A Neogene giant landslide in Tarapacá, northern Chile: A signal of instability of the westernmost Altiplano and palaeoseismicity effects

Pinto, Luisa; Hérail, Gérard; Sepúlveda, Sergio A.; Krop, P.

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.05.044

Cited by 35 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…The important role of the tectonic framework on the localization and flow direction of mega-landslides has already been suggested for the Andean forearc domain (Pinto et al, 2008;Antinao and Gosse, 2009;Mather et al, 2014). As the Chuquibamba landslide is elongated in a NW-SE trend guided by the Incapuquio fault system, we suggest that the localization and geometry of the landslide is mainly controlled by preferential fracture orientations (Fig.…”

Section: Tectonic and Climatic Forcing On Chuquibamba Landslide Evolusupporting

confidence: 57%

“…3b). More broadly, in southern Peru and northern Chile, most of the large landslides are located in tectonically fractured regions (Audin and Bechir, 2006;Pinto et al, 2008;Strasser and Schlunegger, 2005;Wörner et al, 2002;Crosta et al, 2015). This preferential localization suggests that tectonic fracturing plays an important role in preconditioning the landscape for landsliding within this arid area.…”

Section: Tectonic and Climatic Forcing On Chuquibamba Landslide Evolumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite their importance in terms of hazards, landslide maps remain rare (Guzzetti et al, 2012) and information on the type, age or distribution of individual landslides is often lacking. Only a few publications deal with landslide triggering and/or evolution in arid contexts such as the western Andean flank, where several gigantic scarps disrupt the forearc piedmont (Audin and Bechir, 2006;Pinto et al, 2008;Strasser and Schlunegger, 2005;Wörner et al, 2002;Mather et al, 2014;Crosta et al, 2015). In contrast, because of the potential seismotectonic trigger (Keefer, 1984(Keefer, , 2002McPhillips et al, 2014), landslide triggering along subduction active margins has been studied for a number of years, but most previous studies focused on humid climatic settings (Taiwan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan; Meunier et al, 2008;Hovius et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tectonic and climatic controls on the Chuquibamba landslide (western Andes, southern Peru)

et al. 2015

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Abstract. The contribution of landslides to the Quaternary evolution of relief is poorly documented in arid contexts. In southern Peru and northern Chile, several massive landslides disrupt the arid western Andean front. The Chuquibamba landslide, located in southern Peru, belongs to this set of large landslides. In this area, the Incapuquio fault system captures the intermittent drainage network and localizes rotational landslides. Seismic activity is significant in this region with recurrent M w 9 subduction earthquakes; however, none of the latest seismic events have triggered a major landslide. New terrestrial cosmogenic dating of the Chuquibamba landslide provides evidence that the last major gravitational mobilization of these rotational landslide deposits occurred at ∼ 102 ka, during the Ouki wet climatic event identified on the Altiplano between 120 and 98 ka. Our results suggest that wet events in the arid and fractured context of the Andean forearc induced these giant debris flows. Finally, our study highlights the role of tectonics and climate on (i) the localization of large Andean landslides in the Western Cordillera and on (ii) the long-term mass transfer to the trench along the arid Andean front.

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Section: Tectonic and Climatic Forcing On Chuquibamba Landslide Evolusupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Tectonic and Climatic Forcing On Chuquibamba Landslide Evolumentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tectonic and climatic controls on the Chuquibamba landslide (western Andes, southern Peru)

et al. 2015

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“…Giant landslides have been reported from other parts of the Atacama Desert, including on the western slope of the Chilean Andes <70 km to the north and south of the Quebrada de Humayani (Strasser and Schlunegger, 2005;Pinto et al, 2008). Strasser and Schlunegger (2005) speculated that important contributing factors for the giant Lluta landslide to the north may have been: (1) cohesive strength along the basal shear plane; (2) a weak detachment horizon at the top of the Azapa Formation; (3) an elevated groundwater table that fluidized the basal shear zone; (4) pre-existing joints in the Oxaya Formation ignimbrites; (5) the steep dip of the strata; (6) incision of the Quebrada de Lluta near the eventual toe of the landslide; and (7) seismic activity.…”

