@article{EmbersonGalyHovius2018, author = {Emberson, Robert and Galy, Albert and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Weathering of Reactive Mineral Phases in Landslides Acts as a Source of Carbon Dioxide in Mountain Belts}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface}, volume = {123}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface}, number = {10}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9003}, doi = {10.1029/2018JF004672}, pages = {2695 -- 2713}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Bedrock landsliding in mountain belts can elevate overall chemical weathering rates through rapid dissolution of exhumed reactive mineral phases in transiently stored deposits. This link between a key process of erosion and the resultant weathering affects the sequestering of carbon dioxide through weathering of silicate minerals and broader links between erosion in active orogens and climate change. Here we address the effect on the carbon cycle of weathering induced by bedrock landsliding in Taiwan and the Western Southern Alps of New Zealand. Using solute chemistry data from samples of seepage from landslide deposits and river discharge from catchments with variable proportions of landsliding, we model the proportion of silicate and carbonate weathering and the balance of sulfuric and carbonic acids that act as weathering agents. We correct for secondary precipitation, geothermal, and cyclic input, to find a closer approximation of the weathering explicitly occurring within landslide deposits. We find highly variable proportions of sulfuric and carbonic acids driving weathering in landslides and stable hillslopes. Despite this variability, the predominance of rapid carbonate weathering within landslides and catchments where mass wasting is prevalent results at best in limited sequestration of carbon dioxide by this process of rapid erosion. In many cases where sulfuric acid is a key weathering agent, a net release of CO2 to the atmosphere occurs. This suggests that a causal link between erosion in mountain belts and climate change through the sequestration of CO2, if it exists, must operate through a process other than chemical weathering driven by landsliding. Plain Language Summary There is a long-standing debate surrounding the link between erosion and climate. It is often suggested that as temperatures increase, rainier and stormier weather could increase erosion of rock; as that rock is exposed, silicate minerals within could break down, which, on long time scales, can remove CO2 from the atmosphere, lowering global temperatures and acting as a negative feedback. Recent studies have shown that landslide deposits are key locations for the link between chemical weathering and physical erosion in some mountain belts. To test how landslides affect the erosion-climate link, we used samples of water seeping through landslides in Taiwan and New Zealand to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide that is either absorbed or released through this chemical reaction. We find that the large amount of freshly exposed rock in Taiwanese landslide deposits contains significant carbonate rock and sulfide minerals; the net result of the weathering of these minerals is a release of carbon dioxide, which inverts the traditional perspective on the role erosion plays in controlling carbon dioxide release. In some mountain belts, it seems that increased erosion and resulting landsliding may act to increase carbon dioxide in the air, opening further questions into the nature of erosional-climatic links.}, language = {en} } @article{CookAndermannGimbertetal.2018, author = {Cook, Kristen L. and Andermann, Christoff and Gimbert, Florent and Adhikari, Basanta Raj and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Glacial lake outburst floods as drivers of fluvial erosion in the Himalaya}, series = {Science}, volume = {362}, journal = {Science}, number = {6410}, publisher = {American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.aat4981}, pages = {53 -- 57}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Himalayan rivers are frequently hit by catastrophic floods that are caused by the failure of glacial lake and landslide dams; however, the dynamics and long-term impacts of such floods remain poorly understood. We present a comprehensive set of observations that capture the July 2016 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in the Bhotekoshi/Sunkoshi River of Nepal. Seismic records of the flood provide new insights into GLOF mechanics and their ability to mobilize large boulders that otherwise prevent channel erosion. Because of this boulder mobilization, GLOF impacts far exceed those of the annual summer monsoon, and GLOFs may dominate fluvial erosion and channel-hillslope coupling many tens of kilometers downstream of glaciated areas. Long-term valley evolution in these regions may therefore be driven by GLOF frequency and magnitude, rather than by precipitation.}, language = {en} } @article{EmbersonGalyHovius2017, author = {Emberson, Robert and Galy, Albert and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Combined effect of carbonate and biotite dissolution in landslides biases silicate weathering proxies}, series = {Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society}, volume = {213}, journal = {Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0016-7037}, doi = {10.1016/j.gca.2017.07.014}, pages = {418 -- 434}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Long-term estimates of the dissolution of silicate rock are generally derived from a range of isotopic proxies, such as the radiogenic strontium isotope ratio (Sr-87/Sr-86), which are preserved in sediment archives. For these systems to fairly represent silicate weathering, the changes in isotopic ratios in terrestrial surface waters should correspond to changes in the overall silicate dissolution. This assumes that the silicate mineral phases that act as sources of a given isotope dissolve at a rate that is proportional to the overall silicate weathering. Bedrock landsliding exhumes large quantities of fresh rock for weathering in transient storage, and rapid weathering in these deposits is controlled primarily by dissolution of the most reactive phases. In this study, we test the hypothesis that preferential weathering of these labile minerals can decouple the dissolution of strontium sources from the actual silicate weathering rates in the rapidly eroding Western Southern Alps (WSA) of New Zealand. We find that rapid dissolution of relatively radiogenic calcite and biotite in landslides leads to high local fluxes in strontium with isotopic ratios that offer no clear discrimination between sources. These higher fluxes of radiogenic strontium are in contrast to silicate weathering rates in landslides that are not systematically elevated. On a mountain belt scale, radiogenic strontium fluxes are not coupled to volumes of recent landslides in large (>100 km(2)) catchments, but silicate weathering fluxes are. Such decoupling is likely due first to the broad variability in the strontium content of carbonate minerals, and second to the combination of radiogenic strontium released from both biotite and carbonate in recent landslides. This study supports previous work suggesting the limited utility of strontium isotopes as a system to study silicate weathering in the WSA. Crucially however, in settings where bedrock landsliding is a dominant erosive process there is potential for both random and systematic bias in isotope proxies if the most reactive phases exposed for dissolution by landslides disproportionately contribute to the proxy of choice. This clearly suggests that the isotopic composition of marine Sr is a proxy for periods of rapid mountain uplift and erosion rather than for the associated enhanced silicate weathering. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{RaultRobertMarcetal.2019, author = {Rault, Claire and Robert, Alexandra and Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels and Meunier, Patrick}, title = {Seismic and geologic controls on spatial clustering of landslides in three large earthquakes}, series = {Earth surface dynamics}, volume = {7}, journal = {Earth surface dynamics}, number = {3}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-7-829-2019}, pages = {829 -- 839}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The large, shallow earthquakes at Northridge, California (1994), Chi-Chi, Taiwan (1999), and Wenchuan, China (2008), each triggered thousands of landslides. We have determined the position of these landslides along hillslopes, normalizing for statistical bias. The landslide patterns have a co-seismic signature, with clustering at ridge crests and slope toes. A cross-check against rainfall-induced landslide inventories seems to confirm that crest clustering is specific to seismic triggering as observed in previous studies. In our three study areas, the seismic ground motion parameters and lithologic and topographic features used do not seem to exert a primary control on the observed patterns of landslide clustering. However, we show that at the scale of the epicentral area, crest and toe clustering occur in areas with specific geological features. Toe clustering of seismically induced landslides tends to occur along regional major faults. Crest clustering is concentrated at sites where the lithology along hillslopes is approximately uniform, or made of alternating soft and hard strata, and without strong overprint of geological structures. Although earthquake-induced landslides locate higher on hillslopes in a statistically significant way, geological features strongly modulate the landslide position along the hillslopes. As a result the observation of landslide clustering on topographic ridges cannot be used as a definite indicator of the topographic amplification of ground shaking.