Reconciling the roles of tectonism and climate in Quaternary alluvial fan evolution

Ritter, John B.; Miller, Jerry R.; Enzel, Yehouda; Wells, Stephen

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0245:rtrota>2.3.co;2

Cited by 128 publications

(92 citation statements)

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“…In glaciated basins in southern Idaho and southwestern Montana, geomorphic surfaces underlain by fan gravels can be traced to moraines of Pinedale and Bull Lake age (Funk, 1976;Pierce and Scott, 1982;Ritter et al, 1993Ritter et al, , 1995. More significantly, correlative surfaces in unglaciated basins in Idaho indicate that a glaciated source area was not necessary for fan aggradation to occur and suggest that maximum sediment and water discharge were associated with annual snowmelt during full glacial conditions (Pierce and Scott, 1982).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, as pointed out by Ritter et al (1995), absolute observance to the principles of climatic geomorphology leads us away from the study of processes because the analyses passes directly from climate to landscape form. An alternative approach is to examine the effects of climate change on the nature of the processes operating in the near surface environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An alternative approach is to examine the effects of climate change on the nature of the processes operating in the near surface environment. Utilizing this methodology, the climate-process relations take on greater significance, and lead to an understanding of the response(s) of geomorphic systems to shifts in climatic regime (Ritter et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geomorphic responses as indicators of paleoclimate and climatic change

1998

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geomorphic responses as indicators of paleoclimate and climatic change

1998

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“…There are many studies regarding the role of tectonics and climate control on both the origins and the development of Quaternary alluvial fans in the literature (Bull 1967;Silva et al 1992;Ritter et al 1995;Frostick & Reid 1999;Viseras et al 2003;Harvey 2004;Harvey et al 2005;Robustelli et al 2009). These elements are commonly considered to be very important in understanding the recent evolution of young orogens.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quaternary alluvial fan systems of the Agri intermontane basin (southern Italy): tectonic and climatic controls

Giano¹

2011

Geologica Carpathica

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Abstract:The Agri River high valley is a Quaternary intermontane basin located in southern Italy. The tectonic evolution of this basin was controlled by Lower Pleistocene strike-slip master faults, subsequently reactivated as normal faults until the Middle Pleistocene. The Quaternary sediments of the basin infill are mainly constituted of continental clastics, represented by coarse-grained alluvial deposits divided by unconformities. The arrangement of clastic deposits suggests that the Pleistocene to Holocene alluvial fan system developed along the eastern margin of the valley. Five generations of slope and alluvial fan systems have been recognized in the Agri basin. The oldest fans have formed on both slope and alluvial deposits. The younger alluvial fans are located along the entire valley floor and arose upon the earlier fan apexes originating in these valleys. The youngest fans are arranged in two different generations and show proximal facies distributed along the foot slopes. Plan view morphology, fan slope profiles, and sedimentary features of the fan system have been used here to determine the magnitude of the tectonic deformation episode affecting the faulted mountainous front of the Agri basin eastern margin. Both fast and slow tectonic episodes occurred during the different regional Quaternary tectonic stages that affected the southern Apennine chain. These tectonic episodes have therefore been analysed in relation to climatic conditions in order to determine their contributions to the evolution of the Pleistocene to Holocene fan systems.

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“…Previous studies of alluvial fans have demonstrated that these landforms afford considerable potential to contribute to this debate, not least because their limited extent (length) may promote relatively rapid and complex response to both internal and external perturbations (Hooke and Dorn, 1992;Harvey, 2002a;Viseras et al, 2003). Fieldbased interpretation of fan morphology and stratigraphy has often emphasized the role of external environmental forcing (Ritter et al, 1995;Whipple and Trayler, 1996;Harvey, 2002b;Hartley et al, 2005;Harvey, 2005). For example, Figure 1 shows a heavily entrenched tributary fan in the Avoca Valley, South Island, New Zealand, which could be interpreted to reflect a para-glacial decline in sediment supply (cf.…”

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confidence: 99%

A numerical modelling and experimental study of flow width dynamics on alluvial fans

Nicholas

Clarke

Quine

2009

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Alluvial fans are dynamic landforms, the evolution of which is controlled by both external environmental forcing (climate, tectonics and base level change) and internal process‐form feedbacks. The latter include changes in flow configuration (between sheetflow and channelized flow states), driven by aggradation and degradation, which may in turn promote changes in sediment transport capacity. Recent numerical modelling indicates that such feedbacks may lead to dramatic and persistent fan entrenchment in the absence of external forcing. However, the parameterization of flow width within such models is untested to date and is subject to considerable uncertainty. This paper presents results from an experimental study of flow width dynamics on an aggrading fan in which spatial and temporal patterns of fan inundation are monitored continuously using analysis of digital vertical photography. Observed flow widths are compared with results from a simple theoretical model developed for non‐equilibrium (aggradational) conditions. Results demonstrate that the theoretical model is capable of capturing the first‐order characteristics of width adjustment over the course of the experiment, and indicate that flow width is a function of fan aggradation rate. This illustrates that models of alluvial flow width derived for equilibrium conditions may have limited utility in non‐equilibrium situations, despite their widespread use to date. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Reconciling the roles of tectonism and climate in Quaternary alluvial fan evolution

Cited by 128 publications

References 0 publications

Geomorphic responses as indicators of paleoclimate and climatic change

Geomorphic responses as indicators of paleoclimate and climatic change

Quaternary alluvial fan systems of the Agri intermontane basin (southern Italy): tectonic and climatic controls

A numerical modelling and experimental study of flow width dynamics on alluvial fans

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