Earth Surface Dynamics
Aerial view of the "Oasis valley", a small recently deglaciated flat area in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska. Erosion and subsequent retreat of the glaciers in recent years led to the deposition of large amounts of very fine-grained sediments in the glacial outwash (in light brown colours).
The formation of relief in mountains comes from the complex interaction between tectonic forcing of the lithosphere (such as the uplift of mountain chains), and atmospheric processes (rain, wind, ice etc.) that affect erosion, which in turn removes material inhomogeneously from a mountain belt.
The Oasis Valley is located between the Fan glacier and the Bremner Glacier. During the last 4 Million years glacial periods led to intensive erosion forming valleys into mountain chains and depositing large amounts of sediment at the end of the glacier.
Our group studies the processes, which form Earth's surface. By tectonic activity mountains are built, while weather and erosion erode them and form landscapes.