}, language = {en} } @article{HemingwayHiltonHoviusetal.2018, author = {Hemingway, Jordon Dennis and Hilton, Robert G. and Hovius, Niels and Eglinton, Timothy I. and Haghipour, Negar and Wacker, Lukas and Chen, Meng-Chiang and Galy, Valier V.}, title = {Microbial oxidation of lithospheric organic carbon in rapidly eroding tropical mountain soils}, series = {Science}, volume = {360}, journal = {Science}, number = {6385}, publisher = {American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.aao6463}, pages = {209 -- +}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Lithospheric organic carbon ("petrogenic"; OCpetro) is oxidized during exhumation and subsequent erosion of mountain ranges. This process is a considerable source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere over geologic time scales, but the mechanisms that govern oxidation rates in mountain landscapes are poorly constrained. We demonstrate that, on average, 67 +/- 11\% of the OCpetro initially present in bedrock exhumed from the tropical, rapidly eroding Central Range of Taiwan is oxidized in soils, leading to CO2 emissions of 6.1 to 18.6 metric tons of carbon per square kilometer per year. The molecular and isotopic evolution of bulk OC and lipid biomarkers during soil formation reveals that OCpetro remineralization is microbially mediated. Rapid oxidation in mountain soils drives CO2 emission fluxes that increase with erosion rate, thereby counteracting CO2 drawdown by silicate weathering and biospheric OC burial.}, language = {en} } @article{MengesHoviusAndermannetal.2019, author = {Menges, Johanna and Hovius, Niels and Andermann, Christoff and Dietze, Michael and Swoboda, Charlie and Cook, Kristen L. and Adhikari, Basanta R. and Vieth-Hillebrand, Andrea and Bonnet, Stephane and Reimann, Tony and Koutsodendris, Andreas and Sachse, Dirk}, title = {Late holocene landscape collapse of a trans-himalayan dryland}, series = {Geophysical research letters}, volume = {46}, journal = {Geophysical research letters}, number = {23}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0094-8276}, doi = {10.1029/2019GL084192}, pages = {13814 -- 13824}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Soil degradation is a severe and growing threat to ecosystem services globally. Soil loss is often nonlinear, involving a rapid deterioration from a stable eco-geomorphic state once a tipping point is reached. Soil loss thresholds have been studied at plot scale, but for landscapes, quantitative constraints on the necessary and sufficient conditions for tipping points are rare. Here, we document a landscape-wide eco-geomorphic tipping point at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and quantify its drivers and erosional consequences. We show that in the upper Kali Gandaki valley, Nepal, soil formation prevailed under wetter conditions during much of the Holocene. Our data suggest that after a period of human pressure and declining vegetation cover, a 20\% reduction of relative humidity and precipitation below 200 mm/year halted soil formation after 1.6 ka and promoted widespread gullying and rapid soil loss, with irreversible consequences for ecosystem services.}, language = {en} } @article{BrunelloAndermannMarcetal.2020, author = {Brunello, Camilla Francesca and Andermann, Christoff and Marc, Odin and Schneider, Katharina A. and Comiti, Francesco and Achleitner, Stefan and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Annually resolved monsoon onset and withdrawal dates across the Himalayas derived from local precipitation statistics}, series = {Geophysical research letters}, volume = {47}, journal = {Geophysical research letters}, number = {23}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0094-8276}, doi = {10.1029/2020GL088420}, pages = {12}, year = {2020}, abstract = {A local and flexible definition of the monsoon season based on hydrological evidence is important for the understanding and management of Himalayan water resources. Here, we present an objective statistical method to retrieve seasonal hydrometeorological transitions. Applied to daily rainfall data (1951-2015), this method shows an average longitudinal delay of similar to 15 days, with later monsoon onset and earlier withdrawal in the western Himalaya, consistent with the continental progression of wet air masses. This delay leads to seasons of different length along the Himalaya and biased precipitation amounts when using uniform calendric monsoon boundaries. In the Central Himalaya annual precipitation has increased, due primarily to an increase of premonsoon precipitation. These findings highlight issues associated with a static definition of monsoon boundaries and call for a deeper understanding of nonmonsoonal precipitation over the Himalayan water tower.
Plain Language Summary Precipitation in the Himalayas determines water availability for the Indian foreland with large socioeconomic implications. Despite its importance, spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation are poorly understood. Here, we estimate the long-term average and trends of seasonal precipitation at the scale of individual catchments draining the Himalayas. We apply a statistical method to detect the timing of hydrometeorological seasons from local precipitation measurements, focusing on monsoon onset and withdrawal. We identify longitudinal and latitudinal delays, resulting in seasons of different length along and across the Himalayas. These spatial patterns and the annual variability of the monsoon boundaries mean that oft-used, fixed calendric dates, for example, 1 June to 30 September, may be inadequate for retrieving monsoon rainfall totals. Moreover, we find that, despite its prominent contribution to annual rainfall totals, the Indian summer monsoon cannot explain the increase of the annual precipitation over the Central Himalayas. Instead, this appears to be mostly driven by changes in premonsoon and winter rainfall. So far, little attention has been paid to premonsoon precipitation, but governed by evaporative processes and surface water availability, it may be enhanced by irrigation and changed land use in the Gangetic foreland.}, language = {en} } @article{SchoepaChaoLipovskyetal.2018, author = {Sch{\"o}pa, Anne and Chao, Wei-An and Lipovsky, Bradley P. and Hovius, Niels and White, Robert S. and Green, Robert G. and Turowski, Jens M.}, title = {Dynamics of the Askja caldera July 2014 landslide, Iceland, from seismic signal analysis}, series = {Earth surface dynamics}, volume = {6}, journal = {Earth surface dynamics}, number = {2}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-6-467-2018}, pages = {467 -- 485}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Landslide hazard motivates the need for a deeper understanding of the events that occur before, during, and after catastrophic slope failures. Due to the destructive nature of such events, in situ observation is often difficult or impossible. Here, we use data from a network of 58 seismic stations to characterise a large landslide at the Askja caldera, Iceland, on 21 July 2014. High data quality and extensive network coverage allow us to analyse both long- and short-period signals associated with the landslide, and thereby obtain information about its triggering, initiation, timing, and propagation. At long periods, a landslide force history inversion shows that the Askja landslide was a single, large event starting at the SE corner of the caldera lake at 23:24:05 UTC and propagating to the NW in the following 2 min The bulk sliding mass was 7-16 x 10(10) kg, equivalent to a collapsed volume of 35-80 x 10(6) m(3). The sliding mass was displaced downslope by 1260 +/- 250 m. At short periods, a seismic tremor was observed for 30 min before the landslide. The tremor is approximately harmonic with a fundamental frequency of 2.3 Hz and shows time-dependent changes of its frequency content. We attribute the seismic tremor to stick-slip motion along the landslide failure plane. Accelerating motion leading up to the catastrophic slope failure culminated in an aseismic quiescent period for 2 min before the landslide. We propose that precursory seismic signals may be useful in landslide early-warning systems. The 8 h after the main landslide failure are characterised by smaller slope failures originating from the destabilised caldera wall decaying in frequency and magnitude. We introduce the term "afterslides" for this subsequent, declining slope activity after a large landslide.}, language = {en} } @article{ScheingrossHoviusDellingeretal.2019, author = {Scheingross, Joel S. and Hovius, Niels and Dellinger, M. and Hilton, R. G. and Repasch, M. and Sachse, Dirk and Grocke, D. R. and Vieth-Hillebrand, Andrea and Turowski, Jens M.