The Topographic History of the Alps and its Tectonic and Climatic Drivers (TOPOALPS)

TOPOALPS是一个多学科项目，旨在确定阿尔卑斯山的地形历史以及造成其形成的过去和现在的构造和气候过程。该项目以两种新方法为基础：基于宇宙成因和稳定同位素的地表地球化学方法，以及提供构造和气候作用力与地质观测值之间定量联系的地表过程模型。我们确定了这项工作的六个任务：（1）根据已发表的和新的数据，建立阿尔卑斯山的构造“模板”，以建立空间和时间分布的构造活动，有助于阿尔卑斯山的地形演变;（2）利用南北前陆盆地的沉积记录，确定物源区、产沙率（3）估算宇宙成因核素产生的现代侵蚀速率的空间分布和整个阿尔卑斯山脉河流的沉积物负荷;（4）利用稳定同位素测定和古大气降水推断高海拔地区晚第三纪古海拔，以同造山带沉积物中的粘土、古土壤、（5）通过对一个地区的多学科关注以及冰川侵蚀模型的建立和校准，在区域尺度上量化冰川作用对阿尔卑斯山地形和地貌的影响;（6）构造、产沙、剥蚀、通过一系列表面过程数值模型，旨在通过晚第三纪在特定时间约束古地形的古高程和剥露率数据。总之，这些合作项目将提供现代阿尔卑斯山侵蚀过程的详细区域视图，以及对地形演变的地质近代史的看法。

TOPOALPS is a multidisciplinary project to establish the topographic history of the Alps and the past and present tectonic and climatic processes responsible for its formation. The project is based on two new methodologies: surface geochemical methods based on cosmogenic and stable isotopes, and surface process models which provide quantitative linkage between tectonic and climatic forcing and geological observables. We identify six tasks in this undertaking: (1) development of tectonic “templates” of the Alps based on published and new data to establish space and time distribution of tectonic activity that has contributed to the topographic evolution of the Alps; (2) the use of the sedimentary record of the north and south foreland basins to establish the source area, the rate of sediment yield, and the transport and dispersal systems including drainage patterns from Alpine source areas; (3) estimation of the spatial distribution of modern rates of erosion from cosmogenic nuclide generation and sediment loads of rivers throughout the Alps; (4) estimation of late Tertiary paleoelevation of high Alpine regions from stable isotope measurement and inference of paleo-meteoric water, targeting clays in syn-orogenic sediments, paleosols, and dated fault zones; (5) quantification of impacts of glaciation on topography and geomorphology of the Alps at a regional scale, by a multidisciplinary focus on one area and construction and calibration of a glacial erosion model; (6) integration of tectonic, sediment yield, denudation, paleo-elevation and exhumation rate data through a series of surface process numerical models designed to constrain paleotopography at specific times through the late Neogene. Taken together, these collaborative projects will provide a detailed regional view of the erosional processes in the modern Alps, and a perspective on the geologically recent history of topographic evolution.