A new chronology for the age of Appalachian erosional surfaces determined by cosmogenic nuclides in cave sediments

The relative chronology of landscape evolution across the unglaciated Appalachian plateaus of Kentucky and Tennessee is well documented. For more than a century, geomorphologists have carefully mapped and correlated upland erosional surfaces inset by wide‐valley straths and smaller terraces. Constraining the timing of river incision into the Appalachian uplands was difficult in the past due to unsuitable dating methods and poorly preserved surface materials. Today, burial dating using the differential decay of cosmogenic ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be in clastic cave sediments reveals more than five million years of landscape evolution preserved underground. Multilevel caves linked hydrologically to the incision history of the Cumberland River contain in situ sediments equivalent to fluvial deposits found scattered across the Eastern Highland Rim erosional surface. Cave sediments correlate with: (1) thick Lafayette‐type gravels on the Eastern Highland Rim deposited between c. 5·7 and c. 3·5 Ma; (2) initial incision of the Cumberland River into the Eastern Highland Rim after c. 3·5 Ma; (3) formation of the Parker strath between c. 3·5 Ma and c. 2·0 Ma; (4) incision into the Parker strath at c. 2 Ma; (5) formation of a major terrace between c. 2·0 Ma and c. 1·5 Ma; (6) shorter cycles of accelerated incision and base level stability beginning at c. 1·5 Ma; and (7) regional aggradation at c. 0·85 Ma. Initial incision into the Appalachian uplands is interpreted as a response to eustasy at 3·2–3·1 Ma. Incision of the Parker strath is interpreted as a response to eustasy at 2·5–2·4 Ma. A third incision event at c. 1·5 Ma corresponds with glacial reorganization of the Ohio River basin. Widespread aggradation of cave passages at c. 0·85 Ma is interpreted as the beginning of intense glacial–interglacial cycling associated with global climate change. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

26Al and 10Be dating of late pleistocene and holocene fill terraces: a record of fluvial deposition and incision,Colorado front range

Cosmogenic ²⁶Al, ¹⁰Be, and ¹⁴C dating of fluvial fill terraces in steep canyons of the Colorado Front Range provides a temporal framework for analysing episodic aggradation and incision. Results from Boulder Canyon show that terrace heights above the modern channel (grade) can be divided into: (1) Bull Lake (≳100 ka; 20–15 m above grade); (2) Pinedale (32–10 ka; 15–4 m above grade); and (3) Holocene age (<4 m above grade). No pre‐Bull Lake deposits are preserved along Boulder Canyon, and only three small remnants >15 m above grade record Bull Lake deposition. Well‐preserved terraces of Pinedale age suggest that the range of terrace height above grade reflects short‐term fluctuations in the river profile during periods of rapidly changing stream load and power. Net river incision apparently occurred during transitions to interglacial periods. Soil development and stratigraphic position, along with limited cosmogenic and ¹⁴C dating, suggest that ∼130 ka terraces in Boulder Canyon correlate with the Louviers Alluvium, and that 32 to 10 ka fills in the canyon correlate with the Broadway Alluvium on the adjacent High Plains. Late Pleistocene incision rates (∼0·15 m ka⁻¹) along Boulder Canyon exceed pre‐late Pleistocene incision rates, and are higher than middle to late Pleistocene incision rates (∼0·04 m ka⁻¹) on the High Plains. This study provides an example of how modern geochronologic techniques allow us to understand better rivers that drain glaciated catchments. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Erosion in northwest Tibet from in‐situ‐produced cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al in bedrock

