Slope
Replacement
Theory of W.
Penck
◦The slope replacement theory highlights that
the maximum angle of a hill slope decreases
through replacement from below by gentler
slopes, causing the greater part of the profile
to become occupied by the concavity.
◦The concavity may be either smoothly curved
or segmented.
◦Basic premises of Penck’s Model
◦The form of hillslope is dependent on the relative rate of
vertical erosion by streams at the slope base and denudation
(removal or transportation of slope debris downslope or from
the slope base).
◦The retreat of slope unit backward depends on the gradient of
hillslope. Steeper gradient facilitates more active retreat than
gentle gradient.
◦The slope retreat occurs in parallel manner which results in the
replacement of lower segment of slope profile by new unit of
gentle gradient.
◦Flattening of slopes always takes place from below upward.
◦The form of valley side slopes of streams depends on three rates
of stream erosion i.e. accelerating rate of erosion, decelerating
rate of erosion and constant rate of erosion, which produce
convex, concave and rectilinear slope forms respectively.
◦There is a uniform rate of weathering of rocks of slopes.
◦As the required mobility is attained, the removal of weathered
materials begins and the rate of removal (denudation) matches
with the rate of weathering.
◦There are angular breaks of slope.
◦ Explanation of Penck’s Model
◦ For the explanation of evolution of hill slope, Penck selected a steep rock cliff of
homogenous composition.
◦ The upper surface of the slope unit is surmounted by level surface.
◦ There is a river at the foot of the slope which is neither eroding nor depositing but is
capable of removing all the materials coming at the foot hill from upslope segments.
◦ In a unit time a superficial layer of rock, of definite thickness the same everywhere, is
loosened and removed.
◦ The method of removal is that loosened particles of rock crumble away and fall.
◦ For this to happen the gradient must be too great to allow the little pieces of rock, just
loosened by weathering but not further comminuted and reduced, to remain at rest.
◦ This gradient is available for each unit of rock face except the lowest. Thus, the slope
face except the lowest segment undergoes parallel retreat due to uniform rate of
weathering and instantaneous removal of weathered materials from slope segments.
◦The lowest segment does not experience parallel retreat
because its slope angle is not such that it may attain required
mobility which may help in the removal of weathered materials.
Thus, the lowest segment of initial cliff slope face A-A’ replaced
by a new young unit of gentle slope angle A-B and the cliff slope
profile now consists of two slope units viz. A-B and B-B’.
◦The same process is repeated during second time interval all
along the slope segment and thus new slope face B-B’
undergoes parallel retreat and reaches the position of C-C’. The
B-C segment does not experience parallel retreat due to lack of
required degree of mobility and thus non-removal of materials,
with the result the lowest segment A-B is again replaced by new
unit of further gentle slope.
◦The same process is repeated during third time interval
(uniform rate of weathering and parallel retreat) and the initial
slope profile (A-A’) reaches the position of D-D’ and gentle
slope segments extends from A to D due to parallel retreat.
◦Due to repetition of the same mechanism during succeeding
stages of time intervals the position of slope profiles shift to E-
E’, F-F’… and so on and lowest gentle slope segment extends
gradually from A to A-B, A-C, A-D, A-E, A-F positions…. And so
on. Thus, small segments of new basal slopes i.e. A-B, B-C, C-
D, E-F combine together and form a continuous slope of
uniform gradient (A-F).
◦ Conclusion
◦ It may be emphasised that the initial neglect, subsequent
misinterpretations (by W. M. Davis, faulty translation in English) and
belated recognition of Penck’s work has given birth to numerous
controversies regarding Penck’s deductive model of slope evolution.
◦ A. Young has evaluated Penck’s model and has remarked, Penck’s model
presents a hypothesis of slope evolution in which gentle slope succeeds
steeper, but in a manner very different from the Davisian scheme.
◦ In Penck’s system parallel retreat only takes place on an initial rectilinear
slope; such a slope is transformed into a concave form relatively early in
its evolutionary history, and development then proceeds by successive
replacement from below. If this replacement is not in discrete stages but
continuous, then no part of the concave slope retreats parallel to itself.