}, title = {Preservation of organic carbon during active fluvial transport and particle abrasion}, series = {Geology}, volume = {47}, journal = {Geology}, number = {10}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G46442.1}, pages = {958 -- 962}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Oxidation of particulate organic carbon (POC) during fluvial transit releases CO2 to the atmosphere and can influence global climate. Field data show large POC oxidation fluxes in lowland rivers; however, it is unclear if POC losses occur predominantly during in-river transport, where POC is in continual motion within an aerated environment, or during transient storage in floodplains, which may be anoxic. Determination of the locus of POC oxidation in lowland rivers is needed to develop process-based models to predict POC losses, constrain carbon budgets, and unravel links between climate and erosion. However, sediment exchange between rivers and floodplains makes differentiating POC oxidation during in-river transport from oxidation during floodplain storage difficult. Here, we isolated inriver POC oxidation using flume experiments transporting petrogenic and biospheric POC without floodplain storage. Our experiments showed solid phase POC losses of 0\%-10\% over similar to 10(3) km of fluvial transport, compared to similar to 7\% to >50\% losses observed in rivers over similar distances. The production of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved rhenium (a proxy for petrogenic POC oxidation) was consistent with small POC lasses, and replicate experiments in static water tanks gave similar results. Our results show that fluvial sediment transport, particle abrasion, and turbulent mixing have a minimal role on POC oxidation, and they suggest that POC losses may accrue primarily in floodplain storage.}, language = {en} } @article{CookHoviusWittmannOelzeetal.2017, author = {Cook, Kristen L. and Hovius, Niels and Wittmann-Oelze, Hella and Heimsath, Arjun M. and Lee, Yuan-Hsi}, title = {Causes of rapid uplift and exceptional topography of Gongga Shan on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau}, series = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, volume = {481}, journal = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0012-821X}, doi = {10.1016/j.epsl.2017.10.043}, pages = {328 -- 337}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Erosion and tectonic uplift are widely thought to be coupled through feedbacks involving orographic precipitation, relief development, and crustal weakening. In many orogenic systems, it can be difficult to distinguish whether true feedbacks exist, or whether observed features are a consequence of tectonic forcing. To help elucidate these interactions, we examine Gongga Shan, a 7556 m peak on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau where cosmogenic Be-10 basin-wide erosion rates reach >5 mm/yr, defining a region of localized rapid erosion associated with a restraining bend in the left-lateral Xianshuihe Fault. Erosion rates are consistent with topography, thermochronometry, and geodetic data, suggesting a stable pattern of uplift and exhumation over at least the past 2-3 My. Transpression along the Xianshuihe Fault, orographically enhanced precipitation, thermally weakened crust, and substantial local relief all developed independently in the Gongga region and existed there prior to the uplift of Gongga Shan. However, only where all of these conditions are present do the observed topographic and erosional extremes exist, and their relative timing indicates that these conditions are not a consequence of rapid uplift. We conclude that their collocation at 3-4 Ma set into motion a series of feedbacks between erosion and uplift that has resulted in the exceptionally high topography and rapid erosion rates observed today.}, language = {en} } @article{GollyTurowskiBadouxetal.2017, author = {Golly, Antonius and Turowski, Jens M. and Badoux, Alexandre and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Controls and feedbacks in the coupling of mountain channels and hillslopes}, series = {Geology}, volume = {45}, journal = {Geology}, publisher = {Geological Society of America}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G38831.1}, pages = {307 -- 310}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Mountain channels can be strongly coupled with adjacent hillslopes, exchanging both mass and energy. However, hypotheses of the underlying cause and effect relations are based on indirect observations that do not resolve the mechanics of channel-hillslope coupling at the process scale. Here we present direct observational data of a coupled channel-hillslope system in the catchment area of the Erlenbach, a mountain stream in Switzerland. A slow-moving landslide flanking this alpine stream failed after a flood had eroded an alluvial step in the channel at its base, representing evidence for an upsystem link in channel-hillslope coupling. Progressive accumulation of landslide debris in the channel resulted in a renewed step, stabilizing the hillslope and restoring the channel step in a downsystem link. Thus, upsystem and downsystem coupling mechanisms are joined in a negative feedback cycle. In this cycle, debuttressing and rebuttressing due to channel bed erosion and alluviation are the dominant controls on hillslope stability. Based on an order of magnitude estimate it is plausible that the observed feedback mechanism is a relevant process in the production of coarse (>2 mm) sediment in the Erlenbach.}, language = {en} } @article{RepaschWittmannScheingrossetal.2020, author = {Repasch, Marisa and Wittmann, Hella and Scheingross, Joel S. and Sachse, Dirk and Szupiany, Ricardo and Orfeo, Oscar and Fuchs, Margret and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Sediment Transit Time and Floodplain Storage Dynamics in Alluvial Rivers Revealed by Meteoric 10Be}, series = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface}, volume = {125}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken, NJ}, issn = {2169-9011}, doi = {10.1029/2019JF005419}, pages = {19}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Quantifying the time scales of sediment transport and storage through river systems is fundamental for understanding weathering processes, biogeochemical cycling, and improving watershed management, but measuring sediment transit time is challenging. Here we provide the first systematic test of measuring cosmogenic meteoric Beryllium-10 (10Bem) in the sediment load of a large alluvial river to quantify sediment transit times. We take advantage of a natural experiment in the Rio Bermejo, a lowland alluvial river traversing the east Andean foreland basin in northern Argentina. This river has no tributaries along its trunk channel for nearly 1,300 km downstream from the mountain front. We sampled suspended sediment depth profiles along the channel and measured the concentrations of 10Bem in the chemically extracted grain coatings. We calculated depth-integrated 10Bem concentrations using sediment flux data and found that 10Bem concentrations increase 230\% from upstream to downstream, indicating a mean total sediment transit time of 8.4 ± 2.2 kyr. Bulk sediment budget-based estimates of channel belt and fan storage times suggest that the 10Bem tracer records mixing of old and young sediment reservoirs. On a reach scale, 10Bem transit times are shorter where the channel is braided and superelevated above the floodplain, and longer where the channel is incised and meandering, suggesting that transit time is controlled by channel morphodynamics. This is the first systematic application of 10Bem as a sediment transit time tracer and highlights the method's potential for inferring sediment routing and storage dynamics in large river systems.}, language = {en} } @article{MarcHoviusMeunieretal.2015, author = {Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels and Meunier, Patrick and Uchida, Taro and Hayashi, Shin-Ichiro}, title = {Transient changes of landslide rates after earthquakes}, series = {Geology}, volume = {43}, journal = {Geology}, number = {10}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G36961.1}, pages = {883 -- 886}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Earthquakes impart an impressive force on epicentral landscapes, with immediate catastrophic hillslope response. However, their legacy on geomorphic process rates remains poorly constrained. We have determined the evolution of landslide rates in the epicentral areas of four intermediate to large earthquakes (M-w, 6.6-7.6). In each area, landsliding correlates with the cumulative precipitation during a given interval. Normalizing for this meteorological forcing, landslide rates have been found to peak after an earthquake and decay to background values in 1-4 yr, with the decay time scale probably proportional to the earthquake magnitude. The transient pulse of landsliding is not related to external forcing such as rainfall or aftershocks, and we tentatively attribute it to the reduction and subsequent recovery of ground strength. Observed geomorphic trends are not linked with groundwater level changes or root system damage, both of which could affect substrate strength. We propose that they are caused by reversible damage of rock mass and/or loosening of regolith. Qualitative accounts of ground cracking due to strong ground motion abound, and our observations are circumstantial evidence of its potential importance in setting landscape sensitivity to meteorological forcing after large earthquakes.