Landscape Evolution on the Eastern Margin of Tibetan Plateau

 

Megan Dams

 

 

Field mapping, digital topographic analysis, cosmogenic radio nuclide dating, (U-Th)/He thermochronology and numerical modeling, with the goal of quantifying the rates and processes of river incision and transient landscape evolution on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.

 

Funding
National Science Foundation (NSF) Continental Dynamics program (EAR-0003571)

 

UConn Researchers:
Will Ouimet

 

Primary Collaborators:
Kelin Whipple (ASU)
Leigh Royden (MIT)
Eric Kirby (Penn State, now at OSU)

 

Related Publications:

  • Ouimet, W., (2011), The Hills came Tumbling Down, Nature Geoscience, 4, p. 424–425, doi:10.1038/ngeo1199 — News and Views [LINK]
  • Kirby, E. and Ouimet, W., (2011), Tectonic geomorphology along the eastern margin of Tibet: Insights into the pattern and processes of active deformation adjacent to the Sichuan Basin; in: Growth and Collapse of the Tibetan Plateau, edited by R. Gloaguen & L. Ratschbacher, Geological Society, London, Special Publications 2011; v. 353; p. 165-188 doi: 10.1144/SP353.9 [PDF]
  • Ouimet, W., Whipple, K., Royden, L., Reiners, P., Hodges, K., and Pringle, M., (2010), Regional Incision of the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau, Lithosphere, v. 2, no. 1, p. 50-63, doi: 10.1130/L57.1 [PDF]
  • Ouimet, W., (2010), Landslides associated with the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake: Implications for the erosion and tectonic evolution of the Longmen Shan, Tectonophysics, v. 491 (1-4), pg. 244-252, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2009.09.012 [PDF]
  • Ouimet, W., Whipple, K., and Granger, D., (2009). Beyond threshold hillslopes: Channel adjustment to base-level fall in tectonically active mountain ranges: Geology, v. 37, p. 579-582, doi: 10.1130/G30013A.1 [PDF] [Data Repository]
    • 3rd most cited Geology paper for 2009! Reference: ‘Highly cited Geology papers (2000–2010)—What were they and who wrote them?’, Geology, December 2012; v. 40; no. 12; p. 1147–1148, doi:10.1130/focus122012.1 [Geology Research Focus] [PDF]
  • Ouimet, W. , Whipple, K.X., Crosby , B.T., Johnson, J.P., and Schildgen, T.F., (2008), Epigenetic Gorges in Fluvial Landscapes: Earth Surface Processes Landforms, DOI: 10.1002/ESP1650 [PDF]
  • Ouimet, W. , Whipple, K., Royden, L., Sun, Z. and Chen, Z., (2007), The Influence of Large Landslides on River Incision in a Transient Landscape: Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau ( Sichuan , China ), Geological Society of America Bulletin , vol. 119 (11), pp. 1462-1476; DOI: 10.1130/B26136.1 [PDF] [Data Repository] [Nature-Geoscience Research Highlight

Theses:

  • Ouimet, W. , (2007), Dissecting the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau: A Study of Landslides, Erosion and River Incision in a Transient Landscape, Massachusetts Institute of Technology PhD Thesis, 197 pages [LINK]