Collaborative Research: Millennial variability of hillslope dynamics and alluvial aggradation in semiarid regions: a view from the southern Hemisphere

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This international, multi-institutional, collaborative project will advance our knowledge regarding how alluvial and fluvial geomorphic systems respond to climate change at millennial timescales in arid and semiarid regions. The project specifically aims to analyze the coupled hydrologic and geomorphic response during post-glacial times in the arid Elqui valley in northern Chile. Cosmogenic nuclides, luminescence dating and soils stratigraphy will be used to characterize, in terms of process and timing, the production, storage and transport of sediment from hillslopes to alluvial and fluvial reaches. Two nearby lacustrine records will be analyzed over the same temporal window with a suite of paleoenvironmental indicators. The robust coupled dataset is expected to contribute to our understanding of the local and regional pedology, geomorphology, tectonics and paleoenvironment of the semiarid western Andes. Furthermore, understanding how landforms and soils evolve over Holocene timescales will contribute to geologic research of similar regions in other parts of the world.The project will contribute to the advancement of undergraduate geology programs at University of Nevada Reno and California State University Bakersfield, the latter a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The project has a strong international partnership with Centro de Estudios Avanzado en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA) in La Serena, Chile, as well as Dalhousie University in Canada and will provide international research experiences for two U.S. undergraduate students. The research will aid land use planning and hazards mitigation efforts for the region as well as other parts of the world with similar arid environments. Outreach activities will be coordinated with the Chilean partner. This project is jointly supported by the Geomorphology and Land Use Dynamics, Paleoclimatology, and International Science and Engineering programs.