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I use both analytic and numerical techniques to investigate hillslope geomorphology. My studies focus on how the coupled systems of sediment transport, soil production, and chemical weathering interact to form characteristic spatial distributions of topography, soil depth, and the concentration of specific elements (such as Zr) on hillslopes. I wish to understand:

1. How transient boundary conditions (e.g., time varying river incision) affect hillslope systems.
2. If the spatial variation in topography, soil depth, and chemical composition on hillslopes can be used to evaluate the tectonic or climatic history of landscapes.
3. How chemical weathering varies with position and effects hillslope geomorphology.
4. What the signatures of chemical weathering are.

My collaborators in this area are:
David Furbish (Vanderbilt University)
Kyungsoo Yoo (University of Delaware)
Manny Gabet (University of California, Riverside)

Here is a bonus animation. It shows the trajectories of individual soil particles as they move downslope. The x-axis is the distance from the divide and the z-axis is the height above the soil bedrock boundary. It illustrates how sediment particles accelerate as they move downslope. Also one can see how as soil is produced, the particles that lie above them are displaced upward. The downslope velocity is deterministic and a function of position, whereas the vertical motions contain a stochastic element. Warning! This is an 8mb file. Click on the link to view, or, if that doesn't work, right click on the link and 'save as': .avi 

Along with my collaborators, I model the evolution of both the geomorphology and the plant life of salt marshes. We hope to understand how:

1. Vegetation interacts with flow and sedimentation.
2. Rising sea level affects the health and stability of slat marsh platforms.
3. Channels are formed in salt marshes.

My collaborators in this are:
Sergio Fagherazzi (Florida State University)
Andrea D'Alpaos (University of Padova, Italy) 
James Morris (University of South Carolina)
David Furbish (Vanderbilt University)

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