Agent skill

landlab

Landscape evolution and surface process modelling in Python. Build 2D numerical models for erosion, hydrology, soil transport, and geomorphology. Use when Claude needs to: (1) Model landscape evolution over time, (2) Simulate river/stream erosion, (3) Route water flow across terrain, (4) Model hillslope diffusion processes, (5) Simulate weathering and soil production, (6) Analyze drainage networks, (7) Combine multiple geomorphic processes, (8) Load/save DEM data for modeling.

View SKILL.md on GitHub Repository
Stars 163
Forks 31

Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/other/other/landlab

SKILL.md

Landlab - Surface Process Modelling

Quick Reference

python
from landlab import RasterModelGrid
from landlab.components import FlowAccumulator, StreamPowerEroder
import numpy as np

# Create grid
grid = RasterModelGrid((100, 100), xy_spacing=10.0)
z = grid.add_zeros('topographic__elevation', at='node')
z += np.random.rand(grid.number_of_nodes) * 0.1

# Set boundaries (open bottom edge)
grid.set_closed_boundaries_at_grid_edges(True, True, True, False)

# Create and run components
fa = FlowAccumulator(grid, flow_director='D8')
sp = StreamPowerEroder(grid, K_sp=1e-5)

for _ in range(100):
    fa.run_one_step()
    sp.run_one_step(dt=1000)
    z[grid.core_nodes] += 0.001 * 1000  # Uplift

grid.imshow('topographic__elevation', cmap='terrain')

Grid Types

Grid Use Case
RasterModelGrid Regular rectangular grids (most common)
HexModelGrid Hexagonal grids (isotropic flow)
VoronoiDelaunayGrid Irregular point distributions
NetworkModelGrid Channel networks only

Key Concepts

Fields and Boundaries

python
# Fields: data stored at grid elements (nodes, links, cells)
z = grid.add_zeros('topographic__elevation', at='node')
grid.at_node['drainage_area']  # Access existing field

# Boundaries: close all edges except outlet
grid.set_closed_boundaries_at_grid_edges(True, True, True, False)
z[grid.core_nodes] += uplift * dt  # Core nodes exclude boundaries

Essential Operations

Flow Routing

python
from landlab.components import FlowAccumulator

fa = FlowAccumulator(grid, flow_director='D8')  # or 'Steepest', 'MFD'
fa.run_one_step()
drainage_area = grid.at_node['drainage_area']

Stream Power Erosion

python
from landlab.components import StreamPowerEroder

sp = StreamPowerEroder(grid, K_sp=1e-5, m_sp=0.5, n_sp=1.0)
sp.run_one_step(dt=1000)  # dt in years

Hillslope Diffusion

python
from landlab.components import LinearDiffuser

ld = LinearDiffuser(grid, linear_diffusivity=0.01)  # m^2/yr
ld.run_one_step(dt=100)

Load/Save DEM Data

python
from landlab.io import read_esri_ascii, write_esri_ascii
from landlab.io.netcdf import read_netcdf, write_netcdf

grid, z = read_esri_ascii('dem.asc', name='topographic__elevation')
write_esri_ascii('output.asc', grid, names='topographic__elevation')
write_netcdf('output.nc', grid)  # Save all fields

Multi-Component Model

python
from landlab import RasterModelGrid
from landlab.components import FlowAccumulator, StreamPowerEroder, LinearDiffuser

grid = RasterModelGrid((100, 100), xy_spacing=100.0)
z = grid.add_zeros('topographic__elevation', at='node')
z += grid.node_y / 1000 + np.random.rand(grid.number_of_nodes) * 0.1
grid.set_closed_boundaries_at_grid_edges(True, True, True, False)

fa = FlowAccumulator(grid, flow_director='D8')
sp = StreamPowerEroder(grid, K_sp=1e-5)
ld = LinearDiffuser(grid, linear_diffusivity=0.01)

dt, uplift_rate = 1000, 0.001
for _ in range(500):
    fa.run_one_step()
    sp.run_one_step(dt)
    ld.run_one_step(dt)
    z[grid.core_nodes] += uplift_rate * dt

