末次冰期河流下切行为对气候变化的响应模式

末次冰期是距离人类最近的一次冰期,气候异常寒冷且存在高频高幅波动,河流系统如何响应冰期气候的变化值得关注与研究。基于河流系统对气候变化的敏感响应,传统的经典地貌理论认为河流下切在河流阶地形成过程中起着至关重要的作用,河流的下切行为发生在间冰期或者冰期向间冰期的过渡阶段,堆积行为发生于冰期,然而近年来最新的河流地貌研究成果表明,末次冰期河流下切较为普遍。首先对河流阶地形成的传统模式进行总结分析,认为单纯的构造驱动模式存在不合理性,气候也发挥着重要的调节作用;单一的气候变化无法驱动多级且高差较大阶地的形成,地壳抬升往往是必要因素;气候变化是引发河流堆积-下切行为转换形成河流阶地的关键因素。其次通过前人的研究案例总结出末次冰期河流下切行为响应气候变化的三种模式：(1)气候的高度不稳定性引发大规模的洪水事件驱动河流快速下切;(2)快速隆升区气候高频波动叠加构造抬升驱动河流下切;(3)沿海平原地区海平面大幅度下降驱动河流下切。这三种模式对于理解末次冰期河流系统对短尺度高频气候变化的响应以及对河流阶地成因的判断具有十分重要的指导意义。     

基于ASTER-DEM的雅鲁藏布江下游差异抬升分析

雅鲁藏布江是东构造结的核心区域,为研究雅鲁藏布江大拐弯流域现今隆升发育现状,本文基于ArcGIS平台,对雅鲁藏布江下游大拐弯流域的ASTER-DEM30 m面积-高程积分值（Hypsometry Index,简称HI法,是一种基于数字高程模型来获取流域演化特征及其构造活动响应指标的方法）进行计算,并结合构造、岩性、气候、第四系以及河流等基础资料探讨该地区隆升差异。结果表明:HI>0.43的隆升区主要集中在大拐弯缝合带以外的区域且分布与各断块中的三级夷平面具有较好的耦合性;而HI>0.60拉萨断隆隆升区分布范围最大,加拉白垒断隆分布最小,仅在大拐弯小范围分布;HI < 0.43的侵蚀下切区,处于河流的一二级谷肩位置以及河流发育较为成熟的区域;林芝-派镇段区域内HI < 0.35,以侵蚀下切为主。由以上得出:区内构造挤压作用依然存在,而气候、河流以及断裂带密度的影响是在构造背景下产生的,随着时间推移以上因素会逐渐抑制构造抬升作用,并且对侵蚀的促进作用在不同区域内表现不同;当构造作用发挥主要作用时,断块以隆升作用为主,HI>0.43;气候作用的影响使加拉白垒与南迦巴瓦峰处于隆升停滞,HI < 0.43;林芝段HI < 0.35说明在气候、河流发育以及断裂带密度的影响下会加大侵蚀的力度使得区域内以侵蚀下切为主,未有抬升迹象。整体上,在构造、气候、河流发育及断裂带密度综合影响下,隆升作用由雅鲁藏布江流域下游外部向内部逐渐减弱,而局部区域上的差异是由影响因素发挥作用的差异决定的。     

地带性与非地带性夷平面*

夷平面是指由剥蚀和夷平作用所产生的,以截面形式横切所有在年龄上先于它的地层和构造的一种平缓地形。前人普遍认为,夷平面是在构造相对稳定条件下经过长期外营力作用形成的一个接近基准面的平坦地形,是地貌长期演化的终极产物。 流水侵蚀是夷平面形成的动力学基础。"夷平面"一直是解释新生代以来大的构造格局和地貌演化的重要理论依据,如我国青藏高原隆升的研究。 基于气候地貌学原理,文章提出了寒冻夷平面和干旱夷平面的概念;从坡地演化过程理论模型入手,探讨了寒冻、干旱夷平面和流水夷平面的形成机理;提出有别于传统"构造侵蚀旋迴"理论的"构造隆升和地面剥夷动态平衡"的气候夷平地貌假说;此外,还简要分析了这三类夷平面的全球分布规律。     

