Bedrock slope evolution in saltrock terrain = Hangentwicklung in Salzgestein Landschaften = Evolution des versants du soubassement sur roches salines

Saltrock is a highly soluble terrain-forming material and, over short periods of time under predominantly solutional erosion processes, shows readily measurable change. It provides an analogue for landform evolution on less rapidly soluble materials such as limestone and gypsum. Saltrock erosion in a Mediterranean environment is observed with erosion pins on both solid outcrop and rockfall debris. Erosion of the salt terrains is very closely related to rainfall events. Surface lowering rates of up to 20 mm per 100 mm rainfall are observed, representing an annualised rate of ca 100 mm a−1 (= 10 m per century or 100 m per millennium). Clear relationships, which are described by bivariate polynomial equations, exist between slope angle and erosion rate. Slope evolution is then modelled with these equations, to reveal good correspondence with the small-scale landforms present at the field sites.