Geomorphic limits to climate-induced increases in topographic relief

Late Pleistocene Climate Change and Erosion in the Santa Maria Basin, NW Argentina

“…Molnar and England (1990) initially argued that accelerated rates of Quaternary tectonism might in fact be produced by a more erosive climate and hence an increase in topographic relief. In contrast, Whipple et al (1999) suggest that climate change may cause increased erosion in tectonically active mountain ranges, but neither fluvial nor glacial erosion is likely to induce significant isostatic uplift of mountain peaks. Only a few field studies have actually documented significant changes due to Quaternary climatic fluctuations such as glacialinterglacial transitions in higher latitudes or periods of increased humidity (Ruddiman 1997).…”

“…The history of many Cenozoic orogens demonstrates how the creation of high relief profoundly influences climate; examples include the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and its influence on the westerlies and the monsoon system, or the evolution of the PunaAltiplano plateau on the position and seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) (e.g., Molnar et al 1993;Raymo and Ruddiman 1992;Raymo 1994). On the basis of modeling results, feedback among orogenic activity, erosion, isostasy, and climatic change has also been proposed (e.g., Molnar and England 1990;Bull 1991;Mulder and Syvitski 1996;Whipple et al 1999;Willett et al 2001). Molnar and England (1990) initially argued that accelerated rates of Quaternary tectonism might in fact be produced by a more erosive climate and hence an increase in topographic relief.…”

Seismic and non-seismic influences on coastal change in Alaska--Fieldtrip guide and conference abstracts, 5th International Conference of IGCP 588

“…Most active mountain ranges have been extensively shaped throughout Quaternary glaciation, but have only remnants of glaciers and glacial landforms today. For that reason our understanding of coupling between glacial erosion and tectonic processes is mostly based on the study of the geomorphology of deglaciated landforms (Brocklehurst and Whipple, 2002Whipple, , 2007Champagnac et al, 2009), and on conceptual (Whipple et al, 1999), analytical (Tomkin and Roe, 2007), and numerical models (Tomkin and Braun, 2002;Tomkin, 2007;Herman and Braun, 2008;Yanites and Ehlers, 2012). The St. Elias Range provides the opportunity for direct field investigations of glacial erosion processes in an active orogen and testing glacial erosion models (e.g.…”

Analysis of longitudinal profiles along the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

“…Our contemporary understanding of tectonic processes that build topography suggests that factors such as heightened local relief, erosion rates and the shape of longitudinal profiles can be diagnostic of tectonic histories or on-going neotectonic activity (Ahnert 1970;Montgomery 1994;Montgomery and Brandon 2002;Whipple et al 1999). For example, the shielding of the interior of the QTP is achieved despite regionally variable tectonic and drainage network activity, suggesting that active feedback between tectonic processes and erosion preferentially concentrates erosion along the eastern margin of the QTP.…”