to global warming so that we can make better predictions of future sea level changes to guide community adaptation and planning efforts. Numerical ice sheet models which inform projections of future ice volume changes, and can, therefore, yield projections of sea level rise, rely on empirical data to test their ability to accurately represent former and present ice configurations. However, there is a general lack of data on the paleoglaciology of the EAIS along the western Dronning Maud Land (DML) margin. In order to address this situation, the paleoglaciology of western DML forms the focus of the work presented in this thesis.

Together with collaborators within the MAGIC-DML consortium (Mapping, Measuring and Modelling Antarctic Geomorphology and Ice Change in Dronning Maud Land) that provides the funding for this MS project, the author has performed geomorphological mapping across western DML; an area of approximately 200,000 km². The results of the mapping presented in this thesis will provide the basis for a detailed glacial reconstruction of the region. The geomorphological mapping was completed almost entirely by remote sensing using very high-resolution (sub-meter in the panchromatic) WordView-2 and WorldView-3 (WV) satellite imagery, combined with ground validation studies during field work. Compared to Landsat products, the improved spatial resolution provided by WV imagery has fundamentally changed the scale and detail at which remote sensing based geomorphological mapping can be completed. The mapping presented here is focused on the glacial geomorphology of mountain summits and flanks that protrude through the ice sheet’s surface (nunataks). In our study area of western DML these nunatak surfaces make up <0.2 % of the total surface area, and the landforms mapped here are generally smaller than can be identified from Landsat products (30 m spatial resolution). The detail achieved in our mapping, across such a vast, remote area that presents numerous obstacles to accessibility highlights the benefits of utilizing the new VHR WV data. As such an evaluation of the WV data, as applied to geomorphological mapping is presented here together with our mapping of the glacial geomorphology of western DML. The results of which provides evidence of ice having overridden sites at all elevations across the entire study area; from the highest elevation inland nunataks that form the coast-parallel escarpment, to low-elevation emerging nunataks close to the coast. Hence from our studies of the glacial geomorphology of this region we can ascertain that, at some point in the glacial history of western DML, ice covered all of the mountain summits that are exposed today, indicating an ice sheet surface lowering of up to 700 m in some places.

abstract: For this dissertation, three separate papers explore the study areas of the western Grand Canyon, the Grand Staircase (as related to Grand Canyon) and Desolation Canyon on the Green River in Utah. In western Grand Canyon, I use comparative geomorphology between the Grand Canyon and the Grand Wash Cliffs (GWC). We propose the onset of erosion of the GWC is caused by slip on the Grand Wash Fault that formed between 18 and 12 million years ago. Hillslope angle and channel steepness are higher in Grand Canyon than along the Grand Wash Cliffs despite similar rock types, climate and base level fall magnitude. These experimental controls allow inference that the Grand Canyon is younger and eroding at a faster rate than the Grand Wash Cliffs. The Grand Staircase is the headwaters of some of the streams that flow into Grand Canyon. A space-for-time substitution of erosion rates, supported by landscape simulations, implies that the Grand Canyon is the result of an increase in base level fall rate, with the older, slower base level fall rate preserved in the Grand Staircase. Our data and analyses also support a younger, ~6-million-year estimate of the age of Grand Canyon that is likely related to the integration of the Colorado River from the Colorado Plateau to the Basin and Range. Complicated cliff-band erosion and its effect on cosmogenic erosion rates are also explored, guiding interpretation of isotopic data in landscapes with stratigraphic variation in quartz and rock strength. Several hypotheses for the erosion of Desolation Canyon are tested and refuted, leaving one plausible conclusion. I infer that the Uinta Basin north of Desolation Canyon is eroding slowly and that its form represents a slow, stable base level fall rate. Downstream of Desolation Canyon, the Colorado River is inferred to have established itself in the exhumed region of Canyonlands and to have incised to near modern depths prior to the integration of the Green River and the production of relief in Desolation Canyon. Analysis of incision and erosion rates in the region suggests integration is relatively recent.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2016