Concentrations of in‐situ‐produced cosmogenic nuclides ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in quartz were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry for bedrock basalts and sandstones located in northwest Tibet. The effective exposure ages range between 23 and 134 ka (¹⁰Be) and erosion rates between 4·0 and 24 mm ka^?1. The erosion rates are significantly higher than those in similarly arid Antarctica and Australia, ranging between 0·1 and 1 mm ka^?1, suggesting that precipitation is not the major control of erosion of landforms. Comparison of erosion rates in arid regions with contrasting tectonic activities suggests that tectonic activity plays a more important role in controlling long‐term erosion rates. The obtained erosion rates are, however, significantly lower than the denudation rate of 3000–6000 mm ka^?1 beginning at c. 5‐3 Ma in the nearby Godwin Austen (K2) determined by apatite fission‐track thermochronology. It appears that the difference in erosion rates within different time intervals is indicative of increased tectonic activity at c. 5–3 Ma in northwest Tibet. We explain the low erosion rates determined in this study as reflecting reduced tectonic activity in the last million years. A model of localized thinning of the mantle beneath northwest Tibet may account for the sudden increased tectonic activity at c. 5–3 Ma and the later decrease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bedrock erosion and relief production in the northern Flinders Ranges,Australia

Cosmogenic ¹⁰Be concentrations in exposed bedrock surfaces and alluvial sediment in the northern Flinders Ranges reveal surprisingly high erosion rates for a supposedly ancient and stable landscape. Bedrock erosion rates increase with decreasing elevation in the Yudnamutana Catchment, from summit surfaces (13·96 ± 1·29 and 14·38 ± 1·40 m Myr^?1), to hillslopes (17·61 ± 2·21 to 29·24 ± 4·38 m Myr^?1), to valley bottoms (53·19 ± 7·26 to 227·95 ± 21·39 m Myr^?1), indicating late Quaternary increases to topographic relief. Minimum cliff retreat rates (9·30 ± 3·60 to 24·54 ± 8·53 m Myr^?1) indicate that even the most resistant parts of cliff faces have undergone significant late Quaternary erosion. However, erosion rates from visibly weathered and varnished tors protruding from steep bedrock hillslopes (4·17 ± 0·42 to 14·00 ± 1·97 m Myr^?1) indicate that bedrock may locally weather at rates equivalent to, or even slower than, summit surfaces. ¹⁰Be concentrations in contemporary alluvial sediment indicate catchment‐averaged erosion at a rate dominated by more rapid erosion (22·79 ± 2·78 m Myr^?1), consistent with an average rate from individual hillslope point measurements. Late Cenozoic relief production in the Yudnamutana Catchment resulted from (1) tectonic uplift at rates of 30–160 m Myr^?1 due to range‐front reverse faulting, which maintained steep river gradients and uplifted summit surfaces, and (2) climate change, which episodically increased both in situ bedrock weathering rates and frequency–magnitude distributions of large magnitude floods, leading to increased incision rates. These results provide quantitative evidence that the Australian landscape is, in places, considerably more dynamic than commonly perceived. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantifying river incision into low‐relief surfaces using local and catchment‐wide 10Be denudation rates

Relief generation in non‐glaciated regions is largely controlled by river incision into bedrock but datable fluvial terraces that allow quantifying incision rates are not always present. Here we suggest a new method to determine river incision rates in regions where low‐relief surfaces are dissected by streams. The approach consists of three steps and requires the ¹⁰Be concentrations of a stream sediment sample and a regolith sample from the low‐relief surface. In the first step, the spatial distribution of ¹⁰Be surface concentrations in the given catchment is modelled by assuming that denudation rates are controlled by the local hillslope angles. The slope–denudation rate relation for this catchment is then quantified by adjusting the relation between slope angle and denudation rate until the average ¹⁰Be concentration in the model is equal to the one measured in the stream sediment sample. In the second step, curved swath profiles are used to measure hillslope angles adjacent to the main river channel. Third, the mean slope angle derived from these swath profiles and the slope–denudation relation are used to quantify the river incision rate (assuming that the incision rate equals the denudation rate on adjacent hillslopes). We apply our approach to two study areas in southern Tibet and central Europe (Black Forest). In both regions, local ¹⁰Be denudation rates on flat parts of the incised low‐relief surface are lower than catchment‐wide denudation rates. As the latter integrate across the entire landscape, river incision rates must exceed these spatially averaged denudation rates. Our approach yields river incision rates between ~15 and ~30 m/Ma for the Tibetan study area and incision rates of ~70 to ~100 m/Ma in the Black Forest. Taking the lowering of the low‐relief surfaces into account suggests that relief in the two study areas increases at rates of 10–20 and 40–70 m/Ma, respectively. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Upper Pleistocene‐Holocene geomorphic changes dictating sedimentation rates and historical land use in the valley system of the Chifeng region,Inner Mongolia,northern China

