TERPRO International Focus Groups & Projects
INQUA IFG 2008F TPPT (Terrestrial Processes Perturbed by Tectonics)
We all live on a planetary surface shaped by terrestrial geoprocesses. This topic has been much in the news lately due to the increase in extreme meteorological events, attributed by some to global climate change. But crustal volcanism and active tectonics also influence terrestrial geoprocesses. These crustal processes make the news only when a large earthquake or eruption occurs, but the events soon drop from the news and people forget about them. However, their secondary effects on terrestrial geoprocesses continue. Our proposed IFG “Terrestrial Processes Perturbed by Tectonics” (TPPT) will support studies of the longer-term effects of tectonic events on geomorphic systems, and contrast them with effects of non-seismic forcing such as extreme meteorological events and slower climate change.
Project 2009P : EDITH – From Earthquake DeformatIon to Seismic Hazard Assessment
Project 2009P details
INQUA IFG 2010F HYPEDAE: PalaeoHYdrological, -PEDological and -AEolian processes shaping Quaternary landscapes
This IFG focuses on continental environments, where the Quaternary evolution has been mainly driven by depositional and erosive phases, varying in time and space, and alternating with less dynamic periods, allowing for soil formation. The associated dynamic processes are recorded in various kinds of geomorphic landforms and deposits, e.g., fluvial, lacustrine, colluvial and eolian sediments, as well as erosional discontinuities. Previous topographic surfaces may get removed, buried or dismantled. On the other hand, the periods of relative geomorphological stability are documented by fossil soils (palaeosols). Their erosion or burial marks the onset of another dynamic phase. The complexity of these geomorphological-sedimentological-palaeopedological archives is further increased, as the associated hydrological, pedological and aeolian processes are not independent from each other: Surface processes related to the hydrological cycle are among the main forces shaping a landscape. The available moisture is also a major factor in the formation of soils and their characteristics, and it is of paramount importance in controlling the production of dust. Dust in the atmosphere in turn plays an important role in climate dynamics.
In the present situation, with rapid climate change, a profound understanding of how surface processes work, how they interact, and how they respond to climatic variations, is of utmost importance. Thus, a comprehension of the earth surface dynamics and its drivers over the Quaternary is a key issue of this IFG. Thereby, our goals are (1) to stimulate progress in each of the involved disciplines, i.e. palaeohydrology, aeolian dust research and palaeopedology, and (2) to bring these disciplines together, e.g. at interdisciplinary conference sessions and workshops to promote the interdisciplinary interpretation of complex continental archives. The IFG has a global perspective but also considers regional and local scales, where representative case studies are carried out and ground truth can be obtained. The time frame of interest encompasses the whole Quaternary up to recent times, with a multidisciplinary approach that includes remote sensing, field work, laboratory analyses, numerical modelling and simulations.
The planned meeting of FLAG in Moscow in September 2020 has been cancelled due to Coronavirus and re-scheduled for September 2021.
TERPRO Other Related Projects
Project 2011WG : Peribaltic Working Group
Project 2011WG details
Project 2012WG : Paleopedology
Project 2012WG details