Comment on egusphere-2026-2478

Abstract

Abstract. TopoToolbox has been widely used to analyze and model landscapes across geomorphology and other geospatial disciplines for the past 15 years. Its documentation and accessible interfaces have made it a valuable resource for teaching and learning quantitative geomorphology while its customizability and efficiency have allowed researchers to use it as a platform for experimentation and implementation of their own analyses and models. Its third version, TopoToolbox 3, builds on these developments by improving access to the software, integrating with a larger ecosystem of geomorphology software, and establishing sustainable research software engineering practices. TopoToolbox, previously available only on the MATLAB platform, is now also available to users of Python, and an R interface is under development. The redesigned architecture of TopoToolbox 3 is based on a shared library of core computational routines that makes these and other integrations possible while maintaining the MATLAB interface for existing users of the software. We illustrate the power of this design with examples of how users can integrate TopoToolbox into their workflows. First, we compare the implementation of a basic application, $\chi$ maps, in MATLAB and Python. Second, we use the GraphFlood hydraulic model, now available in TopoToolbox, to showcase the potential of integrating simulation tools and analyzing their output in one computational environment. Third, we demonstrate a two-way coupling between TopoToolbox and the Python-based Landlab landscape evolution modeling framework. Finally, we show how property-based testing can successfully identify bugs in the absence of known solutions to test cases. We conclude by discussing how improved quality assurance and community-driven development practices ensure that TopoToolbox continues to serve the evolving needs of the geomorphology community.

Authors 11

1. William Kearney corresponding

   University of Potsdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany

2. Gina Arnau

   Princeton University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America

3. Theophil Bringezu

   University of Potsdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Computer Science, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany

4. Michael Dietze Aachen Institute of Geography

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Geography, RWTH Aachen, 52062 Aachen, Germany

5. Boris Gailleton

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Centre National d'Études Spatiales · Géosciences Rennes · Université de Rennes

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES), 75039 Paris, France

   Université de Rennes, CNRS, Géoscience Rennes – UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France

6. Anna-Lena Lamprecht

   University of Potsdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Computer Science, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany

7. Kilian Lenz

   University of Potsdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany

8. Richard F. Ott

   University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands

9. Dirk Scherler

   GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences · Freie Universität Berlin

   Affiliation as printed

   GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, 14473 Potsdam, Germany

   Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie University Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany

10. Philippe Steer

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Géosciences Rennes · Université de Rennes

    Affiliation as printed

    Université de Rennes, CNRS, Géoscience Rennes – UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France

11. Wolfgang Schwanghart

    University of Potsdam · Freie Universität Berlin

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany

    Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie University Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany