The Working Group DENUCHANGE (Denudation and Environmental Changes in Different Morphoclimatic Zones) was approved during the 9th International Conference on Geomorphology (9th ICG) in New Delhi, India, 6-11 November 2017, as a new IAG Working Group.
The key question of DENUCHANGE is:
What are the contemporary chemical and mechanical denudation rates in different morphoclimatic zones on the Earth?
Denudation, including both chemical and mechanical processes, is of high relevance for Earth surface and landscape development and the transfer of solutes and sediments from headwater systems through main stem of drainage basin systems to the world oceans. Denudation is controlled by a range of environmental drivers and can be significantly affected by anthropogenic activities.
The better understanding of possible effects of ongoing and accelerated environmental changes on present-day denudation requires systematic and quantitative studies (environmental monitoring) on the actual drivers of denudational processes. Only if we have an improved knowledge of drivers and quantitative rates of contemporary denudational hillslope and fluvial processes as well as of the connectivity in landscapes and between hillslope and fluvial systems across a range of different selected climatic environments, possible effects of global environmental changes on denudation can be better assessed. Special focus will be given to selected morphoclimatic zones that are expected to react particularly sensitively to ongoing and accelerated environmental changes, and the key focus of DENUCHANGE will therefore be on (i) cold regions (including glacierized, glaciated and unglaciated cold climate environments), (ii) temperate regions, (iii) arid / semi-arid regions and (iv) tropical regions. The different morphoclimatic zones are defined by morphometric characteristics/signatures detected in the various zones.
DENUCHANGE will
- Provide a detailed compilation and comparison of contemporary chemical and mechanical (drainage-basin wide) denudation rates in selected and clearly defined drainage basin systems in selected cold regions, temperate regions, arid / semi-arid regions and tropical regions worldwide. As denudation is scale-dependent, the selected drainage basin systems will be of a defined and comparable size to allow direct comparisons between the drainage basin systems situated in the different morphoclimatic zones. The existing/available and compiled data on contemporary chemical and mechanical denudation must be based on comparable sampling periods, sampling frequencies, and on comparable monitoring methods and techniques applied.
- Provide a process-oriented, coordinated and integrated analysis and compilation of the respective key drivers of contemporary denudation occurring under the different present-day morphoclimates.
- Based on the previous two compilations: Address the key question how environmental changes are affecting contemporary denudation rates in different morphoclimates. This also includes human activities in different morphoclimatic zones, in the context of environmental changes in the Anthropocene.
Steering Committee and core members:
Dr. Achim A. Beylich (Norway) (Chair 2017-2022)
Dr. Antonio Cendrero (Spain)
Dr. Piotr Cienciala (USA)
Prof. Francesco Comiti (Italy)
Dr. Marta Della Seta (Italy)
Dr. John C. Dixon (USA)
Dr. Luis M. Forte (Argentina)
Dr. Joanna Gudowicz (Poland)
Prof. Jasper Knight (South Africa)
Dr. Katja Laute (Norway)
Dr. Dongfeng Li (Singapore)
Dr. Luca Mao (UK) (Co-Chair 2017-2022)
Prof. Małgorzata Mazurek (Poland)
Dr. Ana Navas (Spain)
Dr. Eliza Placzkowska (Poland) (Secretary 2022-2026)
Dr. Olimpiu Pop (Romania)
Prof. Juan Remondo (Spain)
Dr. Nurit Shtober-Zisu (Israel) (Co-Chair 2022-2026)
Prof. Zbigniew Zwoliński (Poland) (Co-Chair 2017-2022, Chair 2022-2026)
IAG DENUCHANGE working group objective, field test site fact sheets and DENUCHANGE Field Test Site Catalogue
DENUCHANGE working group objective
DENUCHANGE test site fact sheets (revised)
DENUCHANGE Field Test Site Catalogue
IAG DENUCHANGE key publications
Laute K., Navas A. & A.A. Beylich (Eds.) (2020): Denudational processes and landscape responses to global environmental changes. Geomorphology, Virtual Special Issue. For details and content see here.
Cendrero, A., Remondo, J., Beylich, A.A., Cienciala, P., Forte, L.M., Golosov, V.N., Gusarov, A.V., Kijowska-Strugala, M., Laute, K., Li, D., Navas, A., Soldati, M., Vergari, F., Zwoliński, Z., Dixon, J., Knight, J., Nadal-Romero, E. & E. Placzkowska (2022): Denudation and geomorphic change in the Anthropocene; a global overview. Earth-Science Reviews 233 (2022) 104186.
IAG DENUCHANGE workshop reports
First DENUCHANGE workshop 2018
Second DENUCHANGE workshop 2019
IAG DENUCHANGE core member business meeting 2020 (virtual meeting)
Meeting agenda
Meeting summary report
IAG DENUCHANGE business and planning meetings 2021-2022 (virtual meetings)
11 February 2021, 15:00-17:30 CET Meeting summary report
13 April 2021, 15:00-17:00 CEST Meeting summary report
3 June 2021, 15:00-17:00 CEST Meeting summary report
7 September 2021, 15:00-17:00 CEST Meeting summary report
23 November 2021, 15:00-16:00 CET Meeting summary report
10 February 2022, 15:00-16:00 CET Meeting summary report
18 May 2022, 15:00-16:00 CEST Meeting summary report
29 June 2022, 15:00-16:00 CEST Meeting summary report
16 September 2022, 10:00-11:00 CEST Meeting summary report
IAG DENUCHANGE Virtual Round Table, 4 March 2021, 15:00-17:30 CET
Further information and meeting summary report here
IAG DENUCHANGE Virtual Round Table, 1 March 2022, 15:00-17:00 CET
Further information is found here
IAG DENUCHANGE Scientific Webinar, 13 October 2021, 14:30-18:00 CEST
Webinar Flyer and detailed programme
IAG DENUCHANGE Activities during the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology in Coimbra, Portugal, 12-16 September 2022
Impressions from DENUCHANGE session section, business meeting and lunch
IAG DENUCHANGE annual reports
DENUCHANGE annual report 2018
DENUCHANGE annual report 2019
DENUCHANGE annual report 2020
DENUCHANGE annual report 2021
DENUCHANGE annual report 2022
Proposal for extension of DENUCHANGE by a second term (2022-2026)