Landscape evolution models using the stream power incision model show unrealistic behavior when <i>m</i> ∕ <i>n</i> equals 0.5

Kwang, Jeffrey S.; Parker, Gary

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-807-2017

Articles | Volume 5, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-807-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-807-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 5, issue 4

Research article

|

06 Dec 2017

Research article |

| 06 Dec 2017

Landscape evolution models using the stream power incision model show unrealistic behavior when m ∕ n equals 0.5

Jeffrey S. Kwang and Gary Parker

Download

Final revised paper (published on 06 Dec 2017)
Preprint (discussion started on 20 Mar 2017)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

- Printer-friendly version

- Supplement

RC1: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #1, 11 May 2017
- AC1: 'Author Reply to Reviewer 1', Jeffrey Kwang, 23 Jun 2017
RC2: 'Reviewer 2 comments', Anonymous Referee #2, 27 May 2017
- AC2: 'Author Reply to Reviewer 2', Jeffrey Kwang, 23 Jun 2017
EC1: 'Associate Editor's response to revised version of the manuscript', Jean Braun, 31 Jul 2017

Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision

AR by Jeffrey Kwang on behalf of the Authors (21 Jul 2017) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (31 Jul 2017) by Jean Braun

RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (11 Oct 2017)

ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by Editor) (12 Oct 2017) by Jean Braun

AR by Jeffrey Kwang on behalf of the Authors (17 Oct 2017) Author's response Manuscript

ED: Publish as is (01 Nov 2017) by Jean Braun

ED: Publish as is (01 Nov 2017) by Douglas Jerolmack (Editor)

AR by Jeffrey Kwang on behalf of the Authors (02 Nov 2017)

Short summary

A prevalent bedrock incision relation used in landscape evolution is the stream power incision model (SPIM), which relates incision rate to drainage area to the m power and slope to the n power. We show the most commonly used ratio, m ∕ n = 0.5, leads to scale invariance: a landscape that has a horizontal domain of 1 km × 1 km has exactly the same relief pattern as one with a 100 km × 100 km domain. This conclusion indicates that SPIM must yield unrealistic results over a wide range of conditions.