When to Use vs Alternatives

Use Case Tool Why
Landscape evolution modelling Landlab Modular components, Python-native
Basin-scale stratigraphy Badlands Focus on sediment deposition and basin fill
Topographic analysis (MATLAB) TopoToolbox Mature MATLAB toolkit for DEM analysis
Simple diffusion/erosion Custom numpy Fewer dependencies for basic models
Coupled surface-subsurface Landlab Components for hydrology + geomorphology
Channel network extraction Landlab or pysheds Both handle flow routing well
Soil production and transport Landlab Dedicated weathering and soil components
Teaching geomorphology Landlab Clear component API, good tutorials

Choose Landlab when: You need a modular, component-based framework for landscape evolution modelling that combines multiple surface processes (erosion, diffusion, flow routing, weathering) in a single simulation.

Choose Badlands when: Your focus is on basin-scale landscape evolution with emphasis on sediment transport and stratigraphic architecture.

Choose custom numpy when: You only need a simple 2D diffusion or stream power model without the overhead of a full component framework.

Common Workflows

Landscape Evolution Model with Erosion and Uplift

  • Create RasterModelGrid with appropriate dimensions and spacing
  • Initialize topographic__elevation field (flat + noise, or load DEM)
  • Set boundary conditions (open one edge as outlet, close others)
  • Create FlowAccumulator with chosen flow director (D8 or MFD)
  • Create StreamPowerEroder with erosion coefficient K_sp
  • Create LinearDiffuser for hillslope processes
  • Define time step dt and total runtime; choose uplift rate
  • Run time loop: flow routing, erosion, diffusion, then uplift
  • Save snapshots at intervals with write_netcdf() or write_esri_ascii()
  • Visualize final topography with grid.imshow()
  • Analyze drainage area and channel profiles
  • Extract river long profiles for steepness analysis

Common Issues

Issue Solution
Flat areas block flow Add small random noise to initial topography
Boundary effects Ensure at least one open boundary edge for drainage
Unstable erosion Reduce dt or K_sp; check Courant condition
Wrong field name Use exact Landlab names: 'topographic__elevation', 'drainage_area'
Memory with large grids Reduce grid resolution or use NetworkModelGrid for channels only

Tips

  1. Set boundaries first - before adding components
  2. Use core_nodes - excludes boundary nodes for operations
  3. Check field names - components expect specific names (e.g., 'topographic__elevation')
  4. Start simple - add components incrementally and verify each

References

  • Components Reference - Available components by category
  • Grids Reference - Grid types and configuration

Scripts

  • scripts/erosion_model.py - Basic erosion model template

Recommended Agent Skills

Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.

majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

agent-ops-spec

Manage specification documents in .agent/specs/. Use when user provides requirements, acceptance criteria, or feature descriptions that need to be tracked and validated against implementation.

163 31
Explore
majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

agent-ops-state

Maintain .agent state files. Use at session start, after meaningful steps, and before concluding: read/update constitution/memory/focus/issues/baseline consistently.

163 31
Explore
majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

agent-ops-spec

Manage specification documents in .agent/specs/. Use when user provides requirements, acceptance criteria, or feature descriptions that need to be tracked and validated against implementation.

163 31
Explore
majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

agent-ops-testing

Test strategy, execution, and coverage analysis. Use when designing tests, running test suites, or analyzing test results beyond baseline checks.

163 31
Explore
majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

agent-ops-testing

Test strategy, execution, and coverage analysis. Use when designing tests, running test suites, or analyzing test results beyond baseline checks.

163 31
Explore
majiayu000/claude-skill-registry

agent-ops-state

Maintain .agent state files. Use at session start, after meaningful steps, and before concluding: read/update constitution/memory/focus/issues/baseline consistently.

163 31
Explore

Didn't find tool you were looking for?

Be as detailed as possible for better results