Continental-scale landscape evolution: a history of North American topography
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Fernandes, Victoria M
Roberts, Gareth G
White, Nicky
Whittaker, Alexander C
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The generation and evolution of continental topography are fundamental geologic and geomorphic concerns. In particular, the history of landscape development might contain useful information about the spatiotemporal evolution of deep Earth processes, such as mantle convection. A significant challenge is to generate observations and theoretical predictions of sufficient fidelity to enable landscape evolution to be constrained at scales of interest. Here, we combine substantial inventories of stratigraphic and geomorphic observations with inverse and forward modeling approaches to determine how the North American landscape evolved. First, stratigraphic markers are used to estimate postdepositional regional uplift. Present‐day elevations of these deposits demonstrate that >2 km of long‐wavelength surface uplift centered on the Colorado‐Rocky‐Mountain plateaus occurred in Cenozoic times. Second, to bridge the gaps between these measurements, an inverse modeling scheme is used to calculate the smoothest spatiotemporal pattern of rock uplift rate that yields the smallest misfit between 4,161 observed and calculated longitudinal river profiles. Our results suggest that Cenozoic regional uplift occurred in a series of stages, in agreement with independent stratigraphic observations. Finally, a landscape evolution model driven by this calculated rock uplift history is used to determine drainage patterns, denudation, and sedimentary flux from Late Cretaceous times until the present day. These patterns are broadly consistent with stratigraphic and thermochronologic observations. We conclude that a calibrated inverse modeling strategy can be used to reliably extract the temporal and spatial evolution of the North American landscape at geodynamically useful scales.
Date Issued
2019-09-06
Date Acceptance
2019-09-03
Citation
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 2019, 124 (11), pp.2689-2722
ISSN
2169-9011
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
2689
End Page
2722
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Volume
124
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. This is the accepted version of the following article: Fernandes, V. M., Roberts, G. G., White, N., & Whittaker, A. C. ( 2019). Continental‐scale landscape evolution: A history of North American topography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 124, 2689– 2722, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004979
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000498773200001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
GULF-OF-MEXICO
RIVER INCISION MODEL
DRAINAGE-BASIN EVOLUTION
FISSION-TRACK EVIDENCE
WESTERN UNITED-STATES
SPACE-TIME PATTERNS
COLORADO PLATEAU
DYNAMIC TOPOGRAPHY
STREAM-POWER
GREAT-PLAINS
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-09-06