Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published February 1, 2022 | Published + Supplemental Material
Journal Article Open

Formation of low-gradient bedrock chutes by dry rockfall on planetary surfaces

Abstract

Channel-like forms are ubiquitous on steep hillslopes on Earth, Mars, and other planetary bodies. On Earth and Mars, these landforms are commonly attributed to water activity, especially for slopes below the angle of repose (~30°) where dry granular flows are considered ineffective. While the angle of repose characterizes loose sediment stability, it is unclear whether dry rockfall can traverse and erode channels in bedrock or cemented substrates. We used a large-scale experiment to show that bedrock chutes can form spontaneously at low gradients from dry rockfall. Our results, combined with observations of rocky outcrops and boulders on Mars, indicate that rockfall can be an important bedrock degradation process that can produce low-gradient channels in the absence of water.

Additional Information

© 2021 The Authors. Gold Open Access: This paper is published under the terms of the CC-BY license. Manuscript received 12 November 2020; Revised manuscript received 4 August 2021; Manuscript accepted 11 August 2021; Published online 20 October 2021. Funding was provided by NASA grant 80NSSC19K1269 to M.P. Lamb. Z. Sun was supported by China Scholarship Council grant 201906410043 and H. Zhu, and A.R. Beer by Swiss National Science Foundation grant P2EZP2_172109. We thank Tim Goudge, Colin Dundas, Susan Conway, and anonymous reviewers for helpful comments.

Attached Files

Published - g49286.1.pdf

Supplemental Material - 16746229.zip

Files

g49286.1.pdf
Files (17.5 MB)
Name Size Download all
md5:209ba7495c375cbb3b716cf588cea326
1.2 MB Preview Download
md5:88bbbd339c2f28e3bdc75df0ef4da560
16.3 MB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023