@phdthesis{Purinton2020,
  author    = {Purinton, Benjamin},
  title     = {Remote sensing applications to earth surface processes in the Eastern Central Andes},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-44592},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-445926},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xiii, 134},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Geomorphology seeks to characterize the forms, rates, and magnitudes of sediment and water transport that sculpt landscapes. This is generally referred to as earth surface processes, which incorporates the influence of biologic (e.g., vegetation), climatic (e.g., rainfall), and tectonic (e.g., mountain uplift) factors in dictating the transport of water and eroded material. In mountains, high relief and steep slopes combine with strong gradients in rainfall and vegetation to create dynamic expressions of earth surface processes. This same rugged topography presents challenges in data collection and process measurement, where traditional techniques involving detailed observations or physical sampling are difficult to apply at the scale of entire catchments. Herein lies the utility of remote sensing. Remote sensing is defined as any measurement that does not disturb the natural environment, typically via acquisition of images in the visible- to radio-wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Remote sensing is an especially attractive option for measuring earth surface processes, because large areal measurements can be acquired at much lower cost and effort than traditional methods. These measurements cover not only topographic form, but also climatic and environmental metrics, which are all intertwined in the study of earth surface processes. This dissertation uses remote sensing data ranging from handheld camera-based photo surveying to spaceborne satellite observations to measure the expressions, rates, and magnitudes of earth surface processes in high-mountain catchments of the Eastern Central Andes in Northwest Argentina. This work probes the limits and caveats of remote sensing data and techniques applied to geomorphic research questions, and presents important progress at this disciplinary intersection.},
  language  = {en}
}