Research

Hollows are areas of non-channelized valley convergence located near the tips of drainage networks that represent transitional zones between hillslopes and channel networks. These convergent zones undergo cycles of infilling and episodic failure when accumulated soils, also referred to here as colluvium, reach a critical thickness that is prone to evacuation. The time between cycles required for hollows to infill and reach critical instability is defined as the failure recurrence interval.

I developed RESET (REcurring Soil Evacuation in Topographic-hollows), a process-based model framework for simulating hollow infilling and shallow landslide recurrence intervals across soil-mantled hillslopes. This framework contains a two-stage workflow for modeling hollow soil depth evolution and estimating hollow failure recurrence intervals. 

Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) is produced through incomplete combustion of biomass during wildfire and represents an important long-term carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems. Due to its relative resistance to decomposition, PyC has the potential to persist in soils for centuries to millennia and may play a significant role in long-term carbon sequestration. However, while the production of PyC during wildfire is increasingly well studied, less is understood about how geomorphic processes influence its redistribution, burial, and long-term storage across landscapes. 

This project investigates whether topography controls the quantity and vertical distribution of PyC within soil-mantled hollows in the Oregon Coast Range. This work has implications for soil organic carbon budgets after wildfires and their role in long-term SOC storage and budget.