Tectonic Geomorphology

Douglas W. Burbank is a tectonic geomorphologist who investigates the growth of mountains and evolution of landscapes primarily in collisional mountain belts, ranging from New Zealand's Southern Alps to the Tien Shan and the Andes. He has focused on interactions among mountain building, erosion, climate, and deposition at time scales ranging from decades to millions of years. Robert S. Anderson has taught geomorphology since 1988, first at University of California, Santa Cruz, and now at University of Colorado, Boulder. Bob has now studied most parts of landscapes, from the glaciated tips to the coastal toes, with significant attention to sediment transport mechanics, interaction of geophysical and geomorphic processes to shape mountain ranges, evolution of bedrock canyons and glaciated landscapes. He has participated in the development of a new tool kit that employs cosmogenic radionucides to establish timing in the landscape. He develops numerical models of landscapes that honor both field observations and first principles of conservation; these models in turn have served to hone his field efforts.