Rates of fluvial bedrock incision within an actively uplifting orogen: Central Karakoram Mountains, northern Pakistan

Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) ¹⁰Be surface exposure ages for strath terraces along the Braldu River in the Central Karakoram Mountains range from 0.8 to 11 ka. This indicates that strath terrace formation began to occur rapidly upon deglaciation of the Braldu valley at  11 ka. Fluvial incision rates for the Braldu River based on the TCN ages for strath terraces range from 2 to 29 mm/a. The fluvial incision rates for the central gorged section of the Braldu River are an order of magnitude greater than those for the upper and lower reaches. This difference is reflected in the modern stream gradient and valley morphology. The higher incision rates in the gorged central reach of the Braldu River likely reflect differential uplift above the Main Karakoram Thrust that has resulted in the presence of a knickpoint and more rapid fluvial incision. The postglacial fluvial incision rate (2–3 mm/a) for the upper and lower reaches are of the same order of magnitude as the exhumation rates estimated from previously published thermochronological data for the Baltoro granite in the upper catchment region and for the adjacent Himalayan regions.     

Late Cenozoic uplift of the Amanos Mountains and incision of the Middle Ceyhan river gorge, southern Turkey; Ar–Ar dating of the Düziçi basalt

Using the Ar–Ar technique, we have obtained the first numerical dates for the Pleistocene volcanism along the valley of the River Ceyhan in the Düziçi area of southern Turkey, in the western foothills of the Amanos Mountains. Our six dates indicate a single abrupt episode of volcanism at  270 ka. We have identified a staircase of 7 fluvial terraces, at altitudes of up to  230 m above the present level of the Ceyhan. Using the disposition of the basalt as an age constraint, we assign these terraces to cold-climate stages between marine oxygen isotope stages 16 and 2, indicating rates of fluvial incision, equated to surface uplift, that increase upstream through the western foothills of this mountain range at between 0.25 and 0.4 mm a^− 1. Extrapolation of these uplift rates into the axis of the range suggests that the entire  2300 m of present-day relief has developed since the Mid-Pliocene, a view that we confirm using numerical modelling. Since  3.7 Ma the Amanos Mountains have formed a transpressive stepover along the northern part of the Dead Sea Fault Zone, where crustal shortening is required by the geometry. Using a physics-based technique, we have modelled the overall isostatic response to the combination of processes occurring, including crustal thickening caused by the shortening, erosion caused by orographic precipitation, and the resulting outward flow of mobile lower-crustal material, in order to predict the resulting history of surface uplift. This modelling suggests that the effective viscosity of the lower crust in this region is in the range  1–2 × 10¹⁹ Pa s, consistent with a Moho temperature of  590 ± 10 °C, the latter value being in agreement with heat flow data. This modelling shows that the nature of the active crustal deformation is now understood, to first order at least, in this key locality within the boundary zone between the African and Arabian plates, the structure and geomorphology of which have been fundamentally misunderstood in the past.     

Geomorphic inferences from regolith thickness, chemical denudation and CRN erosion rates near the glacial limit, Boulder Creek catchment and vicinity, Colorado

Granitic regolith, developed in the Boulder Creek catchment and adjacent areas, records a history of deep weathering, some of which may predate Quaternary time. Field and well-log measurements of weathering, chemical denudation and rates of erosion derived from ¹⁰Be cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) data help to quantify rates of landscape change in the post-orogenic Rocky Mountains. The density of oxidized, fractured bedrock ranges from 2.7 to about 2.2 g cm^− 3, saprolite and grus have densities between 2.0 and 1.8 g cm^− 3, and 30 soil samples averaged 1.6 ± 0.2 g cm^− 3. Highly weathered regolith in 540 wells averages 3.3 m thick, mean depth to bedrock in 1661 wells is 7 m, and the weathered thickness exceeds 10 m in relatively large local areas east of the late Pleistocene glacial limit. Thickness of regolith shows no simple relationship to rock type or structure, local slope, or distance from channels. Catchments in the vicinity of the Boulder Creek have an average CRN erosion rate of 2.2 ± 0.7 cm kyr^− 1 for the past 10,000 to 40,000 yr. Annual losses of cations and SiO₂ vary from about 2 to 5 g m^− 2 over a runoff range of 10 to nearly 160 cm.Using measured rates in simple box models shows that if a substantial fraction of void space is created by volume expansion in the weathering rock materials, 7 m of weathered rock materials could form in as little as 230 kyr. If density loss results mainly from chemical denudation and some volume expansion, however, the same weathering profile would take > 1340 kyr to form. Rates of erosion measured by CRN could be balanced by the rate of soil formation from saprolite if the annual solute loss from soil is 2.0 g m^− 2 and 70% of the density decrease from saprolite to grus and soil results from strain. Saprolite, however, forms from oxidized bedrock at a far slower rate and rates of saprolite formation cannot balance soil and grus losses to erosion. The zone of thick weathered regolith is likely an eroding relict landscape. The undulating surface marked by relatively low relief and tors is not literally a topographic surface of Eocene, Oligocene or Miocene age unless it was covered with deposits that were removed in Pliocene or Quaternary time.     