川滇块体东北缘晚第四纪区域气候-地貌分析及其构造地貌年代学意义

地貌年代是新构造特别是活动构造定量研究的瓶颈问题.通过对川滇块体北东边界构造带所在的区域气候变化过程和地貌研究成果的综合分析.利用众多的年代学数据,从区域尺度对地貌的年代、形态和物质组成等特征对比分析,探讨了该区冰川地貌、河流阶地和冲洪积扇的演化特征,揭示了区域气候变化与区域性地貌演化存在的内在对应关系.气候变化产生的气温、湿度、降水量等变化控制了该区冰川地貌和流水地貌的演化.区域内冰川地貌主要是末次冰期的产物,对应于末次冰期两个冰阶,河流作用在7～10ka和1～5ka两个阶段改造末次冰期堆积地貌形成相应的侵蚀地貌.主要河流阶地发育对应于降水量剧烈变化的气候过程,其中形成三级阶地而的流水下切作用最强,随后堆积的深厚物质是二级阶地的主体,并一直没有被后期流水下切作用蚀穿,与气候变化的强度等特点对应.区内冲洪积扇主要有3个堆积时期,即3～5ka,7～10ka和20～25ka,主要发育在气候变化最剧烈的时期,大量的碎屑物形成并短距离搬运堆积.将区域分析综合的结果应运到康定南团结乡附近的地貌分析,可以很好的理解该区的地貌演化,用侵蚀改造的地貌演化结论否认了以前的堆积地貌认识,理清了地貌发育的年龄序列.综合分析与应用的结果表明,区域气候-地貌-构造系统研究对于活动构造年代学具有非常重要的意义.     

构造-流体-成矿体系的反应-输运-力学耦合模型和动力学模拟

建立了一个综合的构造流体成矿体系的反应输运力学耦合动力学模型。利用有限元方法求解岩石变形、断裂作用和断裂网络统计动力学、流体流动、有机和无机地球化学反应及成岩成矿作用、压力溶液和其它压实力学、热迁移的方程组 ,可以对构造流体成矿体系的动力学演化过程进行 1～ 3维数值模拟。模拟的主要内容是在各种过程耦合作用下描述构造流体成矿体系的主要变量的时空演化 :( 1)与成矿流体的形成和性质有关的变量 ,如地层中矿物 (包括成矿物质 )的溶解速率、流体中各组分的浓度与饱和度、流体温度、压力、离子强度等 ;( 2 )与构造变形和流体运移有关的各变量 ,如应力与变形速率、岩石孔隙度、构造 (断裂 )渗透率等 ;( 3 )与沉淀成矿有关的变量 ,如矿物 (金属矿物和脉石矿物 )的成核速率、各矿物的沉淀量等 ;( 4 )上述各有关变量间的时空耦合关系 ,如断裂渗透率时空演化与流体流动、汇聚和成矿的耦合关系等。以湖南沃溪金锑钨矿床为例 ,应用该模型和方法对成矿动力学过程和动力学机制进行了初步的模拟与分析。     

准噶尔盆地车排子凸起东缘下切谷特征及其形成机制

下切谷是层序地层学研究的重要内容之一,同时也是寻找地层、岩性等圈闭的有利地区。综合利用钻测井、三维地震资料以及地震平面属性信息,在车排子凸起至红—车断裂带区域识别出下切谷沉积体系,对下切谷的发育特征以及形成机制进行分析,结果表明:地震振幅绝对值之和属性体显示研究区发育4条近东西流向的下切谷,主要表现为分支型和单一型的平面形态特征。在地震剖面上,几何形态以V形和U形为主,谷内沉积物充填样式有双向上超充填型和侧向加积充填型,同时具有加积、前积和上超等地震反射特征,属于“顺源堆积”与“溯源堆积”的交互沉积。结合准噶尔盆地车排子凸起中生代构造及气候演化特征分析认为,凸起东缘下切谷形成于晚侏罗世。该时期车排子凸起强烈隆升,相对湖平面急剧下降,河流侵蚀下伏地层导致下切谷形成。下切谷内沉积充填阶段发生在白垩纪。该时期车排子凸起剧烈下沉,相对湖平面上升,下切谷持续性的接受沉积充填。     

