The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency
Abstract The battering of bedrock by bedload collisions is the primary mechanism by which bedrock rivers erode and landscapes evolve. The energy imparted via impacts acts to detach bedrock via the growth and intersection of surface fractures. We present impact experiments designed to test the influe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-07-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109533 |
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| author | C. C. Masteller H. Chandler J. Bower |
| author_facet | C. C. Masteller H. Chandler J. Bower |
| author_sort | C. C. Masteller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The battering of bedrock by bedload collisions is the primary mechanism by which bedrock rivers erode and landscapes evolve. The energy imparted via impacts acts to detach bedrock via the growth and intersection of surface fractures. We present impact experiments designed to test the influence of particle impact energy on bedrock erosion rates. We found that erosional efficiency increased with increasing impact energy. Notably, these increases in efficiency are not captured by a widely‐used mechanistic bedrock erosion model. Observed increases in erosional efficiency were linked with enhanced elastic energy dissipation captured by differences in the coefficient of restitution. We suggest that this increase in energy dissipation is indicative of enhanced crack extension for high velocity impacts. Our experiments indicate a clear energy‐dependence for bedrock detachment processes that is not yet captured by bedrock incision models but may be integrated into long‐term erosion rates and landscape evolution. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dfc0646cea1547c4a70f4879951428ce |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-dfc0646cea1547c4a70f4879951428ce2025-08-20T02:31:42ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-07-015114n/an/a10.1029/2024GL109533The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional EfficiencyC. C. Masteller0H. Chandler1J. Bower2Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science Washington University in St Louis St. Louis MO USADepartment of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science Washington University in St Louis St. Louis MO USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering Utah State University Logan UT USAAbstract The battering of bedrock by bedload collisions is the primary mechanism by which bedrock rivers erode and landscapes evolve. The energy imparted via impacts acts to detach bedrock via the growth and intersection of surface fractures. We present impact experiments designed to test the influence of particle impact energy on bedrock erosion rates. We found that erosional efficiency increased with increasing impact energy. Notably, these increases in efficiency are not captured by a widely‐used mechanistic bedrock erosion model. Observed increases in erosional efficiency were linked with enhanced elastic energy dissipation captured by differences in the coefficient of restitution. We suggest that this increase in energy dissipation is indicative of enhanced crack extension for high velocity impacts. Our experiments indicate a clear energy‐dependence for bedrock detachment processes that is not yet captured by bedrock incision models but may be integrated into long‐term erosion rates and landscape evolution.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109533geomorphologybedrock erosionfluvial geomorphologyerosionsediment transport |
| spellingShingle | C. C. Masteller H. Chandler J. Bower The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency Geophysical Research Letters geomorphology bedrock erosion fluvial geomorphology erosion sediment transport |
| title | The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency |
| title_full | The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency |
| title_fullStr | The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency |
| title_short | The Fluvial Battering Ram: Collisional Experiments Reveal the Importance of Particle Impact Energies on Bedrock Erosional Efficiency |
| title_sort | fluvial battering ram collisional experiments reveal the importance of particle impact energies on bedrock erosional efficiency |
| topic | geomorphology bedrock erosion fluvial geomorphology erosion sediment transport |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109533 |
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