Mid–late Holocene hydrological changes in the Mahi River, arid western India

This paper attempts to quantify contemporary and palaeo-discharges and changes in the hydrologic regime through the mid–late Holocene in the alluvial reach of the arid Mahi River basin in western India. The occurrence of terraces and pointbars high above active river levels and change in the width/depth ratio can be regarded as geomorphic responses to changes in discharge. Discharge estimates are made based on the channel dimensions and established empirical relations for the three types of channels: mid–late Holocene, historic (the channel that deposited extensive pointbars above the present-day average flow level) and the present ones. The bankfull discharge of the mid–late Holocene channel was  55 000 m³ s^− 1 and that of the historic channel was  9500 m³ s^− 1, some  25 times and  5 times greater than that of the present river (2000 m³ s^− 1), respectively. Since the mid–late Holocene, the channel form has changed from wide, large-amplitude meanders to smaller meanders, and decreases in the width/depth ratio, unit stream power and the bed shear stresses have occurred. It can be inferred that there has been a trend of decreasing precipitation since the mid–late Holocene.     

Gigantic low-gradient landslides in the northern periphery of the Crimean Mountains (Ukraine)

Large-scale, low-gradient ancient landslides estimated at 5.4–18.9 km² in area and  0.2–1.2 km³ in volume have been studied in the northern hilly periphery of the Crimean Mountains (Ukraine). They originated on slopes along wide water gaps of rivers (Belbek, Kacha, Alma and Biyuk–Karasu) crossing the cuestas of the northern foothills. The slopes generally consist of slightly northward tilting Miocene (mainly Sarmatian) limestones overlying weak, clay-rich Lower Neogene–Palaeogene substratum with a significant content of smectite. Although the region is characterised by the least active contemporary morphodynamics within the Crimean Mountains, the landslides which were studied are of the same size or even larger than various types of landslides occupying active geomorphic domains of the highest mountain range in the southernmost part of the peninsula. The landslides are generally a spreading type, but the sliding mechanics were probably very complex, involving toppling, rotational slides, gravitational folding and translational block slides. All the landslides which were studied are located in the vicinity of regional faults and three of them have headscarps aligned along faults. A common feature is also a location close (within several km) to the Mesozoic suture zone which is the most important tectonic feature in the northern periphery of the Crimean Orogene. This suture was formerly classified as aseismic; however, evidence of strong, low-frequency palaeoearthquakes was collected during the last decade within both the Mesozoic suture and the low-lying northern part of the Crimean Peninsula. Radiocarbon dating of deposits associated with the landslides has revealed at least two phases of increased landslide-activity during the Late Glacial chronozone and Holocene epoch. The main landslide phase presumably took place at some time between the Late Glacial and Atlantic chronozones. Minor reactivation of landslide toes occurred during the Subatlantic chronozone and some of them have been active up to recent times. The first major landslide phase was possibly triggered by an earthquake, whereas late Holocene activity can be attributed both to seismic and hydroclimatic factors.     