This study focuses on the late Quaternary landscape evolution in the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia, China, its relations to the history of the Pleistocene‐Holocene loess accumulation, erosion and redeposition, and their impact on human occupation. Based on 57 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of loess sediments, fluvial sand and floodplain deposits accumulated on the hill slopes and floodplains, we conclude that during most of the Pleistocene period the region was blanketed by a thick layer of aeolian loess, as well as by alluvial and fluvial deposits. The loess section is divided into two main units that are separated by unconformity. The OSL ages at the top of the lower reddish loess unit yielded an approximate age of 193 ka, roughly corresponding to the transition from MIS 7 to 6, though they could be older. The upper gray loess unit accumulated during the upper Pleistocene glacial phase (MIS 4–3) at a mean accumulation rate of 0·22 m/ka. Parallel to the loess accumulation on top of the hilly topography, active fans were operating during MIS 4–2 at the outlet of large gullies surrounding the major valley at a mean accumulation rate of 0·24 m/ka. This co‐accumulation indicates that gullies have been a long‐term geomorphic feature at the margins of the Gobi Desert since at least the middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, the erosion of the Pleistocene loess on the hills led to the burial of the valley floors by the redeposited sediments at a rate that decreases from 3·2 m/ka near the hills to 1–0·4 m/ka¹ in the central part of the Chifeng Valley. This rapid accumulation and the frequent shifts of the courses of the river prevented the construction of permanent settlements in the valley floors, a situation which changed only with improved man‐made control of the local rivers from the tenth century AD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Meso‐scale catchment sediment budgets: combining field surveys and modeling in the Dragonja catchment,southwest Slovenia

In this paper, we present a methodology to construct a sediment budget for meso‐scale catchments. We combine extensive field surveys and expert knowledge of the catchment with a sediment delivery model. The meso‐scale Mediterranean drainage basin of the Dragonja (91 km²), southwest Slovenia, was chosen as case study area. During the field surveys, sheet wash was observed on sloping agricultural fields during numerous rainfall events, which was found to be the main source of sediment. With the sediment yield model WATEM/SEDEM the estimated net erosion on the hillslopes 4·1 t ha^–1 y^–1 (91% of inputs). The second source, bank erosion (4·2%; 0·25 t ha^–1 y^–1) was monitored during several years with erosion pins and photogrammetric techniques. The last source, channel incision, was derived from geomorphological mapping and lichenomery and provided 3·8% (0·17 t ha^–1 y^–1) of the sediment input. The river transports its suspended sediment mainly during high‐flow events (sampled with automated water samplers). About 27% (1·2 t ha^–1 y^–1) of the sediment delivered to the channel is deposited on floodplains and low terraces downstream (estimated with geomorphological mapping, coring and cesium‐137 measurements). The sediment transported as bedload disintegrates during transport to the outlet due to the softness of the bedrock material. As a result, the river carries no bedload when it reaches the sea. The results imply a build‐up of sediment in the valleys catchment. However, extreme flood events may flush large amounts of sediment stored in the lower parts of the system. Geomorphological evidence exists in the catchment that such high magnitude, low frequency events have happened in the past. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complex exposure histories of chert clasts in the late Pleistocene shorelines of Lake Lisan,southern Israel