Section: Landslidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Any or all of these factors may also have contributed to the Quebrada de Humayani landslide or to others in the region. Pinto et al (2008) interpreted a seismic trigger for the Latagualla landslide to the south, facilitated by its proximity to an active fault and possibly by a shallow water table. There may have been a groundwater influence on the morphology of the Latagualla study area, supported by other factors listed in this section, even if groundwater sapping in the strict sense (see Section 1) was not significant.…”

Section: Landslidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin and development of theater-headed valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Morphological analogs to martian valley networks

Irwin

Tooth

Craddock

et al. 2014

Icarus

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a b s t r a c tUnderstanding planetary landforms, including the theater-headed valleys (box canyons) of Mars, usually depends on interpreting geological processes from remote-sensing data without ground-based corroboration. Here we investigate the origin and development of two Mars-analog theater-headed valleys in the hyperarid Atacama Desert of northern Chile. Previous workers attributed these valleys to groundwater sapping based on remote imaging, topography, and publications on the local geology. We evaluate groundwater sapping and alternative hypotheses using field observations of characteristic features, strength measurements of strata exposed in headscarps, and estimates of ephemeral flood discharges within the valleys. The headscarps lack evidence of recent or active seepage weathering, such as spring discharge, salt weathering, alcoves, or vegetation. Their welded tuff caprocks have compressive strengths multiple times those of the underlying epiclastic strata. Flood discharge estimates of cubic meters to tens of cubic meters per second, derived using the Manning equation, are consistent with the size of transported clasts and show that the ephemeral streams are geomorphically effective, even in the modern hyperarid climate. We interpret that headscarp retreat in the Quebrada de Quisma is due to ephemeral flood erosion of weak Miocene epiclastic strata beneath a strong welded tuff, with erosion of the tuff facilitated by vertical jointing. The Quebrada de Humayani headscarp is interpreted as the scar of a giant landslide, maintained against substantial later degradation by similar strong-over-weak stratigraphy. This work suggests that theater-headed valleys on Earth and Mars should not be attributed by default to groundwater sapping, as other processes with lithologic and structural influences can form theater headscarps.Published by Elsevier Inc.

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Tectonic and Climatic Controls on the Spatial Distribution of Denudation Rates in Northern Chile (18°S to 23°S) Determined From Cosmogenic Nuclides

2017

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In the arid region of northern Chile the environmental conditions are favorable for measuring tectonic and climatic influences on catchment denudation rates in the absence of vegetation. Previous studies of denudation rates from cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al concentrations are limited to single drainages. In this study, we examine catchment‐ to orogen‐scale spatial variation in denudation rates between 18 and 23°S in the Coastal and Western Cordilleras of northern Chile. 10Be and 26Al data were obtained from 33 catchments to examine the relative roles of tectonics and climate on catchment‐averaged denudation rates. At broader scales, we examine whether denudation rates and orogen topography reflect the 3‐D plate geometry of the region. Cosmogenic nuclide‐derived denudation rates range from 0.4 ± 0.5 to 20.6 ± 1.5 m/Myr in the Coastal Cordillera and from 1.4 ± 0.7 to 168.0 ± 19.8 m/Myr in the Western Cordillera. The controls on the denudation rates are evaluated using a statistical factor analysis of 10 selected catchment parameters. Denudation rates indicate a strong linear relationship with channel steepness indices but insignificant correlations and covariation with mean annual precipitation rates, drainage area, stream order, mean elevation, mean local relief, mean basin slope, and grain size of the sampled sediments. Moreover, denudation rates are better correlated with tectonic controls at catchment scale than orogen‐scale plate tectonics in the Western and Coastal Cordillera.

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A Neogene giant landslide in Tarapacá, northern Chile: A signal of instability of the westernmost Altiplano and palaeoseismicity effects

Cited by 35 publications

References 26 publications

Tectonic and climatic controls on the Chuquibamba landslide (western Andes, southern Peru)

Tectonic and climatic controls on the Chuquibamba landslide (western Andes, southern Peru)

Origin and development of theater-headed valleys in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile: Morphological analogs to martian valley networks

Tectonic and Climatic Controls on the Spatial Distribution of Denudation Rates in Northern Chile (18°S to 23°S) Determined From Cosmogenic Nuclides

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