}, language = {en} } @misc{EmbersonHoviusGalyetal.2016, author = {Emberson, Robert and Hovius, Niels and Galy, Albert and Marc, Odin}, title = {Oxidation of sulfides and rapid weathering in recent landslides}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {553}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-41232}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-412326}, pages = {16}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Linking together the processes of rapid physical erosion and the resultant chemical dissolution of rock is a crucial step in building an overall deterministic understanding of weathering in mountain belts. Landslides, which are the most volumetrically important geomorphic process at these high rates of erosion, can generate extremely high rates of very localised weathering. To elucidate how this process works we have taken advantage of uniquely intense landsliding, resulting from Typhoon Morakot, in the T'aimali River and surrounds in southern Taiwan. Combining detailed analysis of landslide seepage chemistry with estimates of catchment-by-catchment landslide volumes, we demonstrate that in this setting the primary role of landslides is to introduce fresh, highly labile mineral phases into the surface weathering environment. There, rapid weathering is driven by the oxidation of pyrite and the resultant sulfuric-acid-driven dissolution of primarily carbonate rock. The total dissolved load correlates well with dissolved sulfate - the chief product of this style of weathering - in both landslides and streams draining the area (R-2 = 0.841 and 0.929 respectively; p < 0.001 in both cases), with solute chemistry in seepage from landslides and catchments affected by significant landsliding governed by the same weathering reactions. The predominance of coupled carbonate-sulfuric-acid-driven weathering is the key difference between these sites and previously studied landslides in New Zealand (Emberson et al., 2016), but in both settings increasing volumes of landslides drive greater overall solute concentrations in streams. Bedrock landslides, by excavating deep below saprolite-rock interfaces, create conditions for weathering in which all mineral phases in a lithology are initially unweathered within landslide deposits. As a result, the most labile phases dominate the weathering immediately after mobilisation and during a transient period of depletion. This mode of dissolution can strongly alter the overall output of solutes from catchments and their contribution to global chemical cycles if landslide-derived material is retained in catchments for extended periods after mass wasting.}, language = {en} } @misc{MarcHovius2015, author = {Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Amalgamation in landslide maps}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {485}, issn = {1866-8372}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-408075}, pages = {11}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Inventories of individually delineated landslides are a key to understanding landslide physics and mitigating their impact. They permit assessment of area-frequency distributions and landslide volumes, and testing of statistical correlations between landslides and physical parameters such as topographic gradient or seismic strong motion. Amalgamation, i.e. the mapping of several adjacent landslides as a single polygon, can lead to potentially severe distortion of the statistics of these inventories. This problem can be especially severe in data sets produced by automated mapping. We present five inventories of earthquake-induced landslides mapped with different materials and techniques and affected by varying degrees of amalgamation. Errors on the total landslide volume and power-law exponent of the area-frequency distribution, resulting from amalgamation, may be up to 200 and 50\%, respectively. We present an algorithm based on image and digital elevation model (DEM) analysis, for automatic identification of amalgamated polygons. On a set of about 2000 polygons larger than 1000 m2, tracing landslides triggered by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the algorithm performs well, with only 2.7-3.6\% incorrectly amalgamated landslides missed and 3.9-4.8\% correct polygons incorrectly identified as amalgams. This algorithm can be used broadly to check landslide inventories and allow faster correction by automating the identification of amalgamation.}, language = {en} } @article{MarcHoviusMeunier2016, author = {Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels and Meunier, P.}, title = {The mass balance of earthquakes and earthquake sequences}, series = {Geophysical research letters}, volume = {43}, journal = {Geophysical research letters}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0094-8276}, doi = {10.1002/2016GL068333}, pages = {3708 -- 3716}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Large, compressional earthquakes cause surface uplift aswell as widespread mass wasting. Knowledge of their trade-off is fragmentary. Combining a seismologically consistent model of earthquake-triggered landsliding and an analytical solution of coseismic surface displacement, we assess how the mass balance of single earthquakes and earthquake sequences depends on fault size and other geophysical parameters. We find that intermediate size earthquakes (M-w 6-7.3) may cause more erosion than uplift, controlled primarily by seismic source depth and landscape steepness, and less so by fault dip and rake. Such earthquakes can limit topographic growth, but our model indicates that both smaller and larger earthquakes (M-w < 6, M-w > 7.3) systematically cause mountain building. Earthquake sequences with a Gutenberg-Richter distribution have a greater tendency to lead to predominant erosion, than repeating earthquakes of the same magnitude, unless a fault can produce earthquakes with M-w > 8 or more.}, language = {en} } @article{EmbersonHoviusGalyetal.2016, author = {Emberson, Robert and Hovius, Niels and Galy, Albert and Marc, Odin}, title = {Oxidation of sulfides and rapid weathering in recent landslides}, series = {Earth surface dynamics}, volume = {4}, journal = {Earth surface dynamics}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-4-727-2016}, pages = {727 -- 742}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Bedrock landslides, by excavating deep below saprolite-rock interfaces, create conditions for weathering in which all mineral phases in a lithology are initially unweathered within landslide deposits. As a result, the most labile phases dominate the weathering immediately after mobilisation and during a transient period of depletion. This mode of dissolution can strongly alter the overall output of solutes from catchments and their contribution to global chemical cycles if landslide-derived material is retained in catchments for extended periods after mass wasting.}, language = {en} } @article{MarcHoviusMeunieretal.2016, author = {Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels and Meunier, Patrick and Gorum, Tolga and Uchida, Taro}, title = {A seismologically consistent expression for the total area and volume of earthquake-triggered landsliding}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface}, volume = {121}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9003}, doi = {10.1002/2015JF003732}, pages = {640 -- 663}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We present a new, seismologically consistent expression for the total area and volume of populations of earthquake-triggered landslides. This model builds on a set of scaling relationships between key parameters, such as landslide spatial density, seismic ground acceleration, fault length, earthquake source depth, and seismic moment. To assess the model we have assembled and normalized a catalog of landslide inventories for 40 shallow, continental earthquakes. Low landscape steepness causes systematic overprediction of the total area and volume of landslides. When this effect is accounted for, the model predicts the total landslide volume of 63\% of 40 cases to within a factor 2 of the volume estimated from observations (R-2 = 0.76). The prediction of total landslide area is also sensitive to the landscape steepness, but less so than the total volume, and it appears to be sensitive to controls on the landslide size-frequency distribution, and possibly the shaking duration. Some outliers are likely associated with exceptionally strong rock mass in the epicentral area, while others may be related to seismic source complexities ignored by the model. However, the close match between prediction and estimate for about two thirds of cases in our database suggests that rock mass strength is similar in many cases and that our simple seismic model is often adequate, despite the variety of lithologies and tectonic settings covered. This makes our expression suitable for integration into landscape evolution models and application to the anticipation or rapid assessment of secondary hazards associated with earthquakes.}, language = {en} } @article{EmbersonHoviusGalyetal.2016, author = {Emberson, Robert and Hovius, Niels and Galy, Albert and Marc, Odin}, title = {Chemical weathering in active mountain belts controlled by stochastic bedrock landsliding}, series = {Nature geoscience}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature geoscience}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {New York}, issn = {1752-0894}, doi = {10.1038/NGEO2600}, pages = {42 -- +}, year = {2016}, abstract = {A link between chemical weathering and physical erosion exists at the catchment scale over a wide range of erosion rates(1,2). However, in mountain environments, where erosion rates are highest, weathering may be kinetically limited(3-5) and therefore decoupled from erosion. In active mountain belts, erosion is driven by bedrock landsliding(6) at rates that depend strongly on the occurrence of extreme rainfall or seismicity(7). Although landslides affect only a small proportion of the landscape, bedrock landsliding can promote the collection and slow percolation of surface runoff in highly fragmented rock debris and create favourable conditions for weathering. Here we show from analysis of surface water chemistry in the Southern Alps of New Zealand that weathering in bedrock landslides controls the variability in solute load of these mountain rivers. We find that systematic patterns in surface water chemistry are strongly associated with landslide occurrence at scales from a single hillslope to an entire mountain belt, and that landslides boost weathering rates and river solute loads over decades. We conclude that landslides couple erosion and weathering in fast-eroding uplands and, thus, mountain weathering is a stochastic process that is sensitive to climatic and tectonic controls on mass wasting processes.