Combining cosmogenic nuclides and major elements from moraine soil profiles to improve weathering rate estimates

Previous studies of chemical weathering rates for soil developed on glacial moraines generally assumed little or no physical erosion of the soil surface. In this study, we investigate the influence of physical erosion on soil profile weathering rate calculations. The calculation of chemical weathering rates is based on the assumption that soil profiles represent the integrated amount of weathering since the time of moraine deposition. The weathering rate of a surface subjected to denudation is the sum of the weathering loss from the existing soil profile added to the weathering loss in the material removed by denudation, divided by the deposition age. In this study, the amount of weathered material removed since moraine deposition is calculated using the denudation rate estimated from cosmogenic nuclide data and the deposition age of the moraine. Weathering rates accounting for denudation since moraine deposition are compared to weathering rates based on the assumption of no physical erosion and on the assumption of steady-state denudation for the Type Pinedale moraine ( 21 ka) and the Bull Lake-age moraine ( 140 ka) in the Fremont Lake Area (Wind River Mountains, Wyoming, USA). The total weathering rates accounting for denudation are 8.15 ± 1.05 g_(oxide) m^− 2 y^− 1 for the Type Pinedale moraine and 4.78 ± 0.89 g_(oxide) m^− 2 y^− 1 for the Bull Lake-age moraine, which are  2 to 4 times higher, respectively, than weathering rates based on the assumption of no physical erosion. The weathering rates based on denudation since moraine deposition are comparable or smaller than weathering rates assuming steady-state denudation. We find the assumption of steady-state denudation is not valid in depositional landscapes with young deposition ages or slow denudation rates. The decrease in weathering rates over time between the Type Pinedale and Bull Lake-age soils that is observed in the case of no physical erosion is decreased when the influence of denudation on the total weathering rates is taken into account. Fresh unweathered material with high reactive mineral surface area is continuously provided to the surface layer by denudation diminishing the effect of decreasing weathering rate over time.     

Late Pleistocene tectonic-geomorphological development within a passive margin — The Cariatá trough, northeastern Brazil

Studies on the geomorphological evolution of the South American passive margin have been based on the pediplanation model, which predicts that its morphology is a response to regional uniform uplift and concomitant development of erosion surfaces. We combined remote sensing, geological mapping, lithostratigraphic and facies analyses, and luminescence dating in the Cariatá trough, northeastern Brazil, in order to determine how brittle tectonics and climate influenced colluviation and the shaping of local landforms in the Quaternary. Our work indicates that Cariatá is an asymmetrical trough  40 km long,  25 km wide, 250–550 m deep, and delimited by ENE–WSW-trending faults to the north and south. We recognized an ENE–WSW-oriented compression related to a strike-slip faulting regime, which corresponds to the present-day stress field in the region. This faulting event led to the deposition of colluvial fans, shed from adjacent uplifted crustal blocks, in a tectonically controlled depression. The colluvial succession is  45 m thick and presents two facies assemblages that filled the southern and, in particular, the northern borders of the trough: non-cohesive debrisflow and mudflow deposits. Optically stimulated luminescence dates of the sedimentary infill yielded ages at 224–128 ka and 45–28 ka, dominated by debrisflow and mudflow deposits, respectively. These ages may be over-estimated due to poor bleaching of colluvium, but they and our field data suggest that the margins of the trough were tectonically uplifted and eroded twice in the Late Pleistocene. The spasmodic colluvial accretion reflects the occurrence of high-magnitude, low-recurrence episodes probably associated with climate shifts in a semi-arid hillslope system. It follows that the present-day low-lying piedmont in which the Cariatá trough occurs is a juxtaposition of surfaces of various ages. This trough may have counterparts across the region. These conclusions do not corroborate the application of the cyclical pediplanation hypothesis in the area.     

Small valley glaciers and the effectiveness of the glacial buzzsaw in the northern Basin and Range, USA