A commonly used tool in data analysis is to compute a sample mean. Assuming a uni-modal distribution, its mean provides valuable information about which value is typically found in an observation. Also, it is one of the simplest and therefore very robust statistics to compute and suffers much less from sampling effects of tails of the distribution than estimates of higher moments. In the context of a time series, the sample mean is a time average. Due to correla- tions among successive data points, the information stored in a time series might be much less than the information stored in a sample of independently drawn data points of equal size, since correlation always implies redundancy. Hence, the issue of how close the sample estimate of a time average is to the true mean value of the process depends on correlations in data. In this thesis, we will study the proba- bility that a single time average deviates by more than some threshold value from the true process mean. This will be called the Large Deviation Probability (LDP), and it will be a function of the time interval over which the average is taken: The longer the time interval, the smaller will this probability be. However, it is the precise functional form of this decay which will be in the focus of this thesis. The LDP is proven to decay exponentially for identically independently distributed data. On the other hand we will see in this thesis that this result does not apply to long-range correlated data. The LDP is found to decay slower than exponential for such data. It will be shown that for intermittent series this exponential decay breaks down severely and the LDP is a power law. These findings are outlined in the methodological explanations in chapter 3, after an overview of the theoretical background in chapter 2. In chapter 4, the theoretical and numerical results for the studied models in chapter 3 are compared to two types of empirical data sets which are both known to be long- range correlated in the literature. The earth surface temperature of two stations of two climatic zones are modelled and the error bars for the finite time averages are estimated. Knowing that the data is long-range correlated by estimating the scaling exponent of the so called fluctuation function, the LDP estimation leads to noticeably enlarged error bars of time averages, based on the results in chapter 3. The same analysis is applied on heart inter-beat data in chapter 5. The contra- diction to the classical large deviation principle is even more severe in this case, induced by the long-range correlations and additional inherent non-stationarity. It will be shown that the inter-beat intervals can be well modeled by bounded fractional Brownian motion. The theoretical and numerical LDP, both for the model and the data, surprisingly indicates no clear decay of LDP for the time scales under study.

The post-orogenic history of the Appalachian Mountains, particularly the persistence of rough topography and the degree of river incision throughout the region, has been a longstanding focus of geomorphology studies. Numerous models have been developed to explain the evolution of this landscape, variously invoking episodic or continuous processes of uplift and erosion to drive the generation or reduction of topographic relief. Recently, late Cenozoic uplift has found favor as a mechanism for rejuvenating the topography of the southern and central Appalachians. This hypothesis has drawn on longitudinal river profiles, seismic tomography, and offshore sediment records as evidence of Neogene uplift.

This hydrogeophysical field experiment evaluated the ability of high frequency (450 & 900 MHz) ground penetrating radar (GPR) to characterize the release of gasoline over an annual cycle of in situ conditions. In August 2008, 200 liters of E10 gasoline were released into the unconfined sand aquifer at CFB Borden. The 900 MHz profiling clearly shows the development of shallow (i.e., above 10 ns) high reflectivity in the vicinity of the trench immediately after the release. Additional lateral extension of high reflectivity zone was observed over the following 20 days until the seasonal water table low stand occurred, after which no further lateral movement was observed. Throughout the remainder of the monitoring, the 900 MHz profiling observed a long-term dimming of reflectivity at the periphery of the impacted zone. While direct imaging of the shallow impacted zone by the 450 MHz antennas was significantly obscured by the superposition with the direct air-ground wave arrival; its improved depth of penetration allowed the measurement of a velocity “pull-up” of an underlying stratigraphic interface resulting from the displacement of low velocity water by high velocity gasoline. The maximum pull-up was observed during the water table low stand. The ongoing changes in the pull-up magnitude during the remainder of the observation period suggest the continued redistribution of fluids in the impacted zone. Because of the shallow depth of the gasoline impacted zone, the effects of freezing during the winter period were observed in the GPR imaging. The presence of the gasoline impacted zone appears to have affected the depth of freezing, causing a depression of the frozen soil base. The dimming of the direct air-ground wave complex indicates that the contaminant phase brought to the surface by the water table fluctuations have impacted the nature of the near-surface freezing.