Activities of ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be in five chert clasts sampled from two beach ridges of late Pleistocene Lake Lisan, precursor of the Dead Sea in southern Israel, indicate low rates of chert bedrock erosion and complex exposure, burial, and by inference, transport histories. The chert clasts were derived from the Senonian Mishash Formation, a chert‐bearing chalk, which is widely exposed in the Nahal Zin drainage basin, the drainage system that supplied most of the material to the beach ridges. Simple exposure ages, assuming only exposure at the beach ridge sampling sites, range from 35 to 354 ky; using the ratio ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be, total clast histories range from 0·46 to 4·3 My, unrelated to the clasts' current position and exposure period on the late Pleistocene beach ridges, 160–177 m below sea level. Optically stimulated luminescence dating of fine sediments from the same and nearby beach ridges yielded ages of 20·0 ± 1·4 ka and 36·1 ± 3·3 ka. These ages are supported by the degree of soil development on the beach ridges and correspond well with previously determined ages of Lake Lisan, which suggest that the lake reached its highest stand around 27 000 cal. years BP . If the clasts were exposed only once and than buried beyond the range of significant cosmogenic nuclide production, then the minimum initial exposure and the total burial times before delivery to the beach ridge are in the ranges 50–1300 ky and 390–3130 ky respectively. Alternatively, the initial cosmogenic dosing could have occurred during steady erosion of the source bedrock. Back calculating such rates of rock erosion suggests values between 0·4 and 12 m My^?1. The relatively long burial periods indicate extended sediment storage as colluvium on slopes and/or as alluvial deposits in river terraces. Some clasts may have been stored for long periods in abandoned Pliocene and early Pleistocene routes of Nahal Zin to the Mediterranean before being transported again back into the Nahal Zin drainage system and washed on to the shores of Lake Lisan during the late Pleistocene. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Terrace pediments in Makhtesh Ramon,central Negev,Israel

Terrace pediments occupy approximately 30 per cent of the bottom of the Makhtesh Ramon erosional cirque in the central Negev Desert, Israel. River terraces and terrace pediments are genetically connected landforms, where each terrace pediment corresponds with a fluvial terrace of the same relative height. A pediment and river terrace constitute a geomorphic pair and should be regarded as chronometrically synchronous morphological elements. The formation of the terrace pediment staircases is controlled mainly by local base level changes. The present‐day configuration and overall morphology of Makhtesh Ramon formed in the early stages of its development by both stream erosion and subsequent pedimentation. Less significantly, modification by intermittent erosion alternating with periods of stability, resulted in deepening of the Makhtesh Ramon bottom. The present‐day stepped relief throughout the Makhtesh valley is, thus, a composite feature. The overall rate of terrace pediment formation in Makhtesh Ramon ranges from 0·05 to 0·10 mm a⁻¹. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lateglacial river sediment budgets in the Mass valley,The Netherlands

Three Weichselian Lateglacial (13-10 ka) terraces have been distinguished in the Maas valley which were formed when the Maas repeatedly incised in an increasingly narrow floodplain. The River Maas changed from a braided system (before c. 12·5 ka) via a transitional phase to a high-sinuosity meandering river (c. 12·5-11 ka), to a braided system (c. 11-10 ka) again and finally to a low-sinuosity meandering river (after 10 ka). These fluvial style changes involved phases of erosion and deposition. The amounts of eroded, deposited and reworked sediment during each Lateglacial period are calculated in this paper. The sediment budgets allow comparison of the transport capacity of the different river styles, which will help to explain the observed fluvial changes. Borehole information regarding the thickness of terrace sediments and lateral extensions of the Lateglacial terrace surfaces were combined in a three-dimensional approach, using a geographical information system. Multiple regression analyses were used in calculating altitudes of entire terrace surfaces from individual altitude measurements. It will be shown that the fluvial development of the Maas can be explained not only by climate-related external factors such as sediment-discharge ratios and discharge characteristics, but possibly also by intrinsic factors such as floodplain dimensions and the channel morphology of previous periods. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New chronological constraints on the Plio-Pleistocene uplift of the Guizhou Plateau,SE margin of the Tibetan Plateau

