Climate-driven sediment aggradation and incision since the late Pleistocene in the NW Himalaya, India

Dey, Saptarshi; Thiede, Rasmus; Schildgen, Taylor F.; Wittmann, Hella; Bookhagen, Bodo; Scherler, Dirk; Jain, Vikrant; Strecker, Manfred R.

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.050

Cited by 64 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…1) are coupled to one another (Allen, 2017). Erosion processes on the hillslopes, for example, determine the amount of sediment provided to the transfer zone, i.e., Q s,in (e.g., Dixon et al, 2009;Tofelde et al, 2018). In turn, changes in channelbed elevation in the transfer zone can affect hillslope-erosion processes (e.g., Hurst et al, 2012;Roering et al, 2007).…”

Section: Limitations Of Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alluvial channel response to environmental perturbations: fill-terrace formation and sediment-signal disruption

et al. 2019

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The sensitivity of fluvial systems to tectonic and climatic boundary conditions allows us to use the geomorphic and stratigraphic records as quantitative archives of past climatic and tectonic conditions. Thus, fluvial terraces that form on alluvial fans and floodplains as well as the rate of sediment export to oceanic and continental basins are commonly used to reconstruct paleoenvironments. However, we currently lack a systematic and quantitative understanding of the transient evolution of fluvial systems and their associated sediment storage and release in response to changes in base level, water input, and sediment input. Such knowledge is necessary to quantify past environmental change from terrace records or sedimentary deposits and to disentangle the multiple possible causes for terrace formation and sediment deposition. Here, we use a set of seven physical experiments to explore terrace formation and sediment export from a single, braided channel that is perturbed by changes in upstream water discharge or sediment supply, or through downstream base-level fall. Each perturbation differently affects (1) the geometry of terraces and channels, (2) the timing of terrace cutting, and (3) the transient response of sediment export from the basin. In general, an increase in water discharge leads to near-instantaneous channel incision across the entire fluvial system and consequent local terrace cutting, thus preserving the initial channel slope on terrace surfaces, and it also produces a transient increase in sediment export from the system. In contrast, a decreased upstream sediment-supply rate may result in longer lag times before terrace cutting, leading to terrace slopes that differ from the initial channel slope, and also lagged responses in sediment export. Finally, downstream base-level fall triggers the upstream propagation of a diffuse knickzone, forming terraces with upstream-decreasing ages. The slope of terraces triggered by base-level fall mimics that of the newly adjusted active channel, whereas slopes of terraces triggered by a decrease in upstream sediment discharge or an increase in upstream water discharge are steeper compared to the new equilibrium channel. By combining fillterrace records with constraints on sediment export, we can distinguish among environmental perturbations that would otherwise remain unresolved when using just one of these records.Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union.

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Section: Limitations Of Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alluvial channel response to environmental perturbations: fill-terrace formation and sediment-signal disruption

et al. 2019

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“…In more recent study, the Kangra fan sediments are dated using cosmogenic nuclide ( 10 Be) dating method. The two sets of ages obtained are 53.4 ± 3.2 ka and 43.0 ± 2.2 ka for the older fan and 18.6 ± 1.2 ka and 15.3 ± 0.9 ka for the younger fan (Dey et al, 2016a). The OSL ages and climatic signatures in the Kangra fan sediments suggest more extensive last glacial cycle as compared to the LGM affecting the Dhauladhar Range.…”

Section: Deglaciation Induced Erosionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…The OSL dating was carried at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun, following the standard protocol (Murray and Wintle, 2000). Table 1 presents the IRSL and OSL dates of sediments of the Kangra Basin from its proximal and distal parts of the fan and strath terraces south of Kangra along with recently-published 10 Be dates (cf., Dey et al, 2016a, b).…”

Section: Optically Stimulated Luminescence (Osl) Chronologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on these studies, the paleoclimatic episodes were deciphered during late Quaternary (Srivastava et al, 2009). More recently, climate-induced sediment aggradation and incision since Pleistocene has been deciphered within the K-Basin through in situ cosmogenic 10 Be dating (Dey et al, 2016a). We have studied the K-Basin tectonics and carried out Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of the basin-fill of the Kangra fan sediments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Linking the Kangra piggy–back Basin with reactivation of the Jawalamukhi Thrust and erosion of Dhauladhar Range, Northwest Himalaya

