The CC Geomorphology research group studies how rivers in mountainous areas respond to perturbations, including climate, tectonics, humans, landslides, and dams.

If you are interested in doing a research project in Geomorphology, example projects currently ready to go in Summer 2025 are listed below. If you have a research idea of your own you want to pursue, please reach out to see if we can make it happen! Since many student grant opportunities close in late February, I encourage you to reach out to me in January. At the latest, please contact me before Fall Preregistration (mid B7) so we can set up your thesis blocks.

Upcoming 2025 projects

How do bedrock rivers maintain their form? (~2 students)

This work is guided by an NSF grant that investigates how bedrock rivers keep sinuous forms. Unlike alluvial channels, where sediment supplied from cut bank erosion can create new inner banks, bedrock rivers tend to be supply-limited and lack the material to form an inner bank. In the absence of sediment, how do bedrock rivers maintain a stable channel width as they migrate? Why do some bedrock rivers cycle through meander and braided forms while others remain meandering? How do bedrock-like systems (such as permafrost banks) meander?

In Summer 2025, I’m looking for ~2 students to work on this topic. Specific research topics can vary, but have the opportunity to make use of remote sensing via GIS, numerical modeling, and local field work. These projects would be fully funded for up to 9 weeks.

How does glacially-produced sediment module fluvial erosion? (~2 students)

Recent modeling work (Schanz and Yanites, 2024) shows that glacial sediment damps bedrock river erosion downstream and lowers overall landscape erosion rates to pre-glacial levels. Colorado has prime field sites to investigate this modeled relationship. Some questions include: What is the size of sediment produced by glaciers, and what controls the size distribution? What is the post-glacial response time of river systems?

I’m looking for ~2 students to tackle this project in Summer 2025. Your work can include field work in the Colorado Sangre de Cristo mountains and West Elk Mountains, GIS analyses, rock abrasion experiments, and numerical modeling.