CLIMATE-MOUNTAIN INTERACTIONS.  The climate and land-surface are intimately linked. For example, creation of topography can lead to orographic precipitation. But, what, if any, is the role of climate via erosional processes on long-term mountain building and landscape formation? And, to what degree do changes in climate caused by external factors such as changes in Earth’s orbit, influence mountain landscapes? We have explored the influence of mountain uplift in the South American Andes and the North American Western Cordillera, and are now working with an earth surface modeler to couple climate and landscape models.

Representative publications

• Feng, R., Poulsen, C.J., Werner, M., Chamberlain, C.P., Mix, H.T., and Mulch, A. (2013). Evolution of Early Cenozoic topography, climate, and stable isotopes in precipitation in the North American Cordillera, American Journal of Science, 313, 613-648, doi:10.2475/07.2013.01. 
• Insel, N., Poulsen, C.J., and Ehlers, T.A., (2009). Influence of the Andes Mountains on South American moisture transport, convection, and precipitation, Climate Dynamics, doi:10.1007/s00382-009-0637-1.

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