The Guizhou Plateau represents a geomorphic transition between the Tibetan Plateau and the Yangtze River Plain. It likely formed in response to the propagation of surface uplift in southeastern Tibet during India-Eurasia continental collision. However, the uplift history of the region is unclear largely due to a lack of datable material. The bedrock geology is dominated by carbonate rocks, which contains numerous multi-level caves in the main river valleys that are linked to the river incision history. Cosmogenic ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be burial dating of sediments in caves and river terraces from the northwestern and southern plateau reveals the fluvial chronology and provides the first direct determination of long-term river incision rates. The caves and terraces on the Liuchong River in NW Guizhou yield burial ages of between 0.41 ± 0.12 Ma and 2.85 ± 0.21 Ma, indicating an average incision rate of 57 ± 3 m/Ma. Four level caves at Libo in southern Guizhou yield burial ages of between 0.56 ± 0.16 Ma and 3.54 (+0.25/-0.22) Ma, indicating slightly slower incision rate (47 ± 5 m/Ma). These new results imply that the high elevation of the Guizhou Plateau had developed before the Late Pliocene, and that surface uplift during the Late Cenozoic was largely uniform across the region.     

Geomorphological response of fluvial and coastal terraces to Quaternary tectonics and climate as revealed by geostatistical topographic analysis

Geostatistical topographic analysis is widely recognized as a useful tool for the statistical reconstruction of planar geomorphic markers from relict surfaces. This work is aimed at improving the geostatistical approach used in previous works and developing a method for evaluating the incision rates of rivers in their lower catchments during the Late Quaternary. We chose the major valleys of the Adriatic foothills (central Italy), affected since Late Miocene by a differential tectonic uplift which is still active. In particular, (i) we applied the geostatistical analysis to reconstruct the original top‐surfaces of fluvial‐to‐coastal terrace bodies at the Metauro River and Cesano River mouths; (ii) we performed correlations between the height distribution of the alluvial terrace sequences and the Quaternary climatic curve to estimate the average long‐term fluvial incision rates in the lowermost reaches of the Metauro, Cesano, Misa and Esino Rivers. The obtained averaged incision rates have been interpreted also in the light of the Stream‐Length Gradient Index (SL Index), Steepness Index (K_s), and Concavity Index (θ) as proxies of the stream‐power per unit length. Results confirm that geostatistical and terrain analysis of topographic and geometric arrangements of fluvial and coastal terraces is an effective tool in detecting geomorphic and tectonic factors inducing perturbations on planar geomorphic markers. In particular, we better delineated the surface geometry and boundaries of well‐developed coastal fans at the mouths of the Metauro and Cesano Rivers, already recognized in previous works through sedimentological, morphostratigraphic, and chronological data. Moreover, we found evidence for cut‐and‐fill phases that took place during and immediately after the river aggradation of the late Quaternary glacial periods. Despite the Slope–Area analysis evidenced a widespread influence of the regional differential uplift on single river basin configuration, we observed some space and time variability of averaged incision rates for adjacent valleys, mainly explained by physiographic configuration and dynamics of drainage network. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Concentrated flow erosion rates reduced through biological geotextiles

Soil erosion by concentrated flow can cause serious environmental damage. Erosion‐control geotextiles have considerable potential for reducing concentrated flow erosion. However, limited data are available on the erosion‐reducing potential of geotextiles. In this study, the effectiveness of three biological geotextiles in reducing soil losses during concentrated flow is investigated. Hereto, runoff was simulated in a concentrated flow flume, filled with an erodible sandy loam on three slope gradients (13·5, 27·0 and 41·5%). Treatments included three biological geotextiles (borassus, buriti and bamboo) and one bare soil surface. Darcy–Weisbach friction coefficients ranged from 0·01 to 2·84. The highest values are observed for borassus covered soil surfaces, followed by buriti, bamboo and bare soil, respectively. The friction coefficients are linearly correlated with geotextile thickness. For the specific experimental conditions of this study, borassus geotextiles reduced soil detachment rate on average to 56%, buriti geotextiles to 59% and bamboo geotextiles to 66% of the soil detachment rate for bare soil surfaces. Total flow shear stress was the hydraulic parameter best predicting soil detachment rate for bare and geotextile covered surfaces (R² = 0·75–0·84, p <0·001, n = 12–15). The highest resistance against soil detachment was observed for the borassus covered soil surfaces, followed by buriti, bamboo and bare soil surfaces, respectively. Overall, biological geotextiles are less effective in controlling concentrated flow erosion compared with interrill erosion. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Co‐development of alluvial fan surfaces and arid botanical communities,Stonewall Flat,Nevada, USA