2020

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A dynamic coupling between climate-induced erosion and tectonics is envisaged for the growth of the Himalaya. The Dhauladhar Range (NW Himalaya), between the Beas and Ravi rivers, shows large altitude variation along the regional trend from southeast to northwest. The altitude rises between 5000 m and 4000 m in the eastern part and decreases between <4000 m and 2800 m in the western part. Eastern part of the Range is characterized with focused and highest precipitation, concentration of microseismicity and the formation of Kangra Basin to its south; whereas all these features are lacking in the western part. The Kangra Basin is a post-Siwalik intermontane basin between the Dhauladhar Range in the north and the Siwalik Range in the south. The basin-fill is essentially derived from the southern flank of the Dhauladhar Range as a consequence of erosion due to deglaciation. The Kangra Basin is developed as a piggy-back basin over the hanging wall of the foreland propagating Jawalamukhi Thrust (JT). The Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of fluvial strath terrace surfaces, across the hanging wall, indicate late Quaternary reactivation of the JT. The Kangra Basin sediments yield late Quaternary OSL ages similar to that of the strath terraces. This suggests that formation of the Kangra Basin is synchronous with reactivation of the JT, implying a linkage among formation of the Kangra Basin, its filling through erosion of the Dhauladhar Range and reactivation of the Jawalamukhi Thrust.

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“…Changes in the ratio of transport capacity to sediment flux have commonly been linked to external forcings, such as to climatically controlled increases in sediment fluxes (Bookhagen et al, 2006;Bull, 1990;DeVecchio et al, 2012;Dey et al, 2016;Formento-Trigilio et al, 2003;Fuller et al, 2009;Hancock & Anderson, 2002;Jansen et al, 2011;Molnar et al, 1994;Pan et al, 2003;Pazzaglia & Brandon, 2001;Wegmann & Pazzaglia, 2002), changes in the water flux (Hanson et al, 2006), changes in vegetation density (Collins et al, 2016), or a combination of the above (Pratt-Sitaula et al, 2004;Schildgen et al, 2016). Other possible processes controlling stream power and, thus, transport capacity and rates of channel incision include downstream changes in base level due, for example, to sea level changes, downstream aggradation or degradation (Castillo et al, 2013;Finnegan & Balco, 2013;Merritts et al, 1994;Pazzaglia & Gardner, 1993), or changes in tectonic forcing (Cook et al, 2013;Grimaud et al, 2016;.…”

Section: Controls On the Ratio Of Lateral And Vertical Erosion Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations of Lateral Bedrock Erosion Rates Control Planation of Uplifting Folds in the Foreland of the Tian Shan, NW China

et al. 2017

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Fluvial planation surfaces, such as straths, commonly serve as recorders of climatic and tectonic changes and are formed by the lateral erosion of rivers, a process that remains poorly understood. Here we present a study of kilometer‐wide, fluvially eroded, low‐relief surfaces on rapidly uplifting folds in the foreland of the southwestern Tian Shan. A combination of field work, digital elevation model analysis, and dating of fluvial deposits reveals that despite an arid climate and rapid average rock‐uplift rates of 1–3 mm/yr, rivers cut extensive (>1–2 km wide) surfaces with typical height variations of <6 m over periods of >2–6 kyr. The extent of this “beveling” varies in space and time, such that different beveling episodes affect individual structures. Between times of planation, beveled surfaces are abandoned, incised, and deformed across the folds. In a challenge to models that link strath cutting and abandonment primarily to changes in river incision rates, we demonstrate that lateral erosion rates of antecedent streams crossing the folds have to vary by more than 1 order of magnitude to explain the creation of beveled platforms in the past and their incision at the present day. These variations do not appear to covary with climate variability and might be caused by relatively small (much less than an order of magnitude) changes in sediment or water fluxes. It remains uncertain in which settings variations in lateral bedrock erosion rates predominate over changes in vertical erosion rates. Therefore, when studying fluvial planation and strath terraces, variability of both lateral and vertical erosion rates should be considered.

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Climate-driven sediment aggradation and incision since the late Pleistocene in the NW Himalaya, India

Cited by 64 publications

References 46 publications

Alluvial channel response to environmental perturbations: fill-terrace formation and sediment-signal disruption

Alluvial channel response to environmental perturbations: fill-terrace formation and sediment-signal disruption

Linking the Kangra piggy–back Basin with reactivation of the Jawalamukhi Thrust and erosion of Dhauladhar Range, Northwest Himalaya

Variations of Lateral Bedrock Erosion Rates Control Planation of Uplifting Folds in the Foreland of the Tian Shan, NW China

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