Blocky Hillslopes: From Outcrops to Flatirons

对该项目的非技术性描述，解释了该项目的意义和重要性地球表面的大部分是由山坡组成的，但目前关于山坡演变的数学模型未能捕捉到真实景观的许多关键要素。大多数山坡，特别是在山区和干旱地区，都是崎岖多石的。这个项目的目标是促进人们对这些常见的岩石山坡如何随着时间的推移而演变的了解。科罗拉多州博尔德附近的景观是一个自然实验，在这个实验中，几种岩石地貌可以用来测试岩石山坡演变的概念和定量模型。该项目将检验这样一种假设，即所有的山坡特征都可以通过数值模型来模拟，该模型基于限制区块的裂缝的密度和方向的差异。这个项目将通过承认被侵蚀的岩石类型所起的作用和岩石的破裂程度来增加对常见地貌如何演变的了解。这些品质在评估对滑坡和其他斜坡移动的控制方面很重要，并有助于评估自然灾害的风险。该项目有一个非常强大的教育和推广部分，将为包括本科生、科学教师和普通公众在内的不同受众开发该主题。该项目的技术描述当前的景观演变模型无法捕捉到真实景观的关键要素。该项目旨在测试使用相同规则集的单个模型能够在多大程度上再现不同岩石类型和方向的特征。这套新的模型将阐明岩石地形中的侵蚀山坡过程，并允许定量探索这些模式是如何产生的。研究将包括实地工作和数值模拟。裂缝分布、露头区块边缘的几何形状、以距骨为单位的区块大小以及能够撬出区块的树木的位置将在野外和数字高程模型的图像上被记录下来。宇宙成因的同位素分析将限制当地的侵蚀速度。将开发一系列数值模式，并通过现场测量进行约束。该项目建立在与科罗拉多大学继续教育部教育推广计划“科学发现”长期合作的基础上。现有的以溪流为重点的课程将增加说明当地山坡及其演变的材料。这些教材还将展示给每年夏天参加为期一周的教师培训工作坊的中学教师。此外，还将通过在博尔德举行的每月晚间“青少年咖啡馆”系列活动，为对科学感兴趣的青少年以及当地退休社区设计演示文稿。通过该项目发现的更广泛的景观演化史将与当地居民从窗户看到的博尔德地区标志性地貌的演变相结合。

A nontechnical description of the project that explains the signficance and importanceThe majority of earth's land surface consists of hillslopes, but current mathematical models of hillslope evolution fail to capture many of the key elements of real landscapes. Most hillslopes, especially in mountainous and arid terrain, are rough and rocky. The goal of this project is to advance knowledge of how such common rocky hillslopes evolve through time. The landscape near Boulder, Colorado, serves as a natural experiment in which several rocky landforms can be used to test conceptual and quantitative models of rocky hillslope evolution. This project will test the hypothesis that all hillslope features can be simulated by numerical model that is based upon the differences in the density and orientations of the fractures that bound the blocks. This project will increase knowledge of how common landscapes evolve by acknowledging the roles played by the type of rock being eroded and the degree of fracturing of that rock. These qualities are important in evaluating the controls on landslides and other slope movements and can help in the evaluating risks from natural hazards. The project has a very strong education and outreach component that will develop the topic for various audiences, including undergraduate students, science teachers, and the general public.A technical description of the projectCurrent models of landscape evolution fail to capture the key elements of real landscapes. This project is designed to test to what degree a single model utilizing the same rule set can reproduce the features of various rock types and orientations. This new suite of models will illuminate erosional hillslope processes in rocky terrain, and allow quantitative exploration of how these patterns arise. Research will include both fieldwork and numerical modeling. Fracture distributions, geometry of block edges in outcrop, block sizes in talus, and locations of trees capable of prying out blocks will be documented in the field and on imagery from digital elevation models. Cosmogenic isotope analyses will constrain local rates of erosion. A hierarchy of numerical models will be developed and constrained by the field measurements. The project builds upon a long-standing partnership with the education outreach program of the University of Colorado Division of Continuing Education, "Science Discovery." An existing curriculum that focuses on streams will be augmented by materials that illustrate local hillslopes and their evolution. These curricular materials will also be demonstrated to middle school teachers who participate in a week-long teacher training workshop each summer. Presentations will be also designed for teenagers interested in science through a monthly evening "Teen Cafe" series held in Boulder, and for local retirement communities. The broader history of landscape evolution discovered through this project will be meshed with evolution of the iconic landforms of the Boulder area that local residents see out their windows.