The glacial buzzsaw hypothesis suggests that efficient erosion limits topographic elevations in extensively glaciated orogens. Studies to date have largely focussed on regions where large glaciers (tens of kilometres long) have been active. In light of recent studies emphasising the importance of lateral glacial erosion in lowering peaks and ridgelines, we examine the effectiveness of small glaciers in limiting topography under both relatively slow and rapid rock uplift conditions. Four ranges in the northern Basin and Range, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, USA, were chosen for this analysis. Estimates of maximum Pleistocene slip rates along normal faults bounding the Beaverhead–Bitterroot Mountains (~ 0.14 mm y^− 1), Lemhi Range (~ 0.3 mm y^− 1) and Lost River Range (~ 0.3 mm y^− 1) are an order of magnitude lower than those on the Teton Fault (~ 2 mm y^− 1). We compare the distribution of glacial erosion (estimated from cirque floor elevations and last glacial maximum (LGM) equilibrium line altitude (ELA) reconstructions) and fault slip rate with three metrics of topography in each range: the along-strike maximum elevation swath profile, hypsometry, and slope-elevation profiles. In the slowly uplifting Beaverhead–Bitterroot Mountains, and Lemhi and Lost River Ranges, trends in maximum elevation parallel ELAs, independent of variations in fault slip rate. Maximum elevations are offset ~ 500 m from LGM ELAs in the Lost River Range, Lemhi Range, and northern Beaverhead–Bitterroot Mountains, and by ~ 350 m in the southern Beaverhead–Bitterroot Mountains, where glacial extents were less. The offset between maximum topography and mean Quaternary ELAs, inferred from cirque floor elevations, is ~ 350 m in the Lost River and Lemhi Ranges, and 200–250 m in the Beaverhead–Bitterroot Mountains. Additionally, slope-elevation profiles are flattened and hypsometry profiles show a peak in surface areas close to the ELA in the Lemhi Range and Beaverhead–Bitterroot Mountains, suggesting that small glaciers efficiently limit topography. The situation in the Lost River Range is less clear as a glacial signature is not apparent in either slope-elevation profiles or the hypsometry. In the rapidly uplifting Teton Range, the distribution of ELAs appears superficially to correspond to maximum topography, hypsometry, and slope-elevations profiles, with regression lines on maximum elevations offset by ~ 700 and ~ 350 m from the LGM and mean Quaternary ELA respectively. However, Grand Teton and Mt. Moran represent high-elevation “Teflon Peaks” that appear impervious to glacial erosion, formed in the hard crystalline bedrock at the core of the range. Glacier size and drainage density, rock uplift rate, and bedrock lithology are all important considerations when assessing the ability of glaciers to limit mountain range topography. In the northern Basin and Range, it is only under exceptional circumstances in the Teton Range that small glaciers appear to be incapable of imposing a fully efficient glacial buzzsaw, emphasising that high peaks represent an important caveat to the glacial buzzsaw hypothesis.     

Geomorphological evidence for the Late Holocene evolution and the Holocene lake level maximum of the Aral Sea

During the Holocene the Aral Sea underwent various transgressive and regressive phases of different magnitudes. However, previous work has not yet fully clarified the evolution and chronology of the individual phases. Research presented here throws light on the evolution of the Aral Sea during the past  2000 years. It includes field surveys, tachymetric and DGPS-derived altitude measurements, analysis of sediments from two areas of the northern and southern Aral Basin (Tastubek Bay and Karaumbet Bay), and their correlation with GIS-based lake area models. Geomorphological and sedimentological evidence from the study areas shows a transgression of the Aral Sea around 200 AD, ending at a lake level maximum of 54 to 55 m. After a medieval regression, the lake reached this level again between the late 16th and early 19th century AD. The digital elevation model SRTM-3 was used to estimate a lake size of 72,400 km² for the lake level maximum.Elevated palaeoshorelines, specifically at 72–73 m, are completely absent in the study areas. Local remains of escarpments at elevations of 66 m and 73 m are due to resistant Miocene caprock and are therefore not interpretable as shoreline features.     

Spatial variability of soil hydrophobicity after wildfires in Montana and Colorado

Increases in runoff and erosion after wildfires are often attributed to the development of hydrophobic soils. The potential for increased overland flow depends on the spatial contiguity of the hydrophobicity as well as its overall strength, but there is limited information on the spatial variability of soil hydrophobicity. We conducted spatially intensive hydrophobicity measurements in 225 m² and 1 m² plots in forested areas of Montana and Colorado burned at moderate to high severity, and in unburned control plots. Both the burned and unburned 225 m² plots contained 10–23 hydrophobic soil patches in which hydrophobicity was strongest at the surface and declined rapidly with depth. The hydrophobic patches were closer together and up to 3 times larger in the burned plots. Consequently, 19% to 76% of the burned plots were hydrophobic compared to just 11% of the unburned plots. In five of the six burned plots, the patches were not laterally connected, suggesting that in most cases Hortonian overland flow generated from hydrophobic patches will infiltrate near its point of origin. The 1 m² plots were smaller than most of the hydrophobic patches, so they did not capture the spatial characteristics of soil hydrophobicity. Characterization of the spatial variability of soil hydrophobicity should be based on measurements conducted at  1 m intervals across areas of > 100 m². Due to the patchiness of soil hydrophobicity at the 10⁰ to 10¹ meter scale, overland flow measurements in small ( 1 m²) plots may overestimate the magnitude and variability of runoff from burned catchments.     

