Traditional models of landscape development postulate rapid pulses of tectonic uplift followed by long periods of gradual erosion. In sharp contrast, recent studies suggest that landscape is the product of complex interactions between tectonics, erosion, and climate. It is clear that tectonic uplift directly affects erosion rates and may induce orographic climate changes, but can climatically enhanced erosion rates drive tectonic processes? Can very rapid uplift and erosion in one region, such as the Himalayas, affect global climate by sequestering greenhouse gases during the weathering of sediments? Some researchers believe so. This course will explore the feedback mechanisms that have been proposed to explain how tectonics, erosion, and climate affect one another and produce the landscapes we observe today. Topics will include plate tectonics and crustal thickening, erosion and exhumation processes, climate and erosion rates, isostasy, equilibrium landscapes, formation of orogenic plateaus, and formation of the Himalayas and development of the Asian monsoon. Format: tutorial. After an initial group meeting, students will meet in pairs for one hour each week with the instructor. Each student will orally present a written paper every other week for criticism during the tutorial session. Evaluation will be based on five five-page papers and each student's effectiveness as a critic. Prerequisites: at least one of the following courses: Geosciences 201, 202, 301, 302, 303, or 401 or with permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected:10). Preference given to Geosciences majors.