Tectonic and climatic forcing on the Panj river system during the Quaternary

Fuchs, Margret C.; Gloaguen, Richard; Pohl, Eric

doi:10.1007/s00531-013-0916-2

Cited by 24 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 74 publications

(147 reference statements)

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“…Valley morphometries (Fig. 3A -F) and the longitudinal profile indicate that the Panj is a composite, non-equilibrated river (Fuchs et al, 2013b). Steep valleys (Fig.…”

Section: The Panj River Networkmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Steep valleys (Fig. 3B, D -F) and prominent convex zones along the river profile suggest three successive river capture events (Fuchs et al, 2013b). The non-equilibrated, convex zones connect reaches where the Panj develops a more concave profile with wider valleys (Fig.…”

Section: The Panj River Networkmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Data from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM, 3B42 V7 product) shows that the Westerlies supply most precipitation to the western margins of the Pamir (Fuchs et al, 2013b). The position of the Pamir at the transition between the Westerlies and the ISM means the region is particularly sensitive to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns (Zech et al, 2005a).…”

Section: Present and Past Climatic Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The circuitous route of the Panj is advantageous as it allows the measurement of fluvial incision rates for different tectonic units of the Pamir. Relative estimates of fluvial incision such as the river profile and valley morphology suggest successive river capture events across the Pamir domes (Fuchs et al, 2013b). However, fluvial incision rates have not previously been quantified for the Panj and little is known about the spatial and temporal variations of terrace formation within the Pamir.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…OSL-based local incision rates and their variations are set in context by analyzing the longitudinal profile of the Panj and utilizing Hack Indices as long-term morphometric indicators (Hack, 1973;Snyder et al, 2000;Singh and Awasthi, 2010;Stokes et al, 2012). We compare the pattern of fluvial incision rates to valley morphology perpendicular to the modern river, quantified by measuring the valley shape ratio (VSR) (Fuchs et al, 2013b). We discuss the potential forcing from glacial cycles during the Late Quaternary as well as the relevance of changes in rock types and increases in catchment area for explaining the spatial variations of fluvial incision.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rates of river incision across the main tectonic units of the Pamir identified using optically stimulated luminescence dating of fluvial terraces

et al. 2014

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Calculated incision rates along the Panj, the main river of the Pamir, are used to investigate any influence by tectonics or climate on the architecture of the river. The depositional ages of Panj river terraces were calculated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of terrace sand. Fluvial incision rates were generated by integrating the terrace depositional ages with accurate kinematic GPS measurements of terrace heights above the modern Panj. We investigated 16 terraces along the Panj at the western Pamir margin and one terrace from the Vakhsh River to the north of the Pamir. The results reveal brief periods of fluvial deposition over the past 26 kyr. The oldest Panj terrace depositional ages coincide with early MIS 2 and MIS 2/1 glaciations on the Pamir Plateau. Younger terrace ages have no apparent link with glacial cycles. Terraces with varying heights above the modern Panj at different localities yielded similar depositional ages. This suggests that local conditions have determined fluvial incision rates. Combining all of the terrace measurements, the average incision rate of the Panj over the last 26 kyr has been ∼5.6 mm/yr. A high mean incision rate of ∼7.3 mm/yr was calculated from terraces where the Panj has cut a steep-sided valley through the Shakhdara Dome. Significantly lower incision rates (∼2 -3 mm/yr) were calculated from terraces where the Panj flows along the southern boundaries of the Shakhdara and Yazgulom domes. At those localities, graded segments of the Panj river profile and increased valley widths are indicative of local base levels. Downstream of the Yazgulom Dome, river incision rates are generally lower (∼4 -5 mm/yr) than the Panj average. However, there is one exception where higher incision rates (∼6 mm/yr) were calculated upstream of the Darvaz Fault Zone, a major tectonic feature that forms the western boundary of the Pamir. The Vakhsh river terrace to the north of the Pamir yielded a lower incision rate (∼3 mm/yr) compared to the Panj average. Variation in incision rates along the Panj does not correspond to changes in rock type or river catchment area. Instead, incision rates appear to have been primarily influenced by river capture across the southern and central metamorphic domes of the Pamir. Wherever the Panj cuts these domes it displays a convex river profile. The combination of localized river profile convexity and changes in incision rates across the Pamir domes indicates that the dome boundaries have been active recently.

