DEGRADATION OF UNCONSOLIDATED LANDFORMS

One of the major goals of geomorphology is to understand the rate of landscape evolution and the constraints that erosion sets on the longevity of land surfaces. The latter has also turned out to be vital in modern applications of cosmogenic exposure dating and interpretation of lichenometric data from unconsolidated landforms. Because the effects of landform degradation have not been well documented, disagreements exist among researchers regarding the importance of degradation processes in exposure dating techniques. We will present our new data that links moraine profiles, degradation modeling and surface boulder frequency together. Both moraine profiles and boulder frequencies are predicted by the model and can be directly measured in the field. Our current evidence suggests good correspondence between the two modeled and observed properties (moraine profile and boulder frequency). We find this an important verification of our understanding of landform degradation.