Detection of land surface memory by correlations between thickness of colluvial deposits and morphometric variables

• Strong correlations of morphometric variables with colluvium thickness were found.
• A mechanism for detection of the land surface memory was developed.
• Phases of land surface evolution were distinguished based on signs of curvatures.

Some morphometric variables store information about past land surfaces longer than others. This property of morphometric variables is recognised as land surface memory. Slope deposits, soils, and vegetation also have this memory. In this study, a memory effect was quantitatively detected by Spearman correlations between thickness of colluvium and morphometric variables of the modern land surface.During long-term sedimentation, the sign of horizontal curvature (kh) may be inverted from minus to plus, suggesting that locations with positive kh values are not accumulation zones. However, the thickness of colluvial deposits at such locations in our study area indicates sediment accumulation. The sign of minimal curvature (kmin) tends to be more stable and remains negative. This difference provides the stronger correlation of colluvial layer thickness with kmin than with kh. The strongest correlation was found for total thickness of the colluvial deposits of the Neolithic and Iron Age with kmin (− 0.84); the correlation with kh was weaker (− 0.71).