}, language = {en} } @article{MarcHovius2015, author = {Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Amalgamation in landslide maps}, series = {Natural hazards and earth system sciences}, volume = {15}, journal = {Natural hazards and earth system sciences}, number = {4}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {1561-8633}, doi = {10.5194/nhess-15-723-2015}, pages = {723 -- 733}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Inventories of individually delineated landslides are a key to understanding landslide physics and mitigating their impact. They permit assessment of area-frequency distributions and landslide volumes, and testing of statistical correlations between landslides and physical parameters such as topographic gradient or seismic strong motion. Amalgamation, i.e. the mapping of several adjacent landslides as a single polygon, can lead to potentially severe distortion of the statistics of these inventories. This problem can be especially severe in data sets produced by automated mapping. We present five inventories of earthquake-induced landslides mapped with different materials and techniques and affected by varying degrees of amalgamation. Errors on the total landslide volume and power-law exponent of the area-frequency distribution, resulting from amalgamation, may be up to 200 and 50 \%, respectively. We present an algorithm based on image and digital elevation model (DEM) analysis, for automatic identification of amalgamated polygons. On a set of about 2000 polygons larger than 1000 m(2), tracing landslides triggered by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the algorithm performs well, with only 2.7-3.6\% incorrectly amalgamated landslides missed and 3.9-4.8\% correct polygons incorrectly identified as amalgams. This algorithm can be used broadly to check landslide inventories and allow faster correction by automating the identification of amalgamation.}, language = {en} } @misc{MarcMeunierHovius2017, author = {Marc, Odin and Meunier, Patrick and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Prediction of the area affected by earthquake-induced landsliding based on seismological parameters}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {557}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-41828}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-418285}, pages = {17}, year = {2017}, abstract = {We present an analytical, seismologically consistent expression for the surface area of the region within which most landslides triggered by an earthquake are located (landslide distribution area). This expression is based on scaling laws relating seismic moment, source depth, and focal mechanism with ground shaking and fault rupture length and assumes a globally constant threshold of acceleration for onset of systematic mass wasting. The seismological assumptions are identical to those recently used to propose a seismologically consistent expression for the total volume and area of landslides triggered by an earthquake. To test the accuracy of the model we gathered geophysical information and estimates of the landslide distribution area for 83 earthquakes. To reduce uncertainties and inconsistencies in the estimation of the landslide distribution area, we propose an objective definition based on the shortest distance from the seismic wave emission line containing 95\% of the total landslide area. Without any empirical calibration the model explains 56\% of the variance in our dataset, and predicts 35 to 49 out of 83 cases within a factor of 2, depending on how we account for uncertainties on the seismic source depth. For most cases with comprehensive landslide inventories we show that our prediction compares well with the smallest region around the fault containing 95\% of the total landslide area. Aspects ignored by the model that could explain the residuals include local variations of the threshold of acceleration and processes modulating the surface ground shaking, such as the distribution of seismic energy release on the fault plane, the dynamic stress drop, and rupture directivity. Nevertheless, its simplicity and first-order accuracy suggest that the model can yield plausible and useful estimates of the landslide distribution area in near-real time, with earthquake parameters issued by standard detection routines.}, language = {en} } @article{TanyasvanWestenAllstadtetal.2017, author = {Tanyas, Hakan and van Westen, Cees J. and Allstadt, Kate E. and Jessee, M. Anna Nowicki and Gorum, Tolga and Jibson, Randall W. and Godt, Jonathan W. and Sato, Hiroshi P. and Schmitt, Robert G. and Marc, Odin and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Presentation and Analysis of a Worldwide Database of Earthquake-Induced Landslide Inventories}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface}, volume = {122}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9003}, doi = {10.1002/2017JF004236}, pages = {1991 -- 2015}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Earthquake-induced landslide (EQIL) inventories are essential tools to extend our knowledge of the relationship between earthquakes and the landslides they can trigger. Regrettably, such inventories are difficult to generate and therefore scarce, and the available ones differ in terms of their quality and level of completeness. Moreover, access to existing EQIL inventories is currently difficult because there is no centralized database. To address these issues, we compiled EQIL inventories from around the globe based on an extensive literature study. The database contains information on 363 landslide-triggering earthquakes and includes 66 digital landslide inventories. To make these data openly available, we created a repository to host the digital inventories that we have permission to redistribute through the U.S. Geological Survey ScienceBase platform. It can grow over time as more authors contribute their inventories. We analyze the distribution of EQIL events by time period and location, more specifically breaking down the distribution by continent, country, and mountain region. Additionally, we analyze frequency distributions of EQIL characteristics, such as the approximate area affected by landslides, total number of landslides, maximum distance from fault rupture zone, and distance from epicenter when the fault plane location is unknown. For the available digital EQIL inventories, we examine the underlying characteristics of landslide size, topographic slope, roughness, local relief, distance to streams, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and Modified Mercalli Intensity. Also, we present an evaluation system to help users assess the suitability of the available inventories for different types of EQIL studies and model development.}, language = {en} } @article{MarcMeunierHovius2017, author = {Marc, Odin and Meunier, Patrick and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Prediction of the area affected by earthquake-induced landsliding based on seismological parameters}, series = {Natural hazards and earth system sciences}, volume = {17}, journal = {Natural hazards and earth system sciences}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {1561-8633}, doi = {10.5194/nhess-17-1159-2017}, pages = {1159 -- 1175}, year = {2017}, abstract = {We present an analytical, seismologically consistent expression for the surface area of the region within which most landslides triggered by an earthquake are located (landslide distribution area). This expression is based on scaling laws relating seismic moment, source depth, and focal mechanism with ground shaking and fault rupture length and assumes a globally constant threshold of acceleration for onset of systematic mass wasting. The seismological assumptions are identical to those recently used to propose a seismologically consistent expression for the total volume and area of landslides triggered by an earthquake. To test the accuracy of the model we gathered geophysical information and estimates of the landslide distribution area for 83 earthquakes. To reduce uncertainties and inconsistencies in the estimation of the landslide distribution area, we propose an objective definition based on the shortest distance from the seismic wave emission line containing 95\% of the total landslide area. Without any empirical calibration the model explains 56\% of the variance in our dataset, and predicts 35 to 49 out of 83 cases within a factor of 2, depending on how we account for uncertainties on the seismic source depth. For most cases with comprehensive landslide inventories we show that our prediction compares well with the smallest region around the fault containing 95\% of the total landslide area. Aspects ignored by the model that could explain the residuals include local variations of the threshold of acceleration and processes modulating the surface ground shaking, such as the distribution of seismic energy release on the fault plane, the dynamic stress drop, and rupture directivity. Nevertheless, its simplicity and first-order accuracy suggest that the model can yield plausible and useful estimates of the landslide distribution area in near-real time, with earthquake parameters issued by standard detection routines.