中国岩溶环境的评价和保护

中国的岩溶地形及环境变化很大。它们之间的区别归因于各自的地质历史,这是受构造岩性和气候条件的控制。本文着重强调岩溶地区的人类活动,它比岩溶发育自然过程对自然资源和自然灾害的影响更大,如灾难性落水洞坍塌。因此,在规划任何建筑施工,岩溶地区的土地利用之变化和经济发展之前,必须认识和研究复杂的水文地质和工程地质条件。中国的北方和南方的岩溶区都有实例。不同环境因素,如岩溶发育强度,灾难落水洞坍塌频率和其它自然灾害,以及水资源、矿产资源的数量和质量,都必须进行岩溶环境的单变量和多变量定量分析。通过数学评价可最好地确定岩溶资源的最优使用方案。     

构造成矿非线性动力学:1.递增应力流变学模型

本文提出了构造成矿作用动力学研究的递增应力流变学方法。利用该方法将构造变形、应力、流体流动、地球化学反应及成岩成矿作用等多过程耦合起来，可以从多种地质过程的耦合与反馈作用对构造成矿的动力学演化过程进行１～３维数值模拟。模拟的主要内容是在各种过程耦合作用下，以下描述构造成矿体系的主要变量的时空演化：（１）与成矿流体的形成和性质有关的变量，如地层中矿物（包括成矿物质）的溶解速率、流体中各组分的浓度与饱和度、流体温度、压力、离子强度等；（２）与构造变形和流体运移有关的各变量，如应力与变形速率、岩石孔隙度、构造（断裂）渗透率等；（３）与沉淀成矿有关的变量，如矿物（金瞩矿物和脉石矿物）的成核速率、各矿物的沉淀量等；（４）上述各有关变量间的时空耦合关系，如断裂渗透率时空演化与流体流动、汇聚和成矿的耦合关系等。     

孤岛油田中二中区开发中后期微型构造研究

从油田开发实际出发，系统总结了影响微型构造精度的主要因素、微型构造研究的方法及合理工作程序。以河流动力学理论等为依据，以孤岛油田中二中区380口井的测井测井资料及取心资料为基础，总结了研究区馆陶组上段3-5砂层组各小层的微型构造类型及特征，认为微型构造主要与河道侵蚀下切、古地形、差异压实作用等非构造作用因素有关。探讨了微型构造对油井生产及剩余油分布的影响或控制作用。     

河流阶地演化与构造抬升速率——以天山北麓晚第四纪河流作用为例

构造地貌学重点关注构造和地表过程对于地形地貌演化的差异化作用,构造活动速率则是评估这种影响的一个重要指标。利用河流阶地数据计算河流下切速率从而约束构造抬升速率是常用的方法,但由于阶地成因复杂,这一方法具有不确定性。对于山前河流地貌序列,基于背斜段与未变形段的阶地拔河高度差以及阶地面形成年龄,计算得到的河流下切速率可在一定程度上消除气候等因素的影响,因此可用于估算背斜自阶地形成以来的平均抬升速率。基于该方法,本文通过研究天山北麓乌鲁木齐河、塔西河、玛纳斯河、金钩河、安集海河及奎屯河等河流在背斜段发育的主要阶地,分析了背斜抬升速率及其时空特征。天山北麓发育3排逆断裂一背斜带,结果表明位于第Ⅱ排逆断裂一背斜带的吐谷鲁背斜自约13ka以来的抬升速率为3.52mm/a,同时期霍尔果斯背斜构造抬升速率为4.8mm/a,玛纳斯背斜东端的抬升速率相对较小,为2ram/a;第Ⅲ排构造带中的独山子背斜全新世抬升速率仅为1.2~1.9mm/a。这可能表明,自山前向盆地方向晚第四纪背斜抬升速率大致呈减小趋势,与背斜地壳缩短量的空间分布规律基本一致。更多的阶地年龄数据有助于更好地揭示天山北麓晚第四纪背斜构造活动特征。     

