@article{WickertSchildgen2019, author = {Wickert, Andrew D. and Schildgen, Taylor F.}, title = {Long-profile evolution of transport-limited gravel-bed rivers}, series = {Earth surface dynamics}, volume = {7}, journal = {Earth surface dynamics}, number = {1}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-7-17-2019}, pages = {17 -- 43}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Alluvial and transport-limited bedrock rivers constitute the majority of fluvial systems on Earth. Their long profiles hold clues to their present state and past evolution. We currently possess first-principles-based governing equations for flow, sediment transport, and channel morphodynamics in these systems, which we lack for detachment-limited bedrock rivers. Here we formally couple these equations for transport-limited gravel-bed river long-profile evolution. The result is a new predictive relationship whose functional form and parameters are grounded in theory and defined through experimental data. From this, we produce a power-law analytical solution and a finite-difference numerical solution to long-profile evolution. Steady-state channel concavity and steepness are diagnostic of external drivers: concavity decreases with increasing uplift rate, and steepness increases with an increasing sediment-to-water supply ratio. Constraining free parameters explains common observations of river form: to match observed channel concavities, gravel-sized sediments must weather and fine - typically rapidly - and valleys typically should widen gradually. To match the empirical square-root width-discharge scaling in equilibrium-width gravel-bed rivers, downstream fining must occur. The ability to assign a cause to such observations is the direct result of a deductive approach to developing equations for landscape evolution.}, language = {en} } @misc{GeissmanJolivetRusmoreetal.2019, author = {Geissman, John and Jolivet, Laurent and Rusmore, Margi and Niemi, Nathan and Schildgen, Taylor F.}, title = {Thank you to our 2018 peer reviewers}, series = {Tectonics}, volume = {38}, journal = {Tectonics}, number = {4}, publisher = {Hoboken}, address = {Wiley}, issn = {0278-7407}, doi = {10.1029/2019TC005595}, pages = {1159 -- 1163}, year = {2019}, abstract = {An essential, respected, and critical aspect of the modern practice of science and scientific publishing is peer review. The process of peer review facilitates best practices in scientific conduct and communication, ensuring that manuscripts published are as accurate, valuable, and clearly communicated. The over 216 papers published in Tectonics in 2018 benefit from the time, effort, and expertise of our reviewers who have provided thoughtfully considered advice on each manuscript. This role is critical to advancing our understanding of the evolution of the continents and their margins, as these reviews lead to even clearer and higher-quality papers. In 2018, the over 443 papers submitted to Tectonics were the beneficiaries of more than 1,010 reviews provided by 668 members of the tectonics community and related disciplines. To everyone who has volunteered their time and intellect to peer reviewing, thank you for helping Tectonics and all other AGU Publications provide the best science possible.}, language = {en} } @misc{WickertSchildgen2019, author = {Wickert, Andrew D. and Schildgen, Taylor F.}, title = {Long-profile evolution of transport-limited gravel-bed rivers}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {680}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-42571}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-425718}, pages = {27}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Alluvial and transport-limited bedrock rivers constitute the majority of fluvial systems on Earth. Their long profiles hold clues to their present state and past evolution. We currently possess first-principles-based governing equations for flow, sediment transport, and channel morphodynamics in these systems, which we lack for detachment-limited bedrock rivers. Here we formally couple these equations for transport-limited gravel-bed river long-profile evolution. The result is a new predictive relationship whose functional form and parameters are grounded in theory and defined through experimental data. From this, we produce a power-law analytical solution and a finite-difference numerical solution to long-profile evolution. Steady-state channel concavity and steepness are diagnostic of external drivers: concavity decreases with increasing uplift rate, and steepness increases with an increasing sediment-to-water supply ratio. Constraining free parameters explains common observations of river form: to match observed channel concavities, gravel-sized sediments must weather and fine - typically rapidly - and valleys typically should widen gradually. To match the empirical square-root width-discharge scaling in equilibrium-width gravel-bed rivers, downstream fining must occur. The ability to assign a cause to such observations is the direct result of a deductive approach to developing equations for landscape evolution.}, language = {en} } @article{TofeldeSaviWickertetal.2019, author = {Tofelde, Stefanie and Savi, Sara and Wickert, Andrew D. and Bufe, Aaron and Schildgen, Taylor F.}, title = {Alluvial channel response to environmental perturbations}, series = {Earth Surface Dynamics}, volume = {7}, journal = {Earth Surface Dynamics}, publisher = {Copernicus Publ.}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2196-6311}, doi = {10.5194/esurf-7-609-2019}, pages = {609 -- 631}, year = {2019}, abstract = {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.}, language = {en} } @misc{TofeldeSaviWickertetal.2019, author = {Tofelde, Stefanie and Savi, Sara and Wickert, Andrew D. and Bufe, Aaron and Schildgen, Taylor F.}, title = {Alluvial channel response to environmental perturbations}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {762}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43718}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-437185}, pages = {609 -- 631}, year = {2019}, abstract = {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.}, language = {en} } @article{PingelSchildgenStreckeretal.2019, author = {Pingel, Heiko and Schildgen, Taylor F. and Strecker, Manfred and Wittmann, Hella}, title = {Pliocene-Pleistocene orographic control on denudation in northwest Argentina}, series = {Geology}, volume = {47}, journal = {Geology}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G45800.1}, pages = {359 -- 362}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The intermontane Humahuaca Basin in the Eastern Cordillera of the northwest Argentine Andes lies leeward of an orographic barrier to easterly derived moisture. An average of >2000 mm/yr of rainfall along the eastern flanks of the barrier contrasts with <200 mm/yr in the orogen interior. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that the basin became disconnected from the foreland during the Miocene-Pliocene by the growth of fault-bounded mountain ranges. Fossil records, sedimentology, and stable isotope data imply that rerouting of the fluvial network by 4.2 Ma and reduced rainfall by ca. 3 Ma were consequences of that range uplift. Here, we present cosmogenic nuclide-derived (Be-10) paleodenudation rates from 6 to 2 Ma fluvial deposits collected from the Humahuaca Basin. Despite increased tectonic activity, our Be-10 data show a tenfold decrease in denudation rates at ca. 3 Ma, documenting a link between uplift-induced semiarid conditions and decreasing hillslope denudation rates. This new data set thus demonstrates the influence of hydrological change on spatiotemporal denudation patterns in tectonically active mountain areas.}, language = {en} } @article{GeorgievaGallagherSobczyketal.2019, author = {Georgieva, Viktoria and Gallagher, Kerry and Sobczyk, Artur and Sobel, Edward and Schildgen, Taylor F. and Ehlers, Todd and Strecker, Manfred}, title = {Effects of slab-window, alkaline volcanism, and glaciation on thermochronometer cooling histories, Patagonian Andes}, series = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, volume = {511}, journal = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0012-821X}, doi = {10.1016/j.epsl.2019.01.030}, pages = {164 -- 176}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Southern Patagonia is a prime example of ongoing oceanic ridge collision and slab-window formation sustained over several million years. The impact of these phenomena on the thermal structure and exhumation of the crust have been mainly assessed with low-temperature thermochronology of bedrock samples. Here, we infer thermal histories from new and existing thermochronological data from the region of most recent ridge collision. In particular, we evaluate the potential far-reaching thermal effects of the evolving slab window, which have previously been considered responsible for patterns of late Miocene reheating associated with back-arc alkaline volcanism. Our model results define protracted cooling since similar to 15 Ma and stepwise exhumation since the late Miocene. The pattern of stepwise exhumation closely matches the onset of Patagonian glaciation at 7 Ma and the successive pulse of glacial incision coeval with neotectonic activity since 3-4 Ma that are also documented by independent geological and geomorphological evidence in the region. Importantly, our findings challenge the recently suggested lack of glacial erosion and incision since 5 Ma in this region. Furthermore, in contrast to previous modelling studies, we find that the available data do not evidence a previously proposed northward-propagating heating event associated with alkaline volcanism. We hypothesize that the anomalous alkaline volcanism in the Patagonian back-arc might be related to trench-orthogonal tears aligned with transform faults in the subducting plate. The substantial differences from the previous modelling procedure on some of the same samples is demonstrated to result from an important lack of convergence in model runs. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{SchildgenvanderBeekSinclairetal.2018, author = {Schildgen, Taylor F. and van der Beek, Pieter A. and Sinclair, Hugh D. and Thiede, Rasmus Christoph}, title = {Spatial correlation bias in late-Cenozoic erosion histories derived from thermochronology}, series = {Nature : the international weekly journal of science}, volume = {559}, journal = {Nature : the international weekly journal of science}, number = {7712}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {0028-0836}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-018-0260-6}, pages = {89 -- 93}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The potential link between erosion rates at the Earth's surface and changes in global climate has intrigued geoscientists for decades1,2 because such a coupling has implications for the influence of silicate weathering3,4 and organic-carbon burial5 on climate and for the role of Quaternary glaciations in landscape evolution1,6. A global increase in late-Cenozoic erosion rates in response to a cooling, more variable climate has been proposed on the basis of worldwide sedimentation rates7. Other studies have indicated, however, that global erosion rates may have remained steady, suggesting that the reported increases in sediment-accumulation rates are due to preservation biases, depositional hiatuses and varying measurement intervals8,9,10. More recently, a global compilation of thermochronology data has been used to infer a nearly twofold increase in the erosion rate in mountainous landscapes over late-Cenozoic times6. It has been contended that this result is free of the biases that affect sedimentary records11, although others have argued that it contains biases related to how thermochronological data are averaged12 and to erosion hiatuses in glaciated landscapes13. Here we investigate the 30 locations with reported accelerated erosion during the late Cenozoic6. Our analysis shows that in 23 of these locations, the reported increases are a result of a spatial correlation bias—that is, combining data with disparate exhumation histories, thereby converting spatial erosion-rate variations into temporal increases. In four locations, the increases can be explained by changes in tectonic boundary conditions. In three cases, climatically induced accelerations are recorded, driven by localized glacial valley incision. Our findings suggest that thermochronology data currently have insufficient resolution to assess whether late-Cenozoic climate change affected erosion rates on a global scale. We suggest that a synthesis of local findings that include location-specific information may help to further investigate drivers of global erosion rates.}, language = {en} } @article{SchildgenHoke2018, author = {Schildgen, Taylor F. and Hoke, Gregory D.}, title = {The topographic evolution of the central andes}, series = {Elements : an international magazine of mineralogy, geochemistry, and petrology}, volume = {14}, journal = {Elements : an international magazine of mineralogy, geochemistry, and petrology}, number = {4}, publisher = {Mineralogical Society of America}, address = {Chantilly}, issn = {1811-5209}, doi = {10.2138/gselements.14.4.231}, pages = {231 -- 236}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Changes in topography on Earth, particularly the growth of major mountain belts like the Central Andes, have a fundamental impact on regional and global atmospheric circulation patterns. These patterns, in turn, affect processes such as precipitation, erosion, and sedimentation. Over the last two decades, various geochemical, geomorphologic, and geologic approaches have helped identify when, where, and how quickly topography has risen in the past. The current spatio-temporal picture of Central Andean growth is now providing insight into which deep-Earth processes have left their imprint on the shape of the Earth's surface.}, language = {en} } @article{WoernerSchildgenReich2018, author = {W{\"o}rner, Gerhard and Schildgen, Taylor F. and Reich, Martin}, title = {The central Andes}, series = {Elements : an international magazine of mineralogy, geochemistry, and petrology}, volume = {14}, journal = {Elements : an international magazine of mineralogy, geochemistry, and petrology}, number = {4}, publisher = {Mineralogical Society of America}, address = {Chantilly}, issn = {1811-5209}, doi = {10.2138/gselements.14.4.225}, pages = {225 -- 230}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The Central Andes and the Atacama Desert represent a unique geological, climatic, and magmatic setting on our planet. It is the only place on Earth where subduction of an oceanic plate below an active continental margin has led to an extensive mountain chain and an orogenic plateau that is second in size only to the Tibetan Plateau, which resulted from continental collision. In this article, we introduce the history of the Central Andes and the evolution of its landscape. We also discuss links between tectonic forces, magmatism, and the extreme hyperarid climate of this land that, in turn, has led to rich deposits of precious ores and minerals.}, language = {en} }