Flux and fate of Yangtze River sediment delivered to the East China Sea

Numerous cores and dating show the Yangtze River has accumulated about 1.16 × 10¹² t sediment in its delta plain and proximal subaqueous delta during Holocene. High-resolution seismic profiling and coring in the southern East China Sea during 2003 and 2004 cruises has revealed an elongated ( 800 km) distal subaqueous mud wedge extending from the Yangtze River mouth southward off the Zhejiang and Fujian coasts into the Taiwan Strait. Overlying what appears to be a transgressive sand layer, this distal clinoform thins offshore, from  40 m thickness between the 20 and 30 m water depth to < 1–2 m between 60 and 90 m water depth, corresponding to an across shelf distance of less than 100 km. Total volume of this distal mud wedge is about 4.5 × 10¹¹ m³, equivalent to  5.4 × 10¹¹ t of sediment. Most of the sediment in this mud wedge comes from the Yangtze River, with some input presumably coming from local smaller rivers. Thus, the total Yangtze-derived sediments accumulated in its deltaic system and East China Sea inner shelf have amounted to about 1.7 × 10¹² t. Preliminary analyses suggest this longshore and across-shelf transported clinoform mainly formed in the past 7000 yrs after postglacial sea level reached its mid-Holocene highstand, and after re-intensification of the Chinese longshore current system. Sedimentation accumulation apparently increased around 2000 yrs BP, reflecting the evolution of the Yangtze estuary and increased land erosion due to human activities, such as farming and deforestation. The southward-flowing China Coastal Current, the northward-flowing Taiwan Warm Current, and the Kuroshio Current appear to have played critical roles in transporting and trapping most of Yangtze-derived materials in the inner shelf, and hence preventing the sediment escape into the deep ocean.     

Late Holocene upper bounds of flood magnitudes and twentieth century large floods in the ungauged, hyperarid alluvial Nahal Arava, Israel

The impact of large twentieth century floods on the riparian vegetation and channel morphology of the relatively wide anabranching and braided Nahal Arava, southern Israel, was documented as part of developing tools to (a) identify recent large floods, (b) determine these flood's respective magnitudes in alluvial ungauged streams, and (c) determine long-term upper bounds to flood stages and magnitudes. Along most of its course Nahal Paran, a major tributary that impacts the morphology, floods and sediments of Nahal Arava at the study reach, is a coarse-gravel, braided ephemeral stream. Downstream of the Arava–Paran confluence, aeolian and fluvial sand delivered from eastern Arava valley alters the channel morphology. The sand has accreted up to 2.5 m above the distinct current channels, facilitating the recording of large floods. This sand enhances the establishment of denser riparian vegetation (mainly Tamarix nilotica and Haloxylon persicum) that interacts with floods and affects stream morphology. A temporal association was found between specific floods recorded upstream and tree-ring ages of re-growth of flood-damaged tamarix trees (‘Sigafoos trees’) in the past 30 years. This association can be utilized for developing a twentieth century flood chronology in hyperarid ungauged basins in the region. The minimum magnitude of the largest flood that covered the entire channel width, estimated from flood deposits, is approximately 1700–1800 m³s^− 1. This is a larger magnitude than the largest gauged flood of 1150 m³s^− 1 that occurred in 1970 about 30 km upstream in Nahal Paran. Our estimation agrees with flood magnitude estimated from the regional envelope curve of the largest floods. Based on Holocene alluvial stratigraphy and OSL dating in the study reach we also conclude that flood stages did not reach the late Holocene ( 2.2 ka) surface and therefore we estimate a non-exceedance upper bound of  2000 m³s^− 1 flood magnitudes for Nahal Arava during that interval. This study indicates that in unfavorable areas the combination of hydrology, fluvial morphology and botanic evidence can increase our understanding of ungauged basins and give information crucial for hydrology planning.     

