Support for U.S.-Taiwan Workshop on Feedbacks and Coupling among Mountain Building, Surface Processes and Climate

认识到气候调节的侵蚀作用支配着活跃山脉的发展，可以说是板块构造革命之后地球科学中最具变革性的概念转变之一。构造活动地区的地形是气候、构造和地表过程相互作用的结果。山脉的形成增加了地形坡度，这直接影响了侵蚀过程的速度和效率。上升的陆块还可以通过改变气流和加热模式、影响降水的大小和模式来影响气候。由气候驱动的侵蚀导致的质量再分配之间的反馈可以影响山带内的应力状态、热结构和随后的变形模式，而这些正是驱动地形生长的机制。然而，这些不同的相互作用和耦合的强度仍然存在争议。此外，这些过程对生活在山区的人类的福祉有强烈的影响。该项目支持一个美台研讨会，该研讨会将评估目前的研究状况并确定未来的跨学科研究方向。研讨会的一个主要目标是通过发展合作研究项目来增加美国和台湾之间的伙伴关系，这些合作研究项目受益于两国的研究专长，从而加强两国内部的研究活动，同时促进对山地建筑、气候和地表过程之间复杂联系的理解。学生和早期职业科学家的参与将确保长期合作的发展，从科学劳动力的发展和科学思想的交流的角度来看，这是互利的。该项目支持美国科学家参加将在台湾台北市国立台湾大学举行的美台研讨会。本次研讨会的主要目的是促进跨学科研究，探讨造山、气候和地表过程之间的联系和反馈。在会前和会后的实地考察中，将探索台湾的动态景观，为研讨会提供背景。由于吕宋火山弧与中国大陆边缘的持续碰撞以及频繁的年度台风，台湾的地表隆起和侵蚀率是世界上最高的。该岛是著名的自然实验室，用于研究造山、气候和地表过程之间的联系。具体来说，研讨会的目标有四个方面：(1)评估目前对气候、构造和景观演化之间联系的认识状况；(2)确定利用跨学科方法在空间和时间尺度上推进这种理解的研究目标；(3)讨论并阐明实现研究目标的策略；(4)鼓励美国和台湾科学家之间的新合作，并聘请早期职业研究人员。研讨会主要围绕两个主题展开：(1)造山带尺度的气候-构造耦合。气候和构造之间的耦合包括通过构造过程创造地形和通过气候控制的侵蚀和沉积物卸载控制构造变形的应力的改变。气候-构造耦合的强度取决于气候和构造对这些过程的响应。(2)气候和构造对地表过程的控制。气候和构造从根本上是通过化学、河流、冰川和物质消耗过程的风化和侵蚀以及它们对气候和构造控制的敏感性而耦合在一起的。该项目更广泛的影响包括：(1)来自STEM中代表性不足群体的科学家计划参加研讨会；(2)通过更好地了解自然灾害，可能改善社会中个人的福祉；(3)通过早期职业科学家、博士后研究员和学生参与研讨会，发展一支多元化的、具有全球竞争力的STEM劳动力队伍；(4)通过促进美国和台湾科学家之间的新合作，特别强调建立早期职业研究人员之间的合作，增加国际伙伴关系。该项目由大地构造学项目、地貌学和土地利用动力学（两者都在地球科学理事会地球科学部）和美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室支持。

The recognition that climatically modulated erosion acts to govern the development of active mountain ranges is arguably one of the most transformative conceptual shifts in the geosciences subsequent to the plate tectonic revolution. Topography in tectonically active regions results from an interplay among climatic, tectonic, and surface processes. The building of mountains increases topographic slopes, which directly influences the rate and efficiency of erosional processes. Rising landmasses can also influence climate by altering patterns of airflow and heating, influencing the magnitude and pattern of precipitation. Feed backs between the redistribution of mass by climate-driven erosion can influence the state of stress, thermal structure, and subsequent deformation patterns within mountain belts, the very mechanisms that drive the growth of topography. The strength of these various interactions and coupling, however, is still contested. Furthermore, these processes have strong impacts on the well being of humans living in mountainous terrains. This project supports a U.S.-Taiwan workshop that would assess the current state of research and identify future interdisciplinary research directions. A key objective of the workshop is to increase partnerships between the U.S. and Taiwan through the development of collaborative research projects that benefit from research expertise in both countries, thereby strengthening research activities within each country while advancing understanding of the complex linkages among mountain building, climate, and surface processes. The participation of students and early-career scientists in the workshop will ensure the development of long-term collaborations that are mutually beneficial both from the perspective of the development of the scientific workforce and the exchange of scientific ideas.This project supports the participation of U.S. based scientists in a U.S. Taiwan workshop, which will be held at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. The overarching purpose of this workshop is to promote interdisciplinary research on the linkages and feed backs among mountain building, climate, and surface processes. The dynamic landscape of Taiwan, which will be explored during pre- and post-meeting field trips, will provide the backdrop for the workshop. Rates of surface uplift and erosion in Taiwan are among the highest in the world as a result of ongoing collision between the Luzon volcanic arc and Chinese continental margin and frequent annual typhoons. The island is well known as a prime natural laboratory for study of the linkages among mountain building, climate, and surface processes. Specifically, the workshop goals are four-fold: (1) assess the current state of understanding of the linkages among climate, tectonics, and landscape evolution; (2) identify research goals that capitalize on interdisciplinary approaches to advance that understanding at a range of spatial and temporal scales; (3) discuss and articulate strategies for the implementation of the research goals; (4) encourage new collaborations between U.S. and Taiwan scientists, and engage early career researchers. The workshop is organized around two key themes:(1) Orogen-scale climate-tectonic coupling. The coupling between climate and tectonics involves the creation of topography through tectonic processes and the modification of stresses that govern tectonic deformation by climatically controlled erosion and sediment unloading. The strength of the climate-tectonic coupling is determined by the responses of climate and tectonics to these respective processes.(2) Climate and tectonic controls on surface processes. Climate and tectonics are fundamentally coupled through weathering and erosion by chemical, fluvial, glacial, and mass wasting processes, and their sensitivity to climatic and tectonic controls.The project's broader impacts consist of: (1) planned workshop participation of scientists from underrepresented groups in STEM; (2) possible improved well-being of individuals in society through a better understanding of natural hazards; (3) development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce through engagement of early career scientists, post-doctoral fellows, and students in the workshop; and (4) increased international partnerships through fostering of new collaborations between U.S. and Taiwanese scientists with particular emphasis on building collaborations between early career researchers.This project is supported by the Tectonics Program and the Geomorphology and Land Use Dynamics (both in the Earth Sciences Division, Geosciences Directorate) and NSF's International Science and Engineering office.