Arid alluvial fan and fluvial dry wash surfaces in Stonewall Flat, Nevada, USA, are characterized using surface geomorphic surveys, soil pits, botanical line surveys, and varnish microlamination dating techniques. Active and abandoned washes, and active fan surfaces are dominated by primary geomorphic processes of high‐energy sedimentation from flash floods. These surfaces are characterized by bar and swale topography, a lack of stone pavements, soil horizons, and rock varnish. Younger terraces and slightly older intermediate fan surfaces are in transition from primary sedimentation processes to lower energy secondary surface‐modifying processes of sheet wash and eolian transport and deposition. These surfaces are characterized by faint to no bar and swale topography, incipient to moderately well‐developed pavements and soil horizons, and abundant coppices. Old and stable fan surfaces are dominated by lower energy secondary processes and manifest well‐developed pavements, soils, and sparse coppices around widely distributed shrubs. Varnish microlamination dating yields ages of 13·15 ka for intermediate fan surfaces and 25·55 to 86·75 ka for stable fan surfaces. Plant communities co‐developing with these surfaces affect and are affected by both primary and secondary geomorphic fan processes. Relatively active surfaces contain few woody species. Co‐dominance of shrubs and annuals with abundant annuals between the shrubs is characteristic of surfaces transitional from primary processes to secondary processes. Stable surfaces dominated by secondary processes are characterized by woody perennials, with long‐lived woody species inhabiting the oldest surfaces. Feedback mechanisms between early botanical communities and eolian deposition affect coppice and pavement development. In turn, these surface features control both the composition and distribution of botanical communities on older, more stable surfaces. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Late‐Holocene buried forests on the Oregon Coast

Deposits of late‐Holocene beach sand buried conifer forests episodically emerge on beaches of the Oregon coast. Simultaneously, sand dunes buried late‐Holocene forests growing on marine terraces landward of the beaches. Dune ramps, up to 60 m in elevation, connected the beach and dune deposits. The average age of wood samples from stumps rooted on the shore platforms is 3·07 ± 1·45 ka. The average age of wood and charcoal samples embedded in forest soil on the marine terraces is 3·27 ± 1·46 ka. Between 1994 and 2006, winter storm waves exposed more than 4·5 km² of late‐Holocene forest soil on shore platforms at 19 localities. Rooted stumps without soil were uncovered at an additional 14 localities. Once exposed, wave action eroded the soil rapidly (one to two years). The intact forest soil and roots on the shore platforms must have been nearly continuously buried, protected and preserved prior to recent exposure. The late‐Holocene buried forest provides the basis for a conceptual model of coastal evolution. A three stage reversal of erosion and sand supply must have occurred: (1) wave erosion switched to seaward advancement of forests, (2) forest growth and soil development switched to burial beneath beach and dune sand and (3) burial and preservation switched to wave erosion, truncation of dune ramps and landward retreat of sea cliffs. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reconstructing fluvial incision rates based on palaeo-water tables in chalk karst networks along the Seine valley (Normandy,France)