Tectonic geomorphology of the Triglav Lakes Valley (easternmost Southern Alps, NW Slovenia)

We present a study on the impact of litho-structural setting and neotectonic activity on meso- and macro-scale relief production in Alpine areas. The topography of the high alpine Triglav Lakes Valley, NW Slovenia, was studied by means of detailed mapping and stratigraphic study of the valley. The Triglav Lakes Valley is characterised by a generally asymmetric transverse (E–W) profile: a very steep eastern slope, a relatively flat valley and a relatively gentle western slope. On the transverse profile the valley floor is essentially flat, gently dipping towards the east. In the longitudinal cross-section, however, the valley floor is marked by sharply-defined fault blocks extending in a W–E to NW–SE direction. Additionally, the highest block (elevations  2100 m) is in the northern part of the valley, the lowest (elevations  1600 m) in the southern part of the valley. Our research shows that the Triglav Lakes Valley directly represents the topographic expression of Paleogene–Neogene thrusting and faulting, having recorded the following geomorphologic evolutionary stages: 1. an Oligocene to early Miocene W-vergent thrusting phase, with steep W-facing slopes of the eastern part of the valley directly representing the thrusting front; and 2. a Neogene-to-present strike–slip faulting in NNE–SSW direction with two bifurcating right-lateral strike–slip systems. We show that the Triglav Lakes Valley almost perfectly mimics the wedge-shaped damage zone located between these faults.     

Quantifying the slip rates, spatial distribution and evolution of active normal faults from geomorphic analysis: Field examples from an oblique-extensional graben, southern Turkey

Quantifying the extent to which geomorphic features can be used to extract tectonic signals is a key challenge in the Earth Sciences. Here we analyse the drainage patterns, geomorphic impact, and long profiles of bedrock rivers that drain across and around normal faults in a regionally significant oblique-extensional graben (Hatay Graben) in southern Turkey that has been mapped geologically, but for which there are poor constraints on the activity, slip rates and Plio–Pleistocene evolution of basin-bounding faults. We show that drainage in the Hatay Graben is strongly asymmetric, and by mapping the distribution of wind gaps, we are able to evaluate how the drainage network has evolved through time. By comparing the presence, size, and distribution of long profile convexities, we demonstrate that the northern margin of the graben is tectonically quiescent, whereas the southern margin is bounded by active faults. Our analysis suggests that rivers crossing these latter faults are undergoing a transient response to ongoing tectonic uplift, and this interpretation is supported by classic signals of transience such as gorge formation and hill slope rejuvenation within the convex reach. Additionally, we show that the height of long profile convexities varies systematically along the strike of the southern margin faults, and we argue that this effect is best explained if fault linkage has led to an increase in slip rate on the faults through time from  0.1 to 0.45 mm/yr. By measuring the average length of the original fault segments, we estimate the slip rate enhancement along the faults, and thus calculate the range of times for which fault acceleration could have occurred, given geological estimates of fault throw. These values are compared with the times and slip rates required to grow the documented long-profile convexities enabling us to quantify both the present-day slip rate on the fault (0.45 ± 0.05 mm/yr) and the timing of fault acceleration (1.4 ± 0.2 Ma). Our results have substantial implications for predicting earthquake hazard in this densely populated area (calculated potential M_w = 6.0–6.6), enable us to constrain the tectonic evolution of the graben through time, and more widely, demonstrate that geomorphic analysis can be used as an effective tool for estimating fault slip rates over time periods > 10⁶ years, even in the absence of direct geodetic constraints.     

Exhumation and incision history of the Lahul Himalaya, northern India, based on (U–Th)/He thermochronometry and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide methods

Low-temperature apatite (U–Th)/He (AHe) thermochronology on vertical transects of leucogranite stocks and ¹⁰Be terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) surface exposure dating on strath terraces in the Lahul Himalaya provide a first approximation of long-term (10⁴–10⁶ years) exhumation rates for the High Himalayan Crystalline Series (HHCS) for northern India. The AHe ages show that exhumation of the HHCS in Lahul from shallow crustal levels to the surface was ~ 1–2 mm/a and occurred during the past ~ 2.5 Ma. Bedrock exhumation in Lahul fits into a regional pattern in the HHCS of low-temperature thermochronometers yielding Plio-Pleistocene ages. Surface exposure ages of strath terraces along the Chandra River range from ~ 3.5 to 0.2 ka. Two sites along the Chandra River show a correlation between TCN age and height above the river level yielding maximum incision rates of 12 and 5.5 mm/a. Comparison of our AHe and surface exposure ages from Lahul with thermochronometry data from the fastest uplifting region at the western end of the Himalaya, the Nanga Parbat syntaxis, illustrates that there are contrasting regions in the High Himalaya where longer term (10⁵–10⁷ years) erosion and exhumation of bedrock substantially differ even though Holocene rates of fluvial incision are comparable. These data imply that the orogen's indenting corners are regions where focused denudation has been stable since the mid-Pliocene. However, away from these localized areas where there is a potent coupling of tectonic and surface processes that produce rapid uplift and denudation, Plio-Pleistocene erosion and exhumation can be characterized by disequilibrium, where longer term rates are relatively slower and shorter term fluvial erosion is highly variable over time and distance. The surface exposure age data reflect differential incision along the length of the Chandra River over millennial time frames, illustrate the variances that are possible in Himalayan river incision, and highlight the complexity of Himalayan environments.     

