The Beaumont number between 0.4 and 0.5 means that the mountains are in a state called flux steady state where the control factors for mountain growth are tectonic forces and lithospheric forces, limited by climatic processes such as, for example, Taiwan. With a Bm value of less than 0.4, the mountains are also flexible but can be eroded as a controlling factor like the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The Beaumont number above 0.5 means that the mountains are still growing (unchanging state) with the lithospheric force controlling the process. Examples of this type are the Himalayan-Tibetan mountains and the Middle Andes.
This division solves the old question of whether tectonic forces and Earth’s crust are the regulatory elements of mountain elevation or climatic processes. New research says it could be one or the other – depending on location, climate and geographical location.A team of scientists led by Sebastian G. Wolf of Bergen University in Norway applied a new integrated space system and a mantle-scale tectonic model to their research by combining the thermomechanical tectonic model FANTOM with the emergence model FastScape. Thus, they have been able to adapt the high erosion rate of other active orogen to the longevity of mountain belts for hundreds of millions of years.
Jean Braun of the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, co-author of this paper, states: “With our Beaumont number we can determine the extent of tectonics, climate, and the strength of the crust that controls the height of mountain ranges. Also, in many mountainous areas. belts, this can be done without complicated measurements or speculation; all that is needed is information on the level of interaction found in modern plate speed or plate reconstruction, the height of the mountain found on the site map and the level of expansion obtained. from the history of geography. In short: Whether the mountain is short or tall is the result of slow or rapid congestion, wet or dry weather, or hard or weak crust. “
Scientists have come up with a new way of splitting the mountain ridge that uses the number one to determine the height of a mountain range is primarily controlled by weather and erosion or Earth’s crust structures, i.e., lithospheric forces: “Beaumont number” (Bm). It is named after Chris Beaumont, a scientist who, along with his team, developed integrated models of higher processes and tectonic forces. Scientists report their findings in the current journal Nature.
Source Journal Reference:Sebastian G. Wolf, Ritske S. Huismans, Jean Braun, Xiaoping Yuan. Topography of mountain belts controlled by rheology and surface processes. Nature, 2022; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04700-6
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