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“…Valley morphometries (Fig. 3A -F) and the longitudinal profile indicate that the Panj is a composite, non-equilibrated river (Fuchs et al, 2013b). Steep valleys (Fig.…”

Section: The Panj River Networkmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: The Panj River Networkmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Present and Past Climatic Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rates of river incision across the main tectonic units of the Pamir identified using optically stimulated luminescence dating of fluvial terraces

et al. 2014

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Seismotectonics of the Pamir

et al. 2014

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Based on a 2 year seismic record from a local network, we characterize the deformation of the seismogenic crust of the Pamir in the northwestern part of the India-Asia collision zone. We located more than 6000 upper crustal earthquakes in a regional 3-D velocity model. For 132 of these events, we determined source mechanisms, mostly through full waveform moment tensor inversion of locally and regionally recorded seismograms. We also produced a new and comprehensive neotectonic map of the Pamir, which we relate to the seismic deformation. Along Pamir's northern margin, where GPS measurements show significant shortening, we find thrust and dextral strike-slip faulting along west to northwest trending planes, indicating slip partitioning between northward thrusting and westward extrusion. An active, north-northeast trending, sinistral transtensional fault system dissects the Pamir's interior, connecting the lakes Karakul and Sarez, and extends by distributed faulting into the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan. East of this lineament, the Pamir moves northward en bloc, showing little seismicity and internal deformation. The western Pamir exhibits a higher amount of seismic deformation; sinistral strike-slip faulting on northeast trending or conjugate planes and normal faulting indicate east-west extension and north-south shortening. We explain this deformation pattern by the gravitational collapse of the western Pamir Plateau margin and the lateral extrusion of Pamir rocks into the Tajik-Afghan depression, where it causes thin-skinned shortening of basin sediments above an evaporitic décollement. Superposition of Pamir's bulk northward movement and collapse and westward extrusion of its western flank causes the gradual change of surface velocity orientations from north-northwest to due west observed by GPS geodesy. The distributed shear deformation of the western Pamir and the activation of the Sarez-Karakul fault system may ultimately be caused by the northeastward propagation of India's western transform margin into Asia, thereby linking deformation in the Pamir all the way to the Chaman fault in the south in Afghanistan.

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Glacier melt buffers river runoff in the Pamir Mountains

Pohl

Gloaguen

Andermann

et al. 2017

Water Resources Research

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Newly developed approaches based on satellite altimetry and gravity measurements provide promising results on glacier dynamics in the Pamir‐Himalaya but cannot resolve short‐term natural variability at regional and finer scale. We contribute to the ongoing debate by upscaling a hydrological model that we calibrated for the central Pamir. The model resolves the spatiotemporal variability in runoff over the entire catchment domain with high efficiency. We provide relevant information about individual components of the hydrological cycle and quantify short‐term hydrological variability. For validation, we compare the modeled total water storages (TWS) with GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) data with a very good agreement where GRACE uncertainties are low. The approach exemplifies the potential of GRACE for validating even regional scale hydrological applications in remote and hard to access mountain regions. We use modeled time series of individual hydrological components to characterize the effect of climate variability on the hydrological cycle. We demonstrate that glaciers play a twofold role by providing roughly 35% of the annual runoff of the Panj River basin and by effectively buffering runoff both during very wet and very dry years. The modeled glacier mass balance (GMB) of −0.52 m w.e. yr−1 (2002–2013) for the entire catchment suggests significant reduction of most Pamiri glaciers by the end of this century. The loss of glaciers and their buffer functionality in wet and dry years could not only result in reduced water availability and increase the regional instability, but also increase flood and drought hazards.

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Tectonic and climatic forcing on the Panj river system during the Quaternary

Cited by 24 publications

References 74 publications

Rates of river incision across the main tectonic units of the Pamir identified using optically stimulated luminescence dating of fluvial terraces

Rates of river incision across the main tectonic units of the Pamir identified using optically stimulated luminescence dating of fluvial terraces

Seismotectonics of the Pamir

Glacier melt buffers river runoff in the Pamir Mountains

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