Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Arnaud Temme
CIRES Visiting Fellow
2012-2013

Sabbatical
Ph.D., Wageningen University in the Netherlands

Project: Digging deeper: Adding soil formation to landscape evolution models

Arnaud Temme is an assistant professor in soil geography and geomorphology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. While at CIRES, he is working with Greg Tucker to study the relation between geomorphic processes (for instance, landslides) and soil formation in the high Rockies. Soil and landscape change are intimately related, Temme explains, not only in lowland deltas such as the Netherlands, but also in high mountain areas, where hillslope processes alter soil parent material and soil formation alters erodibility and opportunities for vegetation to grow. “If we understand how soils and landscapes interact, we will be better able to predict soil patterns in high mountain regions,” he says. “This allows better estimates of water retention and ecological succession in these areas.”

“I am absolutely fascinated by landscapes, and I find it extremely interesting to increase our abilities to capture landscapes and their dynamics in computer models,” Temme says. While in Colorado, he plans to seize the opportunity to bike, run, trek, or ski. “I am also a big fan of Albert Bierstadt, among other painters, so I might visit some landmarks named after him,” he says.

Sponsor: Greg Tucker