Institute of Geography
Topic
Spatial Variability of Rock Erodibility and Its Expression in Landscape Morphometry
PhD. program
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Ján Novotný, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Prírodovedecká fakulta UK
Annotation
Landscape evolution is controlled not only by tectonic forcing and climatic fluctuations, but also by the spatial variability of rock erodibility, a complex characteristic integrating multiple physical and chemical factors of the rock environment. Direct laboratory quantification of erodibility is practically unfeasible over larger areas with heterogeneous lithology. Therefore, in tectonic and geomorphologically oriented studies, the intensity of erosional processes is commonly expressed using a set of gradient-based metrics extracted from digital elevation models, without the need for experimental determination of the material properties of the rocks themselves. This PhD project aims to evaluate, using spatial and statistical analyses, the sensitivity of selected gradient-based metrics to lithological contrasts in representative study areas. Particular emphasis will be placed on identifying threshold values that indicate non-linear landscape responses in the relationships between metric values and the intensity of relief-forming processes. The expected outcomes will contribute to an improved understanding of the controls on landscape morphology and to a more robust interpretation of morphometric indices in geomorphological research.