Eitan Shelef

Eitan Shelef, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences.

In recent decades, the increased availability of digital elevation data and computation power has revealed the multi-scale complexity of Earth’s topography with unprecedented detail and coverage.  This rich dataset presents a key challenge: how to decode the information encapsulated in this topographic complexity to better understand the role of surface processes within the Earth system. Overcoming this challenge can advance fundamental knowledge about the physical processes that shape the surface of Earth, and also help address pressing issues ranging from seismic hazards to climate change. To effectively address this challenge my group utilizes a broad toolset that builds on field-based data collection, analytical and data-calibrated numerical modeling, and spatial and statistical analyses of topographic, sedimentary, and remote sensing data at different temporal and spatial scales. We primarily apply this toolset to explore interactions among Earth surface, Earth interior and climate variability.  Current topics of interest include:

1. Interaction between erosion and climate in arctic environments. 

2. Influence of drainage reorganization on the evolution of topographic escarpments.

3. Using landscape evolution models to date topographic features.

4. Tempo-spatial mapping of landslide susceptibility.