}, language = {en} } @misc{RepaschWittmannScheingrossetal.2020, author = {Repasch, Marisa and Wittmann, Hella and Scheingross, Joel S. and Sachse, Dirk and Szupiany, Ricardo and Orfeo, Oscar and Fuchs, Margret and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Sediment Transit Time and Floodplain Storage Dynamics in Alluvial Rivers Revealed by Meteoric 10Be}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1119}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-49432}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-494324}, pages = {21}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Quantifying the time scales of sediment transport and storage through river systems is fundamental for understanding weathering processes, biogeochemical cycling, and improving watershed management, but measuring sediment transit time is challenging. Here we provide the first systematic test of measuring cosmogenic meteoric Beryllium-10 (10Bem) in the sediment load of a large alluvial river to quantify sediment transit times. We take advantage of a natural experiment in the Rio Bermejo, a lowland alluvial river traversing the east Andean foreland basin in northern Argentina. This river has no tributaries along its trunk channel for nearly 1,300 km downstream from the mountain front. We sampled suspended sediment depth profiles along the channel and measured the concentrations of 10Bem in the chemically extracted grain coatings. We calculated depth-integrated 10Bem concentrations using sediment flux data and found that 10Bem concentrations increase 230\% from upstream to downstream, indicating a mean total sediment transit time of 8.4 ± 2.2 kyr. Bulk sediment budget-based estimates of channel belt and fan storage times suggest that the 10Bem tracer records mixing of old and young sediment reservoirs. On a reach scale, 10Bem transit times are shorter where the channel is braided and superelevated above the floodplain, and longer where the channel is incised and meandering, suggesting that transit time is controlled by channel morphodynamics. This is the first systematic application of 10Bem as a sediment transit time tracer and highlights the method's potential for inferring sediment routing and storage dynamics in large river systems.}, language = {en} } @article{CookTurowskiHovius2020, author = {Cook, Kristen L. and Turowski, Jens M. and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Width control on event-scale deposition and evacuation of sediment in bedrock-confined channels}, series = {Earth surface processes and landforms : the journal of the British Geomorphological Research Group}, volume = {45}, journal = {Earth surface processes and landforms : the journal of the British Geomorphological Research Group}, number = {14}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0197-9337}, doi = {10.1002/esp.4993}, pages = {3702 -- 3713}, year = {2020}, abstract = {In mixed bedrock-alluvial rivers, the response of the system to a flood event can be affected by a number of factors, including coarse sediment availability in the channel, sediment supply from the hillslopes and upstream, flood sequencing and coarse sediment grain size distribution. However, the impact of along-stream changes in channel width on bedload transport dynamics remains largely unexplored. We combine field data, theory and numerical modelling to address this gap. First, we present observations from the Daan River gorge in western Taiwan, where the river flows through a 1 km long 20-50 m wide bedrock gorge bounded upstream and downstream by wide braidplains. We documented two flood events during which coarse sediment evacuation and redeposition appear to cause changes of up to several metres in channel bed elevation. Motivated by this case study, we examined the relationships between discharge, channel width and bedload transport capacity, and show that for a given slope narrow channels transport bedload more efficiently than wide ones at low discharges, whereas wider channels are more efficient at high discharges. We used the model sedFlow to explore this effect, running a random sequence of floods through a channel with a narrow gorge section bounded upstream and downstream by wider reaches. Channel response to imposed floods is complex, as high and low discharges drive different spatial patterns of erosion and deposition, and the channel may experience both of these regimes during the peak and recession periods of each flood. Our modelling suggests that width differences alone can drive substantial variations in sediment flux and bed response, without the need for variations in sediment supply or mobility. The fluctuations in sediment transport rates that result from width variations can lead to intermittent bed exposure, driving incision in different segments of the channel during different portions of the hydrograph.}, language = {en} } @article{BrunelloAndermannHelleetal.2019, author = {Brunello, Camilla Francesca and Andermann, Christoff and Helle, Gerhard and Comiti, Francesco and Tonon, Giustino and Tiwari, Achyut and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Hydroclimatic seasonality recorded by tree ring delta O-18 signature across a Himalayan altitudinal transect}, series = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, volume = {518}, journal = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, editor = {Vance, D.}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0012-821X}, doi = {10.1016/j.epsl.2019.04.030}, pages = {148 -- 159}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Water stable isotope ratios of tropical precipitation predominantly reflect moisture source and precipitation intensity. Trees can incorporate the isotopic signals into annual tree-ring cellulose records, permitting reconstruction of the temporal changes of hydroclimate over decades to millennia. This is especially valuable in the Himalayas where the understanding of monsoon dynamics is limited by the lack of a dense and representative observational network. We have analyzed tree ring delta O-18 records from two distinct physiographic sites along the upper Kali Gandaki valley in the central Nepal Himalayas, representing the wet High-Himalayas and the Trans-Himalayan dryland to the north. Empirical correlations and regression analyses were compared to an in-situ calibrated oxygen isotope fractionation model, exploring the relationships between tree ring delta O-18 and seasonal-mean variability of hydroclimatic forcing at the different locations. For this purpose, gridded precipitation data from the Asian rain gauge dataset APHRODITE, as well as high resolution onsite observations (relative humidity, air temperature, delta O-18 of precipitation and radial tree growth) were used. We found that two distinct sets of meteorological values, reflecting pre-monsoon and monsoon conditions, are needed to reproduce the measured tree ring delta O-18 values from the High-Himalayan site, but that a single set of monsoonal values performs best for the Trans-Himalayan site. We conclude that Trans-Himalayan trees capture long-term changes in strength of the Indian summer monsoon. In contrast, High-Himalayan tree ring delta(18)Orecords a more complex hydro-climatic signal reflecting both pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons with very contrasting isotopic signatures of precipitation. This difference in the two hydroclimatic proxy records offers an opportunity to reconstruct first-order hydroclimate conditions, such as local precipitation rates, and to gain new insights into monsoon timing and seasonal water source determination across the Himalayan orographic region. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @misc{SparkesHoviusGalyetal.2020, author = {Sparkes, Robert B. and Hovius, Niels and Galy, Albert and Liu, James T.}, title = {Survival of graphitized petrogenic organic carbon through multiple erosional cycles}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-53354}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-533541}, pages = {8}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Graphite forms the endpoint for organic carbon metamorphism; it is extremely resilient to physical, biological and chemical degradation. Carbonaceous materials (CM) contained within sediments, collected across Taiwan and from the Gaoping submarine canyon, were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy to determine the crystallinity. This allowed the erosional and orogenic movements of petrogenic organic carbon (OCpetro) during the Taiwanese orogeny to be deduced. After automatically fitting and classifying spectra, the distribution of four groups of CM within the sediments provides evidence that many forms of OCpetro have survived at least one previous cycle of erosion, transport and burial before forming rocks in the Western Foothills of the island. There is extensive detrital graphite present in rocks that have not experienced high-grade metamorphism, and graphite flakes are also found in recently deposited marine sediments off Taiwan. The tectonic and geological history of the island shows that these graphite flakes must have survived at least three episodes of recycling. Therefore, transformation to graphite during burial and orogeny is a mechanism for stabilizing organic carbon over geological time, removing biospheric carbon from the active carbon cycle and protecting it from oxidation during future erosion events.