Evaluating the role of climate and tectonics during non-steady incision of the Yellow River: evidence from a 1.24 Ma terrace record near Lanzhou,China

The competing roles of bedrock uplift and climatic change in the formation of fluvial terraces remain uncertain. Most of recent studies have attributed terrace formation to climatic changes and held that, even in tectonically active settings, climate variations control cycles of terrace planation and abandonment. Based on field investigations of loess-paleosol sequences, magnetostratigraphy and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, we develop a new chronology for a spectacular flight of terraces along the Yellow River near Lanzhou, China over past 1.24 Ma. All the terraces are strikingly similar in that they have several meters of paleosol developed directly above fluvial deposits on the terrace treads, suggesting that the abandonment of each terrace due to river incision occurs during the transition from glacial to interglacial climates. However, the ages of terraces cluster in two relatively short time periods (1.24–0.86 Ma and 0.13 Ma – present). During the intervening time between 0.86 Ma and 0.13 Ma, terraces either did not form or were not preserved. We suggest that this record indicates that rock uplift rates varied through time and influenced terrace formation/preservation. Thus, our results demonstrate the utility of deep chronologic records from fluvial terraces for deconvolving the effects of tectonics and climate on fluvial incision.     

雅鲁藏布江大峡谷地貌响应时间域的定量计算

基岩河道流域地区的地貌演化定量化研究在构造-气候-表面过程关系的探讨中具有十分重要的意义。定量化的分析主要关注气候、构造等外在因素以及河流内在调节机制对地貌演化的影响。本文总结了关于基岩河道流域地貌分析的定量方法和模型的研究进展,并利用DL模型对雅鲁藏布江中下游河段进行了演算,结果显示该地区在稳定状态下地貌演化时间域在0.065～0.420M a之间,反映了该地区快速的地貌演化过程。     

Predicting landscape-scale erosion rates using digital elevation models

Functional relationships between erosion rates and topography are central to understanding controls on global sediment flux and interactions among tectonics, climate, and erosion in shaping topography. Based on such relations digital elevation models (DEMs) allow predicting landscape-scale erosion rates to the degree that process models can be calibrated and to the extent that such processes reflect elevation, drainage area, and aspect, or their derivatives such as slope and curvature. Digital elevation models allow investigating the influence of erosional processes on landscape form and evolution through generalized quantitative expressions often referred to as ‘erosion laws’. The analytical forms of such expressions are derived from physical principles, but only limited data are available to guide calibration to particular landscapes. In addition, few studies have addressed how different transport laws interact to set landscape-scale erosion rates in different environments. Conventionally, landscape-scale sediment flux is considered to be linearly related to slope or relief, but recent analyses point toward non-linear relations for steep terrain in which changes in the frequency of landsliding accommodate increased rates of rock uplift. In such situations, landscape-scale erosion rates are more closely tied to erosion potential predicted by models of bedrock river incision. Consequently, I propose that using DEMs to predict absolute or relative erosion rates at the landscape-scale counter-intuitively involves the rate of fluvial processes as governing the sediment flux from steep landscapes, and rates of hillslope processes as governing sediment flux from low-gradient landscapes. To cite this article: D.R. Montgomery, C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

