Source-to-sink analysis in an active extensional setting: Holocene erosion and deposition in the Sperchios rