HR: 08:30h
AN: H41A-03    [PDF]
TI: Climatic Controls on Hillslope Angles and Relief in the Himalayas
AU: * Gabet, E J
EM: manny.gabet@mso.umt.edu
AF: University of Montana, Dept. of Geology, Missoula, MT 59812 United States
AU: Pratt-Sitaula, B
EM: pratt@umail.ucsb.edu
AF: University of California, Dept. of Geology, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AU: Burbank, D
EM: burbank@geol.ucsb.edu
AF: University of California, Dept. of Geology, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 United States
AB: Comparison of rainfall data with mean hillslope angles in the Himalayas show that hillslope angles decrease with an increase in mean annual rainfall where mean annual rainfall is greater than 2150 mm. Higher pore pressures and accelerated rates of chemical weathering in the wetter regions may decrease the threshold angle of hillslopes prone to landsliding. Holding valley spacing constant, the sensitivity of mean hillslope angle to climate implies that relief, in the absence of rock strength limits, is also dependent on climate. These results suggests that wet-to-dry climatic changes increase relief in regions with incising bedrock channels and dry-to-wet climatic changes reduce relief.
DE: 1815 Erosion and sedimentation
DE: 1824 Geomorphology (1625)
DE: 1854 Precipitation (3354)
DE: 1886 Weathering (1625)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting