2026 William E. Dietrich: Earth Science Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Earth Science	131	22	20	9	7	438	57220

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Earth Science in United States Leader Award
2025 - Research.com Earth Science in United States Leader Award
2022 - Research.com Earth Science in United States Leader Award
2003 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2003 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
1992 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Overview

William E. Dietrich is affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Physics and Astronomy, Environmental Science, and Earth and Planetary Sciences, with significant contributions to Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Science, and Environmental Engineering.

Dietrich's work focuses on topics such as Planetary Science and Exploration, Astro and Planetary Science, Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies, and Soil and Unsaturated Flow. Their engagement with Space Exploration and Technology further illustrates a broad interdisciplinary approach.

Recent publications include the following papers:

Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign (2020, Journal of Geophysical Research Planets)
Oak Transpiration Drawn From the Weathered Bedrock Vadose Zone in the Summer Dry Season (2020, Water Resources Research)
The Curiosity Rover's Exploration of Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars: An Overview of the Campaign and Scientific Results (2022, Journal of Geophysical Research Planets)
Geology and Stratigraphic Correlation of the Murray and Carolyn Shoemaker Formations Across the Glen Torridon Region, Gale Crater, Mars (2022, Journal of Geophysical Research Planets)
Bedrock Vadose Zone Storage Dynamics Under Extreme Drought: Consequences for Plant Water Availability, Recharge, and Runoff (2022, Water Resources Research)

Frequent collaborators include A. B. Bryk, A. R. Vasavada, Sanjeev Gupta, Steven G. Banham, and A. A. Fraeman.

The primary venues where Dietrich's work has been published are:

Journal of Geophysical Research Planets
Icarus
Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America
Water Resources Research
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

In recognition of their contributions, Dietrich has been awarded the following honors:

Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 1992
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003
Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2003

Best Publications

A physically based model for the topographic control on shallow landsliding

David R. Montgomery;William E. Dietrich

2278
Citations
Settling velocity of natural particles

William E. Dietrich

1300
Citations
Downstream ecological effects of dams: A geomorphic perspective

Franklin K. Ligon;William E. Dietrich;William J. Trush

1124
Citations
Constitutive mass balance relations between chemical composition, volume, density, porosity, and strain in metasomatic hydrochemical systems: Results on weathering and pedogenesis

George H Brimhall;William E Dietrich

1025
Citations
A habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars.

J. P. Grotzinger;D. Y. Sumner;L. C. Kah;K. Stack

1015
Citations
The soil production function and landscape equilibrium

Arjun M. Heimsath;William E. Dietrich;Kunihiko Nishiizumi;Robert C. Finkel

988
Citations
Modeling fluvial erosion on regional to continental scales

Alan D. Howard;William E. Dietrich;Michele A. Seidl

965
Citations
Sediment and rock strength controls on river incision into bedrock

Leonard S. Sklar;William E. Dietrich

956
Citations
Channel initiation and the problem of landscape scale.

David R. Montgomery;William E. Dietrich

906
Citations
Sediment supply and the development of the coarse surface layer in gravel-bedded rivers

William E. Dietrich;James W. Kirchner;Hiroshi Ikeda;Fujiko Iseya

879
Citations
A mechanistic model for river incision into bedrock by saltating bed load

Leonard S. Sklar;William E. Dietrich

869
Citations
A process-based model for colluvial soil depth and shallow landsliding using digital elevation data

William E. Dietrich;Robert Reiss;Mei-Ling Hsu;David R. Montgomery

858
Citations
Evidence for nonlinear, diffusive sediment transport on hillslopes and implications for landscape morphology

Joshua J. Roering;James W. Kirchner;William E. Dietrich

809
Citations
Where do channels begin

David R. Montgomery;William E. Dietrich

791
Citations
River Longitudinal Profiles and Bedrock Incision Models: Stream Power and the Influence of Sediment Supply

Leonard Sklar;William E. Dietrich

786
Citations
The variability of root cohesion as an influence on shallow landslide susceptibility in the Oregon Coast Range

K M Schmidt;J J Roering;J D Stock;W E Dietrich

728
Citations
Source areas, drainage density, and channel initiation

David R. Montgomery;William E. Dietrich

721
Citations
Deposition, exhumation, and paleoclimate of an ancient lake deposit, Gale crater, Mars.

J.P. Grotzinger;S. Gupta;M. C. Malin;D.M. Rubin

683
Citations
Geomorphic transport laws for predicting landscape form and dynamics

William E. Dietrich;Dino G. Bellugi;Leonard S. Sklar;Jonathan D. Stock

625
Citations
Valley incision by debris flows: Evidence of a topographic signature

J. Stock;W. E. Dietrich

569
Citations
Hillslope Hydrology in Global Change Research and Earth System Modeling

Ying Fan;M. Clark;D. M. Lawrence;S. Swenson

565
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Leonard S. Sklar Concordia University

James W. Kirchner ETH Zurich

David R. Montgomery University of Washington

Kenneth S. Edgett Malin Space Science Systems (United States)

Alan D. Howard University of Virginia

Dawn Y. Sumner University of California, Davis

Jeremy G. Venditti Simon Fraser University

Michael P. Lamb California Institute of Technology

Ronald Amundson University of California, Berkeley

Arjun M. Heimsath Arizona State University

External Links

Personal website of William E. Dietrich

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