}, language = {en} } @article{MarcBehlingAndermannetal.2019, author = {Marc, Odin and Behling, Robert and Andermann, Christoff and Turowski, Jens M. and Illien, Luc and Roessner, Sigrid and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Long-term erosion of the Nepal Himalayas by bedrock landsliding}, series = {Earth surface dynamics}, volume = {7}, journal = {Earth surface dynamics}, number = {1}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-7-107-2019}, pages = {107 -- 128}, year = {2019}, abstract = {In active mountain belts with steep terrain, bedrock landsliding is a major erosional agent. In the Himalayas, landsliding is driven by annual hydro-meteorological forcing due to the summer monsoon and by rarer, exceptional events, such as earthquakes. Independent methods yield erosion rate estimates that appear to increase with sampling time, suggesting that rare, high-magnitude erosion events dominate the erosional budget. Nevertheless, until now, neither the contribution of monsoon and earthquakes to landslide erosion nor the proportion of erosion due to rare, giant landslides have been quantified in the Himalayas. We address these challenges by combining and analysing earthquake- and monsoon-induced landslide inventories across different timescales. With time series of 5 m satellite images over four main valleys in central Nepal, we comprehensively mapped landslides caused by the monsoon from 2010 to 2018. We found no clear correlation between monsoon properties and landsliding and a similar mean landsliding rate for all valleys, except in 2015, where the valleys affected by the earthquake featured similar to 5-8 times more landsliding than the pre-earthquake mean rate. The longterm size-frequency distribution of monsoon-induced landsliding (MIL) was derived from these inventories and from an inventory of landslides larger than similar to 0.1 km(2) that occurred between 1972 and 2014. Using a published landslide inventory for the Gorkha 2015 earthquake, we derive the size-frequency distribution for earthquakeinduced landsliding (EQIL). These two distributions are dominated by infrequent, large and giant landslides but under-predict an estimated Holocene frequency of giant landslides (> 1 km(3)) which we derived from a literature compilation. This discrepancy can be resolved when modelling the effect of a full distribution of earthquakes of variable magnitude and when considering that a shallower earthquake may cause larger landslides. In this case, EQIL and MIL contribute about equally to a total long-term erosion of similar to 2 +/- 0.75 mm yr(-1) in agreement with most thermo-chronological data. Independently of the specific total and relative erosion rates, the heavy-tailed size-frequency distribution from MIL and EQIL and the very large maximal landslide size in the Himalayas indicate that mean landslide erosion rates increase with sampling time, as has been observed for independent erosion estimates. Further, we find that the sampling timescale required to adequately capture the frequency of the largest landslides, which is necessary for deriving long-term mean erosion rates, is often much longer than the averaging time of cosmogenic Be-10 methods. This observation presents a strong caveat when interpreting spatial or temporal variability in erosion rates from this method. Thus, in areas where a very large, rare landslide contributes heavily to long-term erosion (as the Himalayas), we recommend Be-10 sample in catchments with source areas > 10 000 km(2) to reduce the method mean bias to below similar to 20 \% of the long-term erosion.}, language = {en} } @misc{FanScaringiKorupetal.2019, author = {Fan, Xuanmei and Scaringi, Gianvito and Korup, Oliver and West, A. Joshua and van Westen, Cees J. and Tanyas, Hakan and Hovius, Niels and Hales, Tristram C. and Jibson, Randall W. and Allstadt, Kate E. and Zhang, Limin and Evans, Stephen G. and Xu, Chong and Li, Gen and Pei, Xiangjun and Xu, Qiang and Huang, Runqiu}, title = {Earthquake-Induced Chains of Geologic Hazards}, series = {Reviews of geophysics}, volume = {57}, journal = {Reviews of geophysics}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {8755-1209}, doi = {10.1029/2018RG000626}, pages = {421 -- 503}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Large earthquakes initiate chains of surface processes that last much longer than the brief moments of strong shaking. Most moderate- and large-magnitude earthquakes trigger landslides, ranging from small failures in the soil cover to massive, devastating rock avalanches. Some landslides dam rivers and impound lakes, which can collapse days to centuries later, and flood mountain valleys for hundreds of kilometers downstream. Landslide deposits on slopes can remobilize during heavy rainfall and evolve into debris flows. Cracks and fractures can form and widen on mountain crests and flanks, promoting increased frequency of landslides that lasts for decades. More gradual impacts involve the flushing of excess debris downstream by rivers, which can generate bank erosion and floodplain accretion as well as channel avulsions that affect flooding frequency, settlements, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Ultimately, earthquake sequences and their geomorphic consequences alter mountain landscapes over both human and geologic time scales. Two recent events have attracted intense research into earthquake-induced landslides and their consequences: the magnitude M 7.6 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake of 1999, and the M 7.9 Wenchuan, China earthquake of 2008. Using data and insights from these and several other earthquakes, we analyze how such events initiate processes that change mountain landscapes, highlight research gaps, and suggest pathways toward a more complete understanding of the seismic effects on the Earth's surface.}, language = {en} } @article{StruckAndermannHoviusetal.2015, author = {Struck, Martin and Andermann, Christoff and Hovius, Niels and Korup, Oliver and Turowski, Jens M. and Bista, Raj and Pandit, Hari P. and Dahal, Ranjan K.}, title = {Monsoonal hillslope processes determine grain size-specific suspended sediment fluxes in a trans-Himalayan river}, series = {Geophysical research letters}, volume = {42}, journal = {Geophysical research letters}, number = {7}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0094-8276}, doi = {10.1002/2015GL063360}, pages = {2302 -- 2308}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Sediments in rivers record the dynamics of erosion processes. While bulk sediment fluxes are easily and routinely obtained, sediment caliber remains underexplored when inferring erosion mechanisms. Yet sediment grain size distributions may be the key to discriminating their origin. We have studied grain size-specific suspended sediment fluxes in the Kali Gandaki, a major trans-Himalayan river. Two strategically located gauging stations enable tracing of sediment caliber on either side of the Himalayan orographic barrier. The data show that fine sediment input into the northern headwaters is persistent, while coarse sediment comes from the High Himalayas during the summer monsoon. A temporally matching landslide inventory similarly indicates the prominence of monsoon-driven hillslope mass wasting. Thus, mechanisms of sediment supply can leave strong traces in the fluvial caliber, which could project well beyond the mountain front and add to the variability of the sedimentary record of orogen erosion.}, language = {en} } @article{DietzeKrautblatterIllienetal.2021, author = {Dietze, Michael and Krautblatter, Michael and Illien, Luc and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Seismic constraints on rock damaging related to a failing mountain peak}, series = {Earth surface processes and landforms}, volume = {46}, journal = {Earth surface processes and landforms}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0197-9337}, doi = {10.1002/esp.5034}, pages = {417 -- 429}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Large rock slope failures play a pivotal role in long-term landscape evolution and are a major concern in land use planning and hazard aspects. While the failure phase and the time immediately prior to failure are increasingly well studied, the nature of the preparation phase remains enigmatic. This knowledge gap is due, to a large degree, to difficulties associated with instrumenting high mountain terrain and the local nature of classic monitoring methods, which does not allow integral observation of large rock volumes. Here, we analyse data from a small network of up to seven seismic sensors installed during July-October 2018 (with 43 days of data loss) at the summit of the Hochvogel, a 2592 m high Alpine peak. We develop proxy time series indicative of cyclic and progressive changes of the summit. Modal analysis, horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio data and end-member modelling analysis reveal diurnal cycles of increasing and decreasing coupling stiffness of a 260,000 m(3) large, instable rock volume, due to thermal forcing. Relative seismic wave velocity changes also indicate diurnal accumulation and release of stress within the rock mass. At longer time scales, there is a systematic superimposed pattern of stress increased over multiple days and episodic stress release within a few days, expressed in an increased emission of short seismic pulses indicative of rock cracking. Our data provide essential first order information on the development of large-scale slope instabilities towards catastrophic failure. (c) 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd}, language = {en} } @misc{MarcBehlingAndermannetal.2019, author = {Marc, Odin and Behling, Robert and Andermann, Christoff and Turowski, Jens M. and Illien, Luc and Roessner, Sigrid and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Long-term erosion of the Nepal Himalayas by bedrock landsliding}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {646}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-42502}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-425022}, pages = {22}, year = {2019}, abstract = {In active mountain belts with steep terrain, bedrock landsliding is a major erosional agent. In the Himalayas, landsliding is driven by annual hydro-meteorological forcing due to the summer monsoon and by rarer, exceptional events, such as earthquakes. Independent methods yield erosion rate estimates that appear to increase with sampling time, suggesting that rare, high-magnitude erosion events dominate the erosional budget. Nevertheless, until now, neither the contribution