Quantifying rates of river incision and continental uplift over Quaternary timescales offer the potential for modelling landscape change due to tectonic and climatic forcing. In many areas, river terraces form datable archives that help constrain the timing and rate of valley incision. However, old river terraces, with high-level deposits, are prone to weathering and often lack datable material. Where valleys are incised through karst areas, caves and sediments can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution because they can record the elevation of palaeo-water tables and contain preserved datable material. In Normandy (N. France), the Seine River is entrenched into an extensive karstic chalk plateau. Previous estimates of valley incision were hampered by the lack of preserved datable fluvial terraces. A stack of abandoned phreatic cave passages preserved in the sides of the Seine valley can be used to reconstruct the landscape evolution of the region. Combining geomorphological observations, palaeomagnetic and U/Th dating of speleothem and sediments in eight caves along the Lower Seine valley, we have constructed a new age model for cave development and valley incision. Six identified cave levels up to ∼100 m a.s.l. were formed during the last ~1 Ma, coeval with the incision of the Seine River. Passage morphologies indicate that the caves formed in a shallow phreatic/epiphreatic setting, modified by sediment influxes. The valley's maximum age is constrained by the occurrence of late Pliocene marine sand. Palaeomagnetic dating of cave infills indicates that the highest-level caves were being infilled prior to 1.1 Ma. The evidence from the studied caves, complemented by fluvial terrace sequences, indicates that rapid river incision occurred during marine isotope stage (MIS) 28 to 20 (0.8–1 Ma), with maximal rates of ~0.30 m ka⁻¹, dropping to ~0.08 m ka⁻¹ between MIS 20–11 (0.8–0.4 Ma) and 0.05 m ka⁻¹ from MIS 5 to the present time. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The rate of fluvial incision during the Late Quaternary period in the Abukuma Mountains, northeast Japan, deduced from tephrochronology

Abstract River incision into bedrock results in the decrease of burial depths, which can be of critical importance, for example, in the safe long‐term storage of high‐level radioactive waste. For the long‐term prediction of river erosion, it is essential to know the rate of incision during the Late Quaternary period. In the Abukuma Mountains on the forearc side of northeast Japan, a low‐relief peneplain that was uplifted in the Pliocene period is widely developed. Degradational fluvial terraces that are discontinuously distributed along draining rivers are scattered in the study area. The fluvial sediments were mainly transported from the summit regions as debris flows or hyperconcentrated flows. The terrace deposits are capped by a series of eolian veneers containing key tephra beds. From the oldest to the youngest, these tephra beds are the 150–125 ka Iizuna–Kamitaru tephra, the 135–125 ka Hiuchigatake–Tagashira tephra, the 120 ka Adatara–Dake tephra, the 70–80 ka Bandai–Hayama‐2 tephra, the 45 ka Numazawa–Mizunuma tephra and the 42 ka Bandai–Hayama‐1 tephra. Using tephrochronological data, the terraces are divided into three groups: higher, middle and lower. The ages of formation of the higher, middle and lower terraces are estimated to be within marine isotope stage (MIS) 6, MIS 5.4–5.2 and MIS 3 to MIS 2, respectively. The incision rate, calculated from the relative height between the terrace surface and present‐day valley floor fill, is 1.5–0.8 m/10 000 years in the elevations from 350 to 700 m. The calculated rate does not show significant differences between the higher, middle and lower terraces. All the relative heights decrease with increasing elevation, because the erosional rates of streams in the upper reaches are lower than those in downstream reaches where the discharge rates are higher. This value can be regarded as an estimate of the rate of incision in granitic mountains where there is no volcanic or distinct tectonic activity.     

