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Thus, according to scientists at the University of Bristol, the new technique enables geologists to understand more precisely how the movement of water has shaped the highest peaks and deepest valleys on our planet.
The latest discovery allows scientists to calculate rates of erosion due to precipitation, thus providing a more accurate history of the interaction between hydrology and geology in a particular region.
“It may seem logical that more rain can shape mountains, making rivers dig into stone faster. But scientists also believe that rain can erode a landscape fast enough to move rocks away from Earth and lift mountains, “said lead study author Byron Adams of the Cabot Institute for the Environment at the University of Bristol. .
“Cosmic clocks” used by specialists
“Theories have been debated for decades because the measurements required to test them are so complicated. This discovery is so interesting because it strongly supports the idea that Earth’s atmospheric and solid processes are closely connected, “he said.
The discovery, which focused on a mountain like the Himalayas, also paves the way for predicting the possible impact of climate change on mountain landscapes and people’s lives, scientists believe.
The research team focused their efforts on the central and eastern Himalayas of Bhutan and Nepal, as this region of the world has become one of the favorite locations for erosion rate studies.
Dr. Adams, along with collaborators from Arizona State University and Louisiana State University, used so-called “cosmic clocks” of sand grains to measure the rate at which rivers erode the rocks below them.
What can a particle do in outer space?
“When a particle from outer space reaches Earth, it is possible to hit the sandy sands on the slopes of the hill as they are transported to rivers. When this happens, some atoms in each grain of sand can turn into a rare element. By counting how many atoms of this element are present in a sandbag, we can calculate how long the sand has been there and therefore how fast the landscape is eroding, ”Adams explained.
“Once we have the erosion rates in all the mountain areas, we can compare them with variations in river flow and rainfall. We tested a wide variety of models to reproduce the erosion rate model in Bhutan and Nepal. Ultimately, only one model was able to accurately predict the measured erosion rates, “Adams said.
“This model allows us for the first time to quantify how rainfall affects erosion rates on rugged terrain,” he added, Digi24 writes.
