Physical and Mechanical Properties of a New Analog Material (MAT-V) for Geomorphic Experiments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59236/geomorphica.v2i1.50Keywords:
Geomorphology, tectonics and surface processes interactions, geomorphic experiment, analog modeling, relief dynamicsAbstract
The experimental study of interactions between tectonics and surface processes is an ambitious challenge, requiring the development of specific analog materials capable of jointly simulating geomorphological and crustal deformation processes. In this work, we refined the physical and mechanical properties of the MAT-IV analog material to improve morphological rendering and extend its range of application. We halved the average particle size (D50) of the granular mixture and added a fifth component (pumice powder), which increased the material’s erodibility and allowed the precipitation rate controlling exogenous surface processes to be reduced by a factor of three. We performed a dozen experiments to explore different compositions and determine a standard formula through morphometric analyses. The new material, MAT-V, allows for reproducing better-scaled morphologies and represents a significant upgrade over MAT-IV. Scaling analysis and morphometric measurements lead to the recommended composition: 37.5% silica microbeads (1–50 µm grain size), 37.5% silica powder (1–80 µm grain size), 15% PVC powder (5-85 µm grain size), 10% pumice powder (1–150 µm grain size), < 1% anthracite (0–200 µm grain size). Using an average cyclic rainfall rate of 5–10 mm/h, a spatial scaling of 1 cm = 100 m and 1 s = 5 years are considered relevant to model relief dynamics under temperate to sub-tropical climatic conditions. To constrain the key parameters governing model surface dynamics, we implemented a joint modeling approach combining experimental and numerical modeling. This allowed us to quantify geomorphological parameters, including the slope (n) and discharge (m) exponents, hillslope erodibility (Khill), critical slope (SC), and effective settling velocity (VS).
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