GM8.1 Hillslope geomorphology, denudational slope processes and slope response to global climate changes and other disturbances (co-organized) |
Convener: Katja Laute | Co-Conveners: Sara Savi , Achim A. Beylich |
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Hillslopes are important elements of the terrestrial Earth surface. The characteristics, development and function of hillslopes as components of the geomorphological process-response system represent a central theme in geomorphology. The rates at which mass-wasting processes act to modify hillslope morphometries are extremely varied and are driven by a number of diverse physical, chemical, and biological processes. These processes span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and are considered to react sensitively to global climate changes (e.g. higher frequencies of intensive rainfall events, increasing permafrost thawing, rapid glacier retreat), anthropogenic impacts and other disturbances (e.g. land use, fires, earthquakes). This session focuses on denudational slope processes and relief development resulting from the numerous processes that govern hillslope evolution both in tectonically-seismically stable and active environments. The session welcomes process-orientated studies on hillslope and relief evolution with focus on a wide range of hillslope processes (e.g. solute, soil and mass-wasting processes). Additionally, we encourage the submission of studies connecting physical erosion, chemical weathering and climatic changes as well as hillslope-channel coupling systems ranging from tropical to cold climate environments. Studies that explore these topics with a diverse set of tools and data analysis, including field measurements and monitoring techniques, remotely sensed / GIS-based analysis, and experimental / numerical modelling, geochemical measurements, geochronological approaches, cosmogenic radionuclide dating, and laboratory experiments are particularly welcome.