Formation of evenly spaced ridges and valleys

J. Taylor Perron (), James W. Kirchner and William E. Dietrich
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J. Taylor Perron: Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
James W. Kirchner: University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
William E. Dietrich: University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

Nature, 2009, vol. 460, issue 7254, 502-505

Abstract: Landscapes explained Seen from above, it's clear that in many hilly landscapes the ridges and valleys appear uniformly spaced. Current physically based models of landscape evolution produce realistic looking topography, but cannot predict the 'wavelength' typical of evenly spaced ridges and valleys in natural landscapes. Taylor Perron and colleagues use equations of mass conservation and sediment transport to derive a characteristic length scale that is directly proportional to the ridge–valley wavelength in models of landform evolution and at five field study sites across the United States, including Nappa Valley in California and Point of the Mountain in Utah. The findings provide a quantitative explanation for one of the most widely observed characteristics of landscapes and suggest that valley spacing records the effects of material properties and climate on erosional processes.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08174

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