从端点走向连续:河流沉积模式研究进展述评

从河道类型的划分、河床演变与河型转换、河道沉积与河流砂体的建筑结构要素、河漫滩沉积、季节性河流与分支河流体系、河流沉积相模式、河流沉积学研究技术与方法等方面对国内外河流沉积模式的研究进展进行了综述,认为近十年来河流沉积学的理论和方法都发生了重要的变化。地貌学家、沉积学家和工程师认识到河道形态是连续可变的,而不是只有4~40多个端点类型。河床的演变受河床比降、流量变幅、河岸沉积物粒度构成、气候、植被以及构造沉降速率等多方面的影响。垂向剖面分析法难以对古河流类型做出正确的判断,运用建筑结构要素分析法重建河道内大型底形的地貌形态是河型判别和河流相模式重建的正确方法。河漫滩是河流沉积事件记录最为齐全的部位,对河漫滩、天然堤和泛滥平原沉积层序的研究能够揭示更多古河流沉积过程以及古环境、古气候和古生物方面的信息。对季节性河流、受季风强烈影响地区的河流、以及不同气候带河流所发育的独特沉积构造和建筑结构要素的研究不断增加。分支河流体系的概念得到越来越多的应用,但也得到不少质疑。我国学者应当注重对现代河流地貌形态和沉积过程的观察,把河床演变学的定量方法与沉积学的观点、理论和资料相结合,利用露头、三维地震资料和探地雷达技术建立河流砂体内部建筑结构信息数据库,加强对古河流河漫滩和泛滥平原的沉积过程、特征及其控制因素的研究,加强对不同构造和气候条件下河流沉积的差异性研究,不断发展河流沉积学研究技术,加强河流沉积学实验室建设和研究队伍建设,加强国际交流与合作,使我国河流沉积学为国家经济社会发展提供更加有力和有效的支撑,为推动国际河流沉积学发展做出中国人自己的贡献。     

河流沉积学研究热点与进展--第11届国际河流沉积学大会综述

第11届国际河流沉积学大会于2017年7月17日-21日在加拿大卡尔加里大学举行,每四年举行一次的国际河流沉积学学术会议,吸引了当今北美、欧洲、澳洲及亚洲从事河流沉积学及相关学科研究的众多知名学者参会,研究成果充分体现了当前国际河流沉积学研究取得的重要进展和发展方向。重要进展有:1）河流动力学及其变化过程研究。其中包括将今论古法论现代河流沉积过程与古老地层对比,河道-洪泛平原体系的越岸复合沉积动力学,河流动力学与变化过程研究展望,恢复河道迁移过程:新一代平面图演化模式的讨论,冲积河流和基岩河流的湍流、颗粒间作用和沉积作用;2）陆缘河流。包括河流入海处的地貌动力学与沉积学,河流补给边缘的沉积物搬运、地貌和地层特征,干旱地区河流、冲积扇体系与风的相互作用,植被生长前、无植物生长、或是植被发育区河流的沉积过程研究;3）河流沉积地层及其地下资源。包括源-汇系统,"河流相模式"是否有用的讨论,辫状河、网状河、曲流河概念的厘定等;4）河流地貌变化。包括气候改变、泥泞植被洪泛平原等对河流沉积物通量、河流模式等产生影响,河道中冲积岛屿的演化和稳定河流的蛇曲化,河流环境中沉积物生物作用等。基于上述资料分析,认为河流演化过程从定性向定量化研究,物理模拟与数值模拟技术是河流沉积学研究不可或缺的手段,应用定量建模、数学计算等方法进行精准研究,碎屑锆石U-Pb定年技术是新一代从源到汇研究的重要工具等诸多方面,是我国学者应该重视并开展研究的方向。     

Long-eccentricity regulated climate control on fluvial incision and aggradation in the Palaeocene of north-eastern Montana (USA)