A frost “buzzsaw” mechanism for erosion of the eastern Southern Alps, New Zealand

In the Southern Alps, New Zealand, large gradients in precipitation (< 1 to 12 m year^− 1) and rock uplift (< 1 to 10 mm year^− 1) produce distinct post-glacial geomorphic domains in which landslide-driven sediment production dominates in the wet, rapid-uplift western region, and rockfall controls erosion in the drier, low-uplift eastern region. Because the western region accounts for < 25% of the active orogen, the dynamics of erosion in the extensive eastern region are of equal importance in estimating the relative balance of uplift and erosion across the Southern Alps. Here, we assess the efficacy of frost cracking as the primary rockfall mechanism in the eastern Southern Alps using air photo and topographic analysis of scree slopes, cosmogenic radionuclide dating of headwalls, paleo-climate data, and a numerical model of headwall temperature. Currently, active scree slopes occur at a relatively uniform mean elevation ( 1450 m) and their distribution is independent of hillslope aspect and rock type, consistent with the notion that frost cracking (which is maximized between − 3 and − 8 °C) may control rockfall erosion. Headwall erosion rates of 0.3 to 0.9 mm year^− 1, measured using in-situ ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in the Cragieburn Range, confirm that rockfall erosion is active in the late Holocene at rates that roughly balance rock uplift. Models of the predicted depth of frost activity are consistent with the scale of fractures and scree blocks in our field sites. Also, vegetated, paleo-scree slopes are ubiquitous at elevations lower than active scree slopes, consistent with the notion that lower temperatures during the last glacial advance induced pervasive rockfall erosion due to frost cracking. Our modeling suggests temporally-averaged peak frost cracking intensity occurs at 2300 m a.s.l., the approximate elevation of the highest peaks in the central Southern Alps, suggesting that the height of these peaks may be limited by a “frost buzzsaw.”     

Late Cenozoic geomorphologic signal of Andean forearc deformation and tilting associated with the uplift and climate changes of the Southern Atacama Desert (26°S–28°S)

We analyze remarkable examples of the large ( 10,000 km²) and local-scale ( 100 km²) landscape forms related to Late Cenozoic geomorphologic evolution of the Andean forearc region in the Southern Atacama Desert. We also consider the continental sedimentary deposits, so-called “Atacama Gravels”, which are related to the degradation of the landscape during the Neogene. Our analysis integrates 1:50,000 field cartography, Landsat TM images observations,  1:1000 sedimentary logging data, and 50 m horizontal resolution topographic data to reconstruct the Late Cenozoic geomorphologic evolution of this region and discuss the factors that control it, i.e., Miocene aridification of the climate and Neogene Central Andean uplift. We determine that the Precordillera was already formed in the Oligocene and most of the present-day altitude of the Precordillera was reached before that time. Afterward, five episodes of geomorphologic evolution can be differentiated: (1) the development of an Oligocene deep incised drainage system cutting the uplifted Precordillera (up to 2000 m of vertical incision) and connecting it to the Ocean; followed by (2) the infilling of deep incised valleys by up to 400 m of Atacama Gravels. This infill started in the Early Miocene with the development of fluvial deposition and finished in the Middle Miocene with playa and playa lake depositions. We propose that playa-related deposition occurs in an endorheic context related to tectonic activity of the Atacama Fault System and Coastal Cordillera uplift. However, the upward sedimentologic variation in the Atacama Gravels evidences a progressive aridification of the climate. Subsequently, we have identified the effects of the Middle–Upper Miocene slow tectonic deformation: the Neogene Andean uplift is accommodated by a tilting or flexuring of the inner-forearc (Central Depression and Precordillera) related to some hundreds of meters of uplift in the Precordillera. This tilting or flexuring results in (3) the Middle Miocene re-opening of the valley network to the Pacific Ocean. Upper Miocene aridification, from arid to hyperarid, induces alluvial fans backfilling in the Central Depression (4) resulting in up to 50 m of Atacama Gravel deposition. Finally, in response to an increase in the rate of tilting, a new phase of vertical incision (up to 800 m in the Precordillera) allows the development of the canyon that crosses the forearc (5).     

