| Abstract: | Different mountain shapes in sedimentary sequences in the Canadian Rockies were enhanced by glacial erosion and have been modified postglacially by gravity-driven slope processes. Slope modification by both glacial erosion and postglaciation landslides is related to rock structure, particularly bedding dip, rock mass strength and slope geometry. Five mountain peak shapes in monoclinal sequences each fall into different ranges of bedding dips. Castellate (1) and matterhorn (2) mountains occur in sub-horizontal beds and their slopes on all sides follow combinations of bedding planes and joints. The overall slopes are generally 37 to 65° and oblique to both bedding and joints. Slopes in sub-horizontal beds may be controlled by their rock mass strength. Cuestas (3) develop in gently to moderately dipping beds. Dip slopes and steeper, normal escarpments form their cataclinal and anaclinal sides respectively, with the dihedral angle between them about 90°. Hogbacks (4) in moderately to steeply dipping beds have similar slope angles on both cataclinal and anaclinal slopes. Cataclinal slopes are either dip slopes or underdip slopes but anaclinal slopes are often steepened escarpments; the dihedral angle between the slopes is usually less than 90°. Dogtooth (5) mountains occur in steeply dipping to sub-vertical beds and the dihedral angle can be as low as 60°. Slope gradients in inclined beds are closely related to landslides, whose modes are controlled by bedding dips. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