Aggradation and fluvial incision controlled by downstream base-level changes at timescales of 10 to 500 kyr is incorporated in classic sequence stratigraphic models. However, upstream climate control on sediment supply and discharge variability causes fluvial incision and aggradation as well. Orbital forcing often regulates climate change at 10 to 500 kyr timescales while tectonic processes such as flexural (un)loading exert a dominant control at timescales longer than 500 kyr. It remains challenging to attribute fluvial incision and aggradation to upstream or downstream processes or disentangle allogenic from autogenic forcing, because time control is mostly limited in fluvial successions. The Palaeocene outcrops of the fluvial Lebo Shale Member in north-eastern Montana (Williston Basin, USA) constitute an exception. This study uses a distinctive tephra layer and two geomagnetic polarity reversals to create a 15 km long chronostratigraphic framework based on the correlation of twelve sections. Three aggradation–incision sequences are identified with durations of approximately 400 kyr, suggesting a relation with long-eccentricity. This age control further reveals that incision occurred during the approach of – or during – a 405 kyr long-eccentricity minimum. A long-term relaxation of the hydrological cycle related to such an orbital phasing potentially exerts an upstream climate control on river incision. Upstream, an expanding vegetation cover is expected because of an increasingly constant moisture supply to source areas. Entrapping by vegetation led to a significantly reduced sediment supply relative to discharge, especially at times of low evapotranspiration. Hence, high discharges resulted in incision. This study assesses the long-eccentricity regulated climate control on fluvial aggradation and incision in a new aggradation–incision sequence model.     

Interpreting the response of a dryland river system to Late Quaternary climate change

A U-series calcrete chronology has been constructed for three Late Quaternary terrace units, termed the D1, D2 and D3 terraces in age descending order, from the Rio Aguas river system of the Sorbas basin, southeast Spain. The D1 terrace formed between 30,300±4400 year BP and 12,140±360 year BP, correlating well with the Last Glacial Maximum when rates of sediment supply would have increased greatly, because of higher rates of weathering, reduced vegetation cover and weak soil development. The D2 terrace formed between 12,800±1100 year BP and 9,600±530 year BP, correlating well with the Younger Dryas event. The D3 terrace could only be poorly constrained to the early Holocene and no unequivocal cause could be assigned to this period of aggradation. The sedimentology and geomorphology of the D2 terrace suggests, however, that the aggradation of this unit was a response to diapirism/karstic processes occurring within the underlying Messinian gypsum strata and the subsequent damming of the Aguas system. Therefore, despite its coincident occurrence with the Younger Dryas, aggradation of the D2 terrace is unrelated to climate change. The style of this response, controlled predominantly by the characteristics of the underlying bedrock, makes correlating the terrace record of the Aguas with other systems in the Mediterranean unreliable. This study, therefore, highlights the problems of correlating fluvial sequences in regions of variable tectonics, climatic history and bedrock geology and emphasises the need to properly understand the main controls on individual fluvial systems before any attempt is made to correlate their depositional histories.     

Response of a dryland fluvial system to climate–tectonic perturbations during the Late Quaternary: Evidence from Rukmawati River basin,Kachchh, western India

Dryland rivers, dominated by short-lived, localised and highly variable flow due to discrete precipitation events, have characteristic preservation potential, which serves as suitable archives towards understanding the climate–tectonic coupling. In the present study, we have investigated the fluvial records of a major, southerly-draining river – the Rukmawati River in the dryland terrain of southern Kachchh, in western India. The sediment records along the bedrock rivers of Kachchh register imprints of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), which is the major source of moisture to the fluvial system in western India. The Rukmawati River originates from the Katrol Hill Range in the north and flows towards the south, into the Gulf of Kachchh. The field stratigraphy, sedimentology, along with the optical chronology suggests that a braided-meandering system existed during 37 ka period due to an overall strengthened monsoon. A gradual decline in the monsoon strength with fluctuation facilitated the development of a braided channel system between 20 and 15 ka. A renewed phase of strengthened monsoon with seasonality after around 15 ka which persisted until around 11 ka, is implicated in the development of floodplain sequences. Two zones of relatively high bedrock uplift are identified based on the geomorphometry and morphology of the fluvial landform. These zones are located in the vicinity of the North Katrol Hill Fault (NKHF) and South Katrol Hill Fault (SKHF). Geomorphic expression of high bedrock uplift is manifested by the development of beveled bedrock prior to or around 20 ka during weak monsoon. The study suggests that the terrain in the vicinity of NKHF and SKHF is uplifting at around 0.8 and >0.3 mm/a, respectively. Simultaneously, the incision in the Rukmawati River basin, post 11 ka, is ascribed to have occurred due to lowered sea level during the LGM and early Holocene period.     

