 OVERVIEW |
Tectonics, Climate, and Landscape Evolution
Taroko National Park, Taiwan
13-17 January 2003
Conveners:
- Sean Willett
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98125, USA, (206) 543-8653, fax 206-543-0489
- Niels Hovius
- Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, England, 44-1223-333453
- Mark Brandon
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA, (203) 432-3135
- Don Fisher
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, (814) 865-3206
Local Organizing Committee:
- Lu Chai-Yu
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Chu Hao-Tsu
- Central Geological Survey, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Yue-Gau Chen
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
The past decade has seen considerable interest in the coupling between tectonics, climate, surface processes, and the evolution of Earth's topography. General acceptance of the principles of the tectonic origin of topography, the increase in erosion rates with relief, and the importance of climate as a modulator between uplift and erosion has evolved into a desire for understanding of the processes, their rates, and the mechanisms of feedback implicit to these principles. This conference will examine progress made through geomorphological, geophysical, geochemical, and atmospheric studies, and will assess the current state of knowledge of the dynamic earth surface system.
Potential topics for presentation and discussion include:
- Surface processes and rates in active tectonic areas. What are the important processes and the rates at which they operate in mountain regions? What are the mechanisms of fluvial incision into bedrock? How important are deep-seated landslides or debris flows? Are chemical processes and regolith formation important processes in tectonically active areas? What is the role of glacial erosion?
- The landscape response to tectonic deformation, uplift, and horizontal motion. What features of the landscape are characteristic of tectonic deformation in its diverse forms? Can we interpret landforms or a landscape in terms of tectonic or climatic forcing?
- The landscape response to climate change. How does the landscape respond to changing climate conditions such as precipitation, temperature, storminess, or base-level change?
- Feedback mechanisms between tectonics, climate, and surface processes. How does the generation of relief enhance rates of erosion? How does an increase in elevation affect climate? Do tectonic processes respond to erosion in measurable ways?
- Coupled models. How well are we able to simulate the coupled tectonic-surface process-climate system? Do we understand how to quantify the relevant processes?
- Response time and steady state in tectonically active landscapes. What is the time-dependent response of a landscape to tectonic or climatic forcing?
Venue
The conference will be held in Taroko National Park, Taiwan. In Taiwan, active tectonism and mountain building is evidenced by 4000 m peaks, precipitation rates of several m/yr, and erosion rates as high as 5-10 mm/yr. The conference venue will be in the Taroko Gorge, a 1000 m deep gorge in the heart of Taroko National Park, providing a dramatic example of the effects of high rates of uplift, precipitation, and erosion. First-rate hotel and conference facilities are available in the national park. Two half-day field trips will be conducted during the conference to showcase the Taroko Gorge environs. Cost of the five-day conference, including room and board, is expected to be less than $850.
Potential participants should send a letter of application to one of the conveners, including a brief statement of interests and relevance of the applicant's work to the conference topic, as well as a short abstract of work to be presented at the meeting, if desired. Attendance is limited to 80 persons, although we hope to attract the participation of a broad range of earth and atmospheric scientists. Graduate students are encouraged to apply, and some funds will be available to help offset costs for students.
Optional Field Trip
A four-day preconference field trip will be offered from January 9-12. This field trip will start in Taipei and finish at the conference site in Taroko Park, thereby crossing the modern orogenic belt from the foreland Coastal Plain to the metamorphic core. This trip will also provide an opportunity to visit surface deformation related to the 1999 magnitude 7 Chi-Chi earthquake. Cost of the field trip is expected to be less than $500.