Erosion rates of waterfalls in post‐volcanic fluvial systems around Aso volcano,southwestern Japan

Estimation of the recession rate of waterfalls is a crucial issue in bedrock river erosion because waterfall recession can cause a major impact on bedrock incision, especially when waterfall recession rates are high. Areas of active volcanoes are often characterized by many waterfalls in the volcanic edifice. This study examines recession rates of waterfalls in welded Aso‐1 ignimbrite from the Aso volcano in southwestern Japan using an empirical equation, which comprises a force/resistance index composed of measurable geomorphic parameters. The estimated recession rates are on the order of 0·01–0·07 m a^?1. The estimated rates are then validated by examining the duration and distance of their recession. The duration of waterfall recession is derived from eruptive ages of the Aso ignimbrites, giving waterfall recession distances of approximately 10 km. Although the original locations of the waterfalls suggested by the recession distances exceed the downstream limit of the present Aso‐1 ignimbrite remnants along valley floors, features of the surrounding topography are consistent with these localities being where the waterfalls formed. The use of an equation to estimate recession rates is therefore considered to be valid and practical. The contrast between the highly dissected landforms downstream of the present waterfalls and the gentle landscapes upstream of the waterfalls suggests that the rapid recession of the waterfalls is the major cause of post‐eruptive fluvial erosion into ignimbrites. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using GIS and a digital elevation model to assess the effectiveness of variable grade flow diversion terraces in reducing soil erosion in northwestern New Brunswick,Canada

Flow diversion terraces (FDT) are commonly used beneficial management practice (BMP) for soil conservation on sloped terrain susceptible to water erosion. A simple GIS‐based soil erosion model was designed to assess the effectiveness of the FDT system under different climatic, topographic, and soil conditions at a sub‐basin level. The model was used to estimate the soil conservation support practice factor (P‐factor), which inherently considered two major outcomes with its implementation, namely (1) reduced slope length, and (2) sediment deposition in terraced channels. A benchmark site, the agriculture‐dominated watershed in northwestern New Brunswick (NB), was selected to test the performance of the model and estimated P‐factors. The estimated P‐factors ranged from 0·38–1·0 for soil conservation planning objectives and ranged from 0·001 to 0·45 in sediment yield calculations for water‐quality assessment. The model estimated that the average annual sediment yield was 773 kg ha^?1 yr ^?1 compared with a measured value of 641 kg ha^?1 yr^?1. The P‐factors estimated in this study were comparable with predicted values obtained with the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE2). The P‐factors from this study have the potential to be directly used as input in hydrological models, such as the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT), or in soil conservation planning where only conventional digital elevation models (DEMs) are available. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Landscape response to tectonic and climatic forcing in the foredeep of the southern Apennines,Italy: insights from Quaternary stratigraphy,quantitative geomorphic analysis,and denudation rate proxies

We present new data about the morphological and stratigraphic evolution and the rates of fluvial denudation of the Tavoliere di Puglia plain, a low‐relief landscape representing the northernmost sector of the Pliocene‐Pleistocene foredeep of the southern Apennines. The study area is located between the easternmost part of the southern Apennine chain and the Gargano promontory and it is characterized by several orders of terraced fluvial deposits, disconformably overlying lower Pleistocene marine clay and organized in a staircase geometry, which recorded the emersion and the long‐term incision history of this sector since mid‐Pleistocene times. We used the spatial and altimetric distribution of several orders of middle to late Pleistocene fluvial terraces in order to perform paleotopographic reconstruction and GIS‐aided eroded volumes estimates. Then, we estimated denudation rates on the basis of the terraces chronostratigraphy, supported by published OSL and AAR dating. Middle to upper Pleistocene denudation rates estimated by means of such an approach are slightly lower than 0.1 mm yr^‐1, in good agreement with short‐term data from direct and indirect evaluation of suspended sediment yield. The analysis of longitudinal river profiles using the stream power erosion model provided additional information on the incision rates of the studied area. Middle to late Quaternary uplift rates (about 0.15 mm yr^‐1), calculated on the basis of the elevation above sea level of marine deposits outcropping in the easternmost sector of the study area, are quite similar to the erosion rates average value, thus suggesting a steady‐state fluvial incision. The approach adopted in this work has demonstrated that erosion rates traditionally obtained by quantitative geomorphic analysis and k_sn estimations can be successfully integrated to quantify rates of tectonic or geomorphological processes of a landscape approaching steady‐state equilibrium. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.