The topographic controls on the decadal-scale erosion rates in Qilian Shan Mountains, N.W. China

Pan, Baotian; Geng, Haopeng; Hu, Xiaofei; Sun, Ranhao; Chao, Wang

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.01.030

Cited by 70 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…16). These shortening rates agree with attendant river incision/erosion rates into uplifted fault blocks across the region (Hetzel et al, 2002;Pan et al, 2003Pan et al, , 2007Pan et al, , 2010Zheng et al, 2010), as well as Late Tertiary rates derived from restoration of crustal-scale cross sections (Gaudemer et al, 1995). Thus, it appears that shortening rates are approximately symmetrical on opposing sides of the eastern Qilian Shan-Nan Shan ranges.…”

Section: Kinematics and Dynamics Of Faulting In Northeastern Tibetsupporting

confidence: 66%

Rates and style of Cenozoic deformation around the Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The northeastern Tibetan Plateau constitutes a transitional region between the lowrelief physiographic plateau to the south and the high-relief ranges of the Qilian Shan to the north. Cenozoic deformation across this margin of the plateau is associated with localized growth of fault-cored mountain ranges and associated basins. Herein, we combine detailed structural analysis of the geometry of range-bounding faults and deformation of foreland basin strata with geomorphic and exhumational records of erosion in hangingwall ranges in order to investigate the magnitude, timing, and style of deformation along the two primary fault systems, the Qinghai Nan Shan and the Gonghe Nan Shan. Structural mapping shows that both ranges have developed above imbricate fans of listric thrust faults, which sole into décollements in the middle crust. Restoration of shortening along balanced cross sections suggests a minimum of 0.8-2.2 km and 5.1-6.9 km of shortening, respectively. Growth strata in the associated foreland basin record the onset of deformation on the two fault systems at ca. 6-10 Ma and ca. 7-10 Ma, respectively, and thus our analysis suggests late Cenozoic shortening rates of 0.2 +0.2/-0.1 km/m.y. and 0.7 +0.3/-0.2 km/m.y. along the north and south sides of Gonghe Basin. Along the Qinghai Nan Shan, these rates are similar to late Pleistocene slip rates of ~0.10 ± 0.04 mm/yr, derived from restoration and dating of a deformed alluvial-fan surface. Collectively, our results imply that deformation along both fl anks of the doubly vergent Qilian Shan-Nan Shan initiated by ca. 10 Ma and that subsequent shortening has been relatively steady since that time.

show abstract

Section: Kinematics and Dynamics Of Faulting In Northeastern Tibetsupporting

confidence: 66%

Rates and style of Cenozoic deformation around the Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For glacier change models, such as those of Rowan et al (2015), where a supraglacial debris layer is formed through glacial processes and hillslope erosion rates are used to control input of debris to a glacier system, annual rates of glacier change and sediment flux could be used to constrain model outputs. We also confirm that using temporally constant annual erosion rates for control of debris input to glacier systems, such as those used by Rowan et al (2015) and Anderson and Anderson (2016), is appropriate on sub-decadal timescales, but should be set on a case by case basis as these erosion rates would be affected by localised variability in headwall retreat and precipitation (Bookhagen et al, 2005;Pan et al, 2010). For longer-term studies the effect of a changing climate should be considered in regional erosion rates used for such numerical models (Peizhen et al, 2001;Scherler, 2014).…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 80%

Temporal variations in supraglacial debris distribution on Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram between 2001 and 2012

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Distribution of supraglacial debris in a glacier system varies spatially and temporally due to differing rates of debris input, transport and deposition. Supraglacial debris distribution governs the thickness of a supraglacial debris layer, an important control on the amount of ablation that occurs under such a debris layer. Characterising supraglacial debris layer thickness on a glacier is therefore key to calculating ablation across a glacier surface. The spatial pattern of debris thickness on Baltoro Glacier has previously been calculated for one discrete point in time (2004) using satellite thermal data and an empirically based relationship between supraglacial debris layer thickness and debris surface temperature identified in the field. Here, the same empirically based relationship was applied to two further datasets (2001, 2012) to calculate debris layer thickness across Baltoro Glacier for three discrete points over an 11-year period (2001, 2004, 2012). Surface velocity and sediment flux were also calculated, as well as debris thickness change between periods.

show abstract

“…Consistently, other less circulated sources showed that, for instance at Dujiangyang on the Min river, downstream of Zipingpu (ZPP), the bed load was estimated to be about 15–20% of the suspended load flux [ Xu , 1981; Chen and Hu , 1985; Qu , 1998]. In addition, we use an uncertainty of 15% (1 σ ) to account for the possible variations in the ratio from various studies for steep mountain rivers with a similar setting of high relief and high water discharge [e.g., Ali and De Boer , 2007; Pratt‐Sitaula et al , 2007; Gabet et al , 2008; Pan et al , 2010].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Focused modern denudation of the Longmen Shan margin, eastern Tibetan Plateau

Liu‐Zeng

Wen

Oskin

et al. 2011

Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] We use river sediment load data to map the pattern of modern denudation across the Longmen Shan margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Suspended sediment load, with corrections of bed load and solute load contributions, is used to calculate watershed-averaged denudation rates. Decadal erosion is spatially heterogeneous, and seasonally modulated by monsoon flows, which account for 80-90% of the sediment load. Enhanced denudation occurs in a ∼50 km wide band on the hanging wall of the Longmen Shan and Huya fault zones, reaching 0.5-0.8 mm/yr. These rates are similar to kyr-scale rates deduced from cosmogenic 10 Be and to Myr-scale rates from low-temperature thermochronology. The sediment fluxderived erosion rates decrease with increasing distance plateauward, to less than 0.05 mm/yr at a distance ∼200 km northwest of the foot of the Longmen Shan. The gradient in precipitation across this margin alone cannot explain the one order of magnitude spatial difference in erosion. Rather, the river sediment load data delineates a zone of relatively rapid denudation around active faults that carry the Longmen Shan in their hanging wall. From the similarity of denudation rates measured over Myr, kyr, and decadal time scales, we propose that erosion of the Longmen Shan margin has approached a flux steady state. The erosional efflux is balanced by advection of rock toward the Longmen margin above the ∼20°NW dipping ramp of the marginbounding fault. Our results suggest that high amounts of landslide material mobilized by earthquakes such as the Mw 7.9 2008 Wenchuan event are gradually removed by rivers, smoothing sediment flux over time. Our results also suggest that caution should be exercised when interpreting young cooling ages as evidence of the initiation of plateau uplift. Advection of an already high plateau into the belt of higher erosion rate at the Longmen Shan could also give rise to an abrupt cooling history.

show abstract

The topographic controls on the decadal-scale erosion rates in Qilian Shan Mountains, N.W. China

Cited by 70 publications

References 52 publications

Rates and style of Cenozoic deformation around the Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Rates and style of Cenozoic deformation around the Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Temporal variations in supraglacial debris distribution on Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram between 2001 and 2012

Focused modern denudation of the Longmen Shan margin, eastern Tibetan Plateau

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About