Emergent simplicity despite local complexity in eroding fluvial landscapes

Abstract Much of our current understanding continental topographic evolution is rooted in measuring and predicting the rates at which rivers erode landscape. Flume tank field observations indicate that stochasticity local conditions play important roles determining small scales (e.g., <10 km, thousands years). Obversely, preserved river profiles common shapes atop uplifting topography erosion are predictable larger scales. These response to forcing can be scale dependent. I demonstrate erosional thresholds provide an explanation for why profile very complicated unique yet simple large