of monsoon and earthquakes to landslide erosion nor the proportion of erosion due to rare, giant landslides have been quantified in the Himalayas. We address these challenges by combining and analysing earthquake- and monsoon-induced landslide inventories across different timescales. With time series of 5 m satellite images over four main valleys in central Nepal, we comprehensively mapped landslides caused by the monsoon from 2010 to 2018. We found no clear correlation between monsoon properties and landsliding and a similar mean landsliding rate for all valleys, except in 2015, where the valleys affected by the earthquake featured ∼ 5-8 times more landsliding than the pre-earthquake mean rate. The longterm size-frequency distribution of monsoon-induced landsliding (MIL) was derived from these inventories and from an inventory of landslides larger than ∼ 0.1 km 2 that occurred between 1972 and 2014. Using a published landslide inventory for the Gorkha 2015 earthquake, we derive the size-frequency distribution for earthquake-induced landsliding (EQIL). These two distributions are dominated by infrequent, large and giant landslides but under-predict an estimated Holocene frequency of giant landslides (> 1 km 3 ) which we derived from a literature compilation. This discrepancy can be resolved when modelling the effect of a full distribution of earthquakes of variable magnitude and when considering that a shallower earthquake may cause larger landslides. In this case, EQIL and MIL contribute about equally to a total long-term erosion of ∼ 2 ± 0.75 mm yr -1 in agreement with most thermo-chronological data. Independently of the specific total and relative erosion rates, the heavy-tailed size-frequency distribution from MIL and EQIL and the very large maximal landslide size in the Himalayas indicate that mean landslide erosion rates increase with sampling time, as has been observed for independent erosion estimates. Further, we find that the sampling timescale required to adequately capture the frequency of the largest landslides, which is necessary for deriving long-term mean erosion rates, is often much longer than the averaging time of cosmogenic 10 Be methods. This observation presents a strong caveat when interpreting spatial or temporal variability in erosion rates from this method. Thus, in areas where a very large, rare landslide contributes heavily to long-term erosion (as the Himalayas), we recommend 10 Be sample in catchments with source areas > 10 000 km 2 to reduce the method mean bias to below ∼ 20 \% of the long-term erosion.}, language = {en} } @article{MengesHoviusAndermannetal.2020, author = {Menges, Johanna and Hovius, Niels and Andermann, Christoff and Lupker, Maarten and Haghipour, Negar and M{\"a}rki, Lena and Sachse, Dirk}, title = {Variations in organic carbon sourcing along a trans-Himalayan river determined by a Bayesian mixing approach}, series = {Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society}, volume = {286}, journal = {Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {New York [u.a.]}, issn = {0016-7037}, doi = {10.1016/j.gca.2020.07.003}, pages = {159 -- 176}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Rivers transfer particulate organic carbon (POC) from eroding mountains into geological sinks. Organic carbon source composition and selective mobilization have been shown to affect the type and quantity of POC export, but their combined effects across complex mountain ranges remain underexplored. Here, we examine the variation in organic carbon sourcing and transport in the trans-Himalayan Kali Gandaki River catchment, along strong gradients in precipitation, rock type and vegetation. Combining bulk stable nitrogen, and stable and radioactive organic carbon isotopic composition of bedrock, litter, soil and river sediment samples with a Bayesian end-member mixing approach, we differentiate POC sources along the river and quantify their export. Our analysis shows that POC export from the Tibetan segment of the catchment, where carbon bearing shales are partially covered by aged and modern soils, is dominated by petrogenic POC. Based on our data we re-assess the presence of aged biospheric OC in this part of the catchment, and its contribution to the river load. In the High Himalayan segment, we observed low inputs of petrogenic and biospheric POC, likely due to very low organic carbon concentrations in the metamorphic bedrock, combined with erosion dominated by deep-seated landslides. Our findings show that along the Kali Gandaki River, the sourcing of sediment and organic carbon are decoupled, due to differences in rock organic carbon content, soil and above ground carbon stocks, and geomorphic process activity. While the fast eroding High Himalayas are the principal source of river sediment, the Tibetan headwaters, where erosion rates are lower, are the principal source of organic carbon. To robustly estimate organic carbon export from the Himalayas, the mountain range should be divided into tectono-physiographic zones with distinct organic carbon yields due to differences in substrate and erosion processes and rates.}, language = {en} } @misc{DietzeKrautblatterIllienetal.2021, author = {Dietze, Michael and Krautblatter, Michael and Illien, Luc and Hovius, Niels}, title = {Seismic constraints on rock damaging related to a failing mountain peak}, series = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Zweitver{\"o}ffentlichungen der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {2}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-56878}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-568787}, pages = {15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Large rock slope failures play a pivotal role in long-term landscape evolution and are a major concern in land use planning and hazard aspects. While the failure phase and the time immediately prior to failure are increasingly well studied, the nature of the preparation phase remains enigmatic. This knowledge gap is due, to a large degree, to difficulties associated with instrumenting high mountain terrain and the local nature of classic monitoring methods, which does not allow integral observation of large rock volumes. Here, we analyse data from a small network of up to seven seismic sensors installed during July-October 2018 (with 43 days of data loss) at the summit of the Hochvogel, a 2592 m high Alpine peak. We develop proxy time series indicative of cyclic and progressive changes of the summit. Modal analysis, horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio data and end-member modelling analysis reveal diurnal cycles of increasing and decreasing coupling stiffness of a 260,000 m(3) large, instable rock volume, due to thermal forcing. Relative seismic wave velocity changes also indicate diurnal accumulation and release of stress within the rock mass. At longer time scales, there is a systematic superimposed pattern of stress increased over multiple days and episodic stress release within a few days, expressed in an increased emission of short seismic pulses indicative of rock cracking. Our data provide essential first order information on the development of large-scale slope instabilities towards catastrophic failure. (c) 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd}, language = {en} } @article{BufeCookGalyetal.2022, author = {Bufe, Aaron and Cook, Kristen L. and Galy, Albert and Wittmann, Hella and Hovius, Niels}, title = {The effect of lithology on the relationship between denudation rate and chemical weathering pathways}, series = {Earth surface dynamics}, volume = {10}, journal = {Earth surface dynamics}, number = {3}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-10-513-2022}, pages = {513 -- 530}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The denudation of rocks in mountain belts exposes a range of fresh minerals to the surface of the Earth that are chemically weathered by acidic and oxygenated fluids. The impact of the resulting coupling between denudation and weathering rates fundamentally depends on the types of minerals that are weathering. Whereas silicate weathering sequesters CO2, the combination of sulfide oxidation and carbonate dissolution emits CO2 to the atmosphere. Here, we combine the concentrations of dissolved major elements in stream waters with Be-10 basin-wide denudation rates from 35 small catchments in eastern Tibet to elucidate the importance of lithology in modulating the relationships between denudation rate, chemical weathering pathways, and CO2 consumption or release. Our catchments span 3 orders of magnitude in denudation rate in low-grade flysch, high-grade metapelites, and granitoid rocks. For each stream, we estimate the concentrations of solutes sourced from silicate weathering, carbonate dissolution, and sulfide oxidation using a mixing model. We find that for all lithologies, cation concentrations from silicate weathering are largely independent of denudation rate, but solute concentrations from carbonates and, where present, sulfides increase with increasing denudation rate. With increasing denudation rates, weathering may therefore shift from consuming to releasing CO2 in both (meta)sedimentary and granitoid lithologies. For a given denudation rate, we report dissolved solid concentrations and inferred weathering fluxes in catchments underlain by (meta)sedimentary rock that are 2-10 times higher compared to catchments containing granitoid lithologies, even though climatic and topographic parameters do not vary systematically between these catchments. Thus, varying proportions of exposed (meta)sedimentary and igneous rocks during orogenesis could lead to changes in the sequestration and release of CO2 that are independent of denudation rate.}, language = {en} }