A late Pleistocene (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) emergent marine sequence fringes the coastline of the Cape Region of coastal west central Australia and provides elevation and age control to characterize the locations and rates of crustal deformation. There is a systematic measurable change in relative paleo sea-level elevations across the Cape Region. High-precision leveling of modern and Pleistocene shoreline features indicates the minimum elevation range of MIS 5e shoreline features along the coast is 10.4 m. This compares with the 2.5 m elevation range for observed modern shoreline analogs. The lack of continuity of MIS 5e shoreline elevations along 300 km of coastline demonstrates continuing tectonic deformation along coastal anticlines in the Cape Region. Topographic expression of MIS 5e features indicates tectonic uplift consistent with late Neogene to Quaternary deformation on the Cape Cuvier and Cape Range anticlines. Post-MIS 5e tectonic uplift rates are up to 0.054 ± 0.035 mm/yr at fold axial locations. Estimated subsidence rates are − 0.013 ± 0.034 mm/yr on fold limbs. While the estimated vertical tectonic deformation is small and the rates are low, the geomorphological data also demonstrate tectonic activity, not stability.
This study examines channel-scale morphodynamics of ephemeral streams in the onshore Carnarvon basin in arid west-central Western Australia. The rivers in this region have low gradients, the landscape has low relief, and the rates of climatically and tectonically driven geomorphic processes also are low. As a result, the rivers in the Carnarvon alluvial plain are highly sensitive to minor perturbations in base level, channel slope, and fluvial energy. We use channel planform adjustments, stream gradient changes, and floodplain profiles across multiple ephemeral streams within a variety of catchments and flow regimes to determine if tectonically driven land level changes are affecting channel form and fluvial processes. Growth of individual fold segments is shown to have altered stream and floodplain gradients and triggered repeated avulsions at structurally controlled nodes. Aligned perturbations in channel form across multiple channel-fold intersections provide systematic geomorphic evidence for the location and orientation of neotectonic structures in the region. These features occur as a belt of low relief anticlines in the Carnarvon alluvial plain.
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