Sediment Recycling and the Evolution of Analog Orogenic Wedges

Abstract

The evolution of mountain belts results from the interaction between processes operating at different scales and depths. Tectonic processes build relief by progressively stacking slices of buoyant crustal material and increasing mean elevation by isostasy. Rivers and glaciers erode the landscape and transport sediments lowering the mean elevation. The competition between tectonic and surface processes should lead orogen to an equilibrium, a steady state configuration (e.g., Willett & Brandon, 2002) that is sensitive to changes in climate, lithology, and/ or uplift rate (e.g.

Morpho‐Tectonics of Transpressional Systems: Insights From Analog Modeling

“…This assumption allows one to solve for t * as t * = 4l* /v *, where v * is the convergence rate scaling factor ( v * = 10 4 …10 5 ). From this equation, we estimate t * = 4 × 10 −10 … 4 × 10 −9 , suggesting that 1 hr of model time corresponds to 30…300 kyr, as in prior work (Graveleau et al., 2011; Mao et al., 2021; Reitano et al., 2022). In this approach, the t * equation is the inverted form of that for erodibility, which has units of time −1 .…”

“…However, this approach limits the internal control of the system. Only a few models combine tectonic stresses and surface processes using misting systems that more realistically simulate the erosional processes acting on a deforming wedge (Graveleau & Dominguez, 2008; Graveleau et al., 2015; Guerit et al., 2016, 2018; Lague et al., 2003; Mao et al., 2021; Reitano et al., 2022; Viaplana‐Muzas et al., 2015, 2019). These “erosion–tectonic” laboratory studies are often limited to purely compressional or extensional settings with few strike‐slip (e.g., Graveleau et al., 2015) or transpressional (e.g., Guerit et al., 2016, 2018) investigations.…”

“…The prefixes D and W are for dry and wet experiments, and the suffix is the date experiments were conducted. In the table, the CR refers to a dimensionless quantity defined as the convergence over rainfall rate (Reitano et al., 2022). An infinite CR means the system is completely dry, whereas a CR of zero indicates the system is not tectonically loaded.…”

Surface and Crustal Response to Deep Subduction Dynamics: Insights From the Apennines, Italy

“…Morphometric analyses are extensively used as a proxy to infer the short‐term landscape evolution and to detect variations in uplift rates or climatic conditions through time (e.g., D’Alessandro et al., 2003; Ferrarini et al., 2021; Lanari et al., 2022; Pazzaglia & Fisher, 2022; Piacentini & Miccadei, 2014; Picotti et al., 2009; Reitano et al., 2022). The relationship between the slope of a river and its drainage area is usually expressed by a power‐law formulation known as Flint's law $$$S={k}_{s}{A}^{-\theta }$$$ where S is the topographic slope, A is the upstream drainage area, k s is the steepness index, and θ is the concavity index (Flint, 1974).…”

Stream laws in tectonic landscape analogue models

“…Tectonics, erosion, and sedimentation play an integrated role in the evolution of mountain belts with complex and poorly constrained feedbacks. During the last decades modelers analyzed these feedbacks, from the rejuvenation of streams (e.g., Schumm and Parker, 1973;Schumm and Rea, 1995) to the more complex evolution of whole orogenic systems (e.g., Bonnet, 2009;Graveleau and Dominguez, 2008;Guerit et al, 2016;Lague et al, 2003;Tejedor et al, 2017;Viaplana-Muzas et al, 2019;Reitano et al, 2022). However, all the previous analog modeling efforts are based on the robustness of the characterization of material used in the experiments (e.g., Graveleau et al, 2011;Reitano et al, 2020) and on the scaling to natural prototypes (e.g., Graveleau et al, 2011;Paola et al, 2009).…”