Les infrastructures de transport est essentielle au maintien et à l'expansion des activités sociales et économiques dans les régions circumpolaires. À mesure que le climat se réchauffe, la dégradation du pergélisol sous les remblais a entraîné de graves dommages structuraux à la route, entraînant une augmentation importante des coûts d'entretien et une réduction de la durée de vie des infrastructures. Pendant ce temps, l'advection de chaleur déclenchée par les écoulements d’eau souterrains peut altérer le bilan énergétique du remblai et du pergélisol sous-jacent et modifier le régime thermique des remblais routiers. Cependant, peu de recherches ont été effectuées pour comprendre la synergie entre les processus thermiques de surface et souterrains des remblais routiers des régions froides. L'objectif de cette recherche était de comprendre les interactions thermiques entre l'atmosphère, le remblai routier, les écoulements d’eau et le pergélisol dans le contexte du changement climatique. Cette base, de connaissances est nécessaire pour la conception technique, l'entretien des routes et l'évaluation de la vulnérabilité des infrastructures. Les travaux de recherche ont permis de développer de nouvelles méthodes d'analyse thermique pour caractériser et identifier le rôle de l'advection thermique sur le changement de température d'un remblai routier expérimental au Yukon (Canada) en termes d’intensité, de vitesse et de profondeur de l'impact thermique. Les résultats montrent que l'augmentation de la température due aux flux de chaleur advectifs déclenchés par l’écoulement d'eau peut être jusqu'à deux ordres de grandeur plus rapide qu'en raison du seul réchauffement atmosphérique. La recherche a ensuite présenté un bilan énergétique de surface pour quantifier la quantité d'énergie entrant dans le centre et la pente du remblai avec des épaisseurs et des propriétés de neige variables. Le tout a été appuyé par des observations géothermique de plusieurs années et une grande quantité de données météorologiques. Les résultats illustrent que le bilan énergétique de surface est principalement contrôlé par le rayonnement net et moins par le flux de chaleur sensible. Le flux de chaleur transmis à la pente du remblai diminue de façon exponentielle avec l'augmentation de l'épaisseur de la neige et diminue de façon linéaire avec l’installation du couvert de neige et la longueur de la période d’enneigement. De plus, un modèle de bilan énergétique de surface et un modèle cryohydrologique entièrement couplé ont été développés pour étudier l'impact thermique de l'advection de chaleur associée à l'écoulement de l'eau souterraine sur le dégel du pergélisol et le développement de taliks (c.-à-d. zone perpétuellement non gelée dans les zones de pergélisol). Le modèle couplé a réussi à reproduire la tendance à la hausse du plafond du pergélisol (erreur absolue moyenne <0,2 m) au cours de la période 1997-2018. Les résultats montrent que l'advection de chaleur a fourni une source d'énergie supplémentaire pour accélérer le dégel du pergélisol et a doublé le taux d’augmentation de l’épaisseur de la couche active 0,1 m·a-1 à 0,19 m·a-1, par rapport au scénario où aucun écoulement d'eau ne se produit. Le talik s'est initialement formé et développé en fonction du temps sous l’effet combiné des écoulement d’eau, de l'isolation de la neige, de la construction de la route et du réchauffement climatique. Le débit d'eau souterraine a relié des corps isolés de talik et a amené le remblai de la route dans un état thermique irréversible, en raison de la rétroaction de l'eau liquide (effet de chaleur latente) piégée dans le talik. Ces résultats montrent l'importance de l'advection de chaleur induite par l'écoulement d'eau sur le régime thermique de la sous-couche (c.-à-d. la couche de matériau de remblai) et du sous-sol (c.-à-d. le matériau natif sous un remblai) du remblai lorsque le remblai routier intercepte le drainage local. De plus, les résultats obtenus soulignent la nécessité de coupler les processus thermiques de surface et souterrains dans le but d'évaluer la stabilité thermique des routes subarctiques.
Transportation infrastructure is crucial to maintaining and expanding the social and economic activities in circumpolar regions. As the climate warms, degradation of the permafrost causes severe structural damages to the road embankment, leading to large increases in maintenance costs and reductions in its lifespan. Meanwhile, heat advection triggered by mobile water flow can alter energy balance of the embankment and underlying permafrost and modify the thermal regime of road embankments. However, little research has been done to understand the synergy between surface and subsurface thermal processes of cold region road embankments. The overall goal of this research was to elucidate thermal interactions between the atmosphere, the road embankment, mobile water flow, and permafrost within the context of climate change. This knowledge is needed for engineered design, road maintenance, and infrastructure vulnerability assessment. The research first used new thermal analysis to characterize and identify the role of heat advection on temperature change of an experimental road embankment, Yukon, Canada in terms of magnitude, rate and thermal impact depth. It shows that soil temperature increase due to advective heat fluxes triggered by mobile water flow can be up to two orders of magnitude faster than due to atmospheric warming only. The research then presented a novel surface energy balance to quantify the amount of ground heat flux entering the embankment center and slope with varying snow depth and properties, supported by multi-year thermal and meteorological observations. My results illustrate that the surface energy budget is mainly controlled by net radiation, and less by the sensible heat flux. The ground heat flux released at embankment slope exponentially decreased with the increase of snow depth, and was linearly reduced with earlier snow cover and longer snow-covered period. A fully integrated surface energy balance and cryohydrogeological model was implemented to investigate the thermal impact of heat advection associated with subsurface water flow on permafrost thaw and talik (i.e., perennially unfrozen zone in permafrost areas) development. The integrated model successfully reproduced the observed increasing trend of the active layer depth (mean absolute error < 0.2 m) over the 1997-2018 period. The results show that heat advection provided an additional energy source to expedite permafrost thaw, doubling the increasing rate of permafrost table depth from 0.1 m·a-1 to 0.19 m·a-1, compared with the scenario where no water flow occurs. Talik formation and development occurred over time under the combined effect of subsurface water flow, snow insulation, road construction and climate warming. Subsurface water flow connected isolated talik bodies and triggered an irreversible thermal state for the road embankment, due to a local feedback mechanism (latent heat effect) of trapped, unfrozen water in talik. These findings elucidate the importance of heat advection induced by mobile water flow on the thermal regime of embankment subbase (i.e., a layer of fill material) and subgrade (i.e., the native material under an embankment) when the road embankment intercepts the local drainage. Furthermore, the obtained results emphasize the need to couple surface and subsurface thermal processes to evaluate the thermal stability of sub-Arctic roads.