Research Goals and Projects

The Caltech Surface Processes Group studies how wind and water shape Earth's spectacular landscapes from its mountain belts to coastal plains. We use a range of tools including field measurements and remote sensing of active processes, topographic analysis and dating to measure changes over geologic time, and physical and mathematical modeling.  We use these tools to develop and test theories for Earth's evolving surface, and to better understand Earth's history recorded in its landforms and sedimentary rocks. Our work has applied applications in environmental science and hazards, and it also has been used to understand the surfaces of other planets and moons.  

Active research questions include:

• Will river deltas and coastal landscapes drown due to sea level rise?
• How are Arctic rivers and floodplains responding to permafrost thaw?
• What controls riverbank erosion rates?
• What is the global distribution of Earth's sediment and soil?
• When and where did water flow across the surface of Mars?
• Can we predict where debris flows will occur after wildfire?