Southern Utah's landscape is dramatic and tells many stories of the past.  Arroyos, or deep, flat-bottomed channels with steep walls of sediment, show an interesting slice of history that may help USU NSF CAREER funded researcher Rittenour determine the future. Between periods of rapid incision, arroyos appear to follow prolonged aggradation or "filling" periods. The question is: What's driving these cycles of rapid entrenchment followed by slower rates of sedimentation and infilling? Rittenour is developing a detailed and well-dated stratigraphic record of past cut-fill cycles at six adjoining semi-arid drainages in southern Utah using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating.

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