Support for U.S.-Taiwan Workshop on Feedbacks and Coupling among Mountain Building, Surface Processes and Climate

GSTDTAP

项目编号	1522478
	Support for U.S.-Taiwan Workshop on Feedbacks and Coupling among Mountain Building, Surface Processes and Climate
	Timothy Byrne
主持机构	University of Connecticut
项目开始年	2015
	2015-03-01
项目结束日期	2016-05-31
资助机构	US-NSF
项目类别	Standard Grant
项目经费	89289(USD)
国家	美国
语种	英语
英文摘要	The recognition that climatically modulated erosion acts to govern the development of active mountain ranges is arguably one of the most transformative conceptual shifts in the geosciences subsequent to the plate tectonic revolution. Topography in tectonically active regions results from an interplay among climatic, tectonic, and surface processes. The building of mountains increases topographic slopes, which directly influences the rate and efficiency of erosional processes. Rising landmasses can also influence climate by altering patterns of airflow and heating, influencing the magnitude and pattern of precipitation. Feed backs between the redistribution of mass by climate-driven erosion can influence the state of stress, thermal structure, and subsequent deformation patterns within mountain belts, the very mechanisms that drive the growth of topography. The strength of these various interactions and coupling, however, is still contested. Furthermore, these processes have strong impacts on the well being of humans living in mountainous terrains. This project supports a U.S.-Taiwan workshop that would assess the current state of research and identify future interdisciplinary research directions. A key objective of the workshop is to increase partnerships between the U.S. and Taiwan through the development of collaborative research projects that benefit from research expertise in both countries, thereby strengthening research activities within each country while advancing understanding of the complex linkages among mountain building, climate, and surface processes. The participation of students and early-career scientists in the workshop will ensure the development of long-term collaborations that are mutually beneficial both from the perspective of the development of the scientific workforce and the exchange of scientific ideas. This project supports the participation of U.S. based scientists in a U.S. Taiwan workshop, which will be held at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. The overarching purpose of this workshop is to promote interdisciplinary research on the linkages and feed backs among mountain building, climate, and surface processes. The dynamic landscape of Taiwan, which will be explored during pre- and post-meeting field trips, will provide the backdrop for the workshop. Rates of surface uplift and erosion in Taiwan are among the highest in the world as a result of ongoing collision between the Luzon volcanic arc and Chinese continental margin and frequent annual typhoons. The island is well known as a prime natural laboratory for study of the linkages among mountain building, climate, and surface processes. Specifically, the workshop goals are four-fold: (1) assess the current state of understanding of the linkages among climate, tectonics, and landscape evolution; (2) identify research goals that capitalize on interdisciplinary approaches to advance that understanding at a range of spatial and temporal scales; (3) discuss and articulate strategies for the implementation of the research goals; (4) encourage new collaborations between U.S. and Taiwan scientists, and engage early career researchers. The workshop is organized around two key themes: (1) Orogen-scale climate-tectonic coupling. The coupling between climate and tectonics involves the creation of topography through tectonic processes and the modification of stresses that govern tectonic deformation by climatically controlled erosion and sediment unloading. The strength of the climate-tectonic coupling is determined by the responses of climate and tectonics to these respective processes. (2) Climate and tectonic controls on surface processes. Climate and tectonics are fundamentally coupled through weathering and erosion by chemical, fluvial, glacial, and mass wasting processes, and their sensitivity to climatic and tectonic controls. The project's broader impacts consist of: (1) planned workshop participation of scientists from underrepresented groups in STEM; (2) possible improved well-being of individuals in society through a better understanding of natural hazards; (3) development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce through engagement of early career scientists, post-doctoral fellows, and students in the workshop; and (4) increased international partnerships through fostering of new collaborations between U.S. and Taiwanese scientists with particular emphasis on building collaborations between early career researchers. This project is supported by the Tectonics Program and the Geomorphology and Land Use Dynamics (both in the Earth Sciences Division, Geosciences Directorate) and NSF's International Science and Engineering office.
来源学科分类	Geosciences - Earth Sciences
文献类型	项目
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/67604
专题	环境与发展全球科技态势
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Timothy Byrne.Support for U.S.-Taiwan Workshop on Feedbacks and Coupling among Mountain Building, Surface Processes and Climate.2015.