landlab

What problem does it solve?

Landlab enables scientists to simulate landscape evolution by coupling erosion, hillslope diffusion, and hydrologic routing on 2D grids, providing a reproducible platform for geomorphology research and teaching.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Modular Landlab components (FlowAccumulator, StreamPowerEroder, LinearDiffuser) to build end-to-end landscape evolution models.
• RasterModelGrid support for river networks, drainage areas, and topography, with easy load/save of DEM data.
• Visualization and data access through common fields like drainage_area and topographic__elevation for analysis and plotting.
• Use cases include river incision experiments, hillslope transport studies, uplift scenarios, and comparative geomorphology experiments.

Quick Start

Run a quick test by creating a 100x100 RasterModelGrid, initialize a small topography, and execute one iteration of flow routing, erosion, and diffusion.