Cosmogenic nuclide-based investigation of spatial erosion and hillslope channel coupling in the transient foreland of the Swiss Alps

Transient landscape disequilibrium is a common response to climatic fluctuations between glacial and interglacial conditions. Such landscapes are best suited to the investigation of catchment-wide response to changes in incision. The geomorphology of the Trub and Grosse Fontanne, adjacent stream systems in the Napf region of the Swiss Molasse, was analyzed using a 2-m LIDAR DEM. The two catchments were impacted by the Last Glacial Maximum, LGM, even though the glaciers never overrode this region. They did, however, cause base levels to drop by as much as 80 m. Despite their similar tectonic, lithologic and climatic settings, these two basins show very different responses to the changing boundary conditions. Stream profiles in the Trub tend to be smooth, while in the Fontanne, numerous knickzones are visible. Similarly, cut-and-fill terraces are abundant in the Trub watershed, but absent in the Fontanne, where deep valleys have been incised. The Trub appears to be a coupled hillslope–channel system because the morphometrics throughout the basin are uniform. The morphology of hillslopes upstream of the knickzones in the Fontanne is identical to that of the Trub basin, but different downstream of the knickzones, suggesting that the lower reaches of the Fontanne have been decoupled from the hillslopes. However, the rapid incision of the Fontanne is having little effect on the adjacent upper hillslopes.We tested this interpretation using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be-derived basin-averaged denudation rates and terrace dating. The coupled nature of the Trub basin is supported by the similarity of denudation rates, 350 ± 50 mm ky^− 1, at a variety of spatial scales. Upstream of the knickzones, rates in the Fontanne, 380 ± 50 mm ky^− 1, match those of the Trub. Downstream of the knickzones, denudation rates increase to 540 ± 100 mm ky^− 1. The elevated rates in the downstream areas of the Fontanne are due to rapid incision causing a decoupling of the hillslope from the channel. Basin response time and the magnitude of base level drop exert the principal control over the difference in geomorphic response between the two basins. The timing of the filling of the Trub valley, 17 ± 2 ka, and the initial incision of the Fontanne, 16 ± 3 ka, were calculated, verifying that these are responses to late glacial perturbations. Unique lithologic controls allow for one of the fastest regolith production rates yet to be reported,  380 mm ky^− 1.     

Quaternary bedrock erosion and landscape evolution in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica: Reevaluating rates and processes

Rates and processes of rock weathering, soil formation, and mountain erosion during the Quaternary were evaluated in an inland Antarctic cold desert. The fieldwork involved investigations of weathering features and soil profiles for different stages after deglaciation. Laboratory analyses addressed chemistry of rock coatings and soils, as well as ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al exposure ages of the bedrock. Less resistant gneiss bedrock exposed over 1 Ma shows stone pavements underlain by in situ produced silty soils thinner than 40 cm and rich in sulfates, which reflect the active layer thickness, the absence of cryoturbation, and the predominance of salt weathering. During the same exposure period, more resistant granite bedrock has undergone long-lasting cavernous weathering that produces rootless mushroom-like boulders with a strongly Fe-oxidized coating. The red coating protects the upper surface from weathering while very slow microcracking progresses by the growth of sulfates. Geomorphological evidence and cosmogenic exposure ages combine to provide contrasting average erosion rates. No erosion during the Quaternary is suggested by a striated roche moutonnée exposed more than 2 Ma ago. Differential erosion between granite and gneiss suggests a significant lowering rate of desert pavements in excess of 10 m Ma^− 1. The landscape has been (on the whole) stable, but the erosion rate varies spatially according to microclimate, geology, and surface composition.