Collaborative Research: Assessing Climatic Controls on Intervals of Stability and Deposition on Alluvial Fans

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This research will investigate the roles of climate and tectonics in controlling rates and processes of landscape evolution. The goal is to establish the response time of the landscape to changes in climatic forcing, (e.g. storm intensity, effective moisture, mean annual temperature, frost action, and type and density of vegetation). The response of a landscape is manifest in terms of the production and storage of sediment, weathering rates, and stream discharge and sediment transport capacity. Specifically, this study will combine cutting-edge techniques (including cosmogenic radionclides and thermo-luminescence) to generate quantitative ages of alluvial fan surfaces in the semi-arid Lost River Valley of southeastern Idaho, USA. Together with geomorphic and sedimentological analyses of the fan surfaces, it will be possible to determine when the conditions for both sediment supply and transport are met in semi-arid environments. This project supports research programs for two under-represented early career scientists and enhances interactions between students and faculty at Boise State University, Utah State University, and UC Berkeley. The proposed work aids development of analytical facilities, supports growing graduate programs at Boise State and USU, and provides partial funding and a recruiting tool for Boise State's new PhD program in Geosciences. This project improves undergraduate education by funding four undergraduate senior projects, and integrates research goals with Boise State's field geology course. Combined Boise State, USU, and Idaho State undergraduate field trips to the study area will enhance camaraderie and interactions between students and faculty at these neighboring institutions, and will provide students an example of science in action.