Despite considerable community effort, there is no general set of equations to model long‐term landscape evolution. In order to determine a suitable set of landscape evolution process laws for a site where postglacial erosion has incised valleys up to 50 m deep, we generate a set of alternative models and perform a multimodel analysis. The most basic model we consider includes stream power channel incision, uniform lithology, hillslope transport by linear diffusion, and surface‐water discharge proportional to drainage area. We systematically add one, two, or three elements of complexity to this model from one of four categories: hillslope processes, channel processes, surface hydrology, and representation of geologic materials. We apply methods of formal model analysis to the 37 alternative models. The global Method of Morris sensitivity analysis method is used to identify model input parameters that most and least strongly influence model outputs. Only a few parameters are identified as important, and this finding is consistent across two alternative model outputs: one based on a collection of topographic metrics and one that uses an objective function based on a topographic difference. Parameters that control channel erosion are consistently important, while hillslope diffusivity is important for only select model outputs. Uncertainty in initial and boundary conditions is associated with low sensitivity. Sensitivity analysis provides insight to model dynamics and is a critical step in using model analysis for mechanistic hypothesis testing in landscape evolution theory.

中文翻译：

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用于景观演化模型过程表示的反地形学：1.概念化和敏感性分析

尽管社区付出了巨大的努力，但仍没有一套通用的方程式来模拟长期景观演变。为了为冰川后侵蚀在深达50 m的深度切开山谷的地点确定一套合适的景观演化过程定律，我们生成了一组替代模型并进行了多模型分析。我们考虑的最基本模型包括河流动力通道切口，均匀岩性，通过线性扩散进行的山坡运输以及与排水面积成比例的地表水排放。我们从以下四个类别之一向该模型系统地添加了一个，两个或三个复杂性元素：山坡过程，河道过程，地表水文学和地质材料表示。我们将正式模型分析的方法应用于37个替代模型。莫里斯全局灵敏度分析方法用于识别对模型输出影响最大和最小的模型输入参数。仅将几个参数标识为重要参数，并且此发现在两个备选模型输出中是一致的：一个基于地形度量的集合，另一个使用基于地形差异的目标函数。控制通道腐蚀的参数始终很重要，而坡度扩散率仅对某些模型输出很重要。初始条件和边界条件的不确定性与低灵敏度相关。敏感性分析为模型动力学提供了见识，并且是在景观演化理论中使用模型分析进行机械假设检验的关键步骤。