Late Pleistocene-Holocene morphosedimentary architecture, Spiti River, arid higher Himalaya

The Spiti River drains the rain shadow zone of western Himalaya. In the present study, the fluvial sedimentary record of Spiti valley was studied to understand its responses to tectonics and climate. Geomorphic changes along the river enable to divide the river into two segments: (i) upper valley with a broad, braided channel where relict sedimentary sequences rise 15–50 m high from the riverbed and (ii) lower valley with a narrow, meandering channel that incises into bedrock, and here, the fluvio-lacustrine sediments reside on a bedrock bench located above the riverbed. The transition between these geomorphic segments lies along the river between Seko-Nasung and Lingti villages (within Tethyan Himalaya). Lithofacies analyses of the sedimentary sequences show six different lithofacies. These can be grouped into three facies associations, viz. (A) a glacial outwash; (B) sedimentation in a channel and in an accreting bar under braided conditions; and (C) formation of lake due to channel blockage by landslide activities. Seventeen optically stimulated luminescence ages derived from ten sections bracketed the phases of river valley aggradation between 14–8 and 50–30 ka. These aggradation phases witnessed mass wasting, channel damming and lake formation events. Our record, when compared with SW monsoon archives, suggests that the aggradation occurred during intensified monsoon phase of MIS 3/4 and that proceeded the Last Glacial Maxima. Thus, the study reports monsoon modulated valley aggradation in the NW arid Himalaya.     

Recognizing products of palaeoclimate fluctuation in the fluvial stratigraphic record: An example from the Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian of Cape Breton Island,Nova Scotia

Tectonics and climate are the major extrinsic upstream controls on both the external and internal architectures of fluvial channels. While the role of tectonics has been well‐documented, the role of climate has received less attention. Because both tectonics and climate can produce similar stratigraphic architectures, the ability to recognize and differentiate these has major ramifications for the interpretation of fluvial stratigraphy. The Pennsylvanian to Permian succession of the Maritimes Basin complex on Cape Breton Island is ca 5 km thick, and is composed of predominantly non‐marine strata deposited within a series of depocentres characterized by different subsidence regimes. Basins in the west are transtensional depocentres characterized by episodic fault movement. In contrast, basins in the east were formed during prolonged periods of passive thermal subsidence. The stratigraphy is composed of four second‐order sequences (A to D), each 5 to 10 Myr in duration. These sequences are composed of amalgamated fluvial channel deposits that fine upwards into extensive mud‐dominated floodplain deposits with isolated fluvial channel bodies. A spectrum of fluvial styles is recorded within the study area including perennial, perennial/intermittent and ephemeral. Four stratigraphic intervals (E1 to E4) are recognized in which the deposits of strongly seasonal perennial/intermittent fluvial deposits are predominant. These intervals, 2 to 6 Myr in duration, are correlated across the study area between basins with differing tectonic regimes and do not correlate with a particular position in second‐order sequences. This suggests that climate exerted the dominant influence on the formation of these intervals and can be differentiated from tectonic imprints. While the tectonic regime of a particular basin exerted a fundamental control on the external architecture, a coherent record of climate change is recognized in the internal architecture of fluvial units. This study demonstrates that tectonic and climatic controls can be recognized and differentiated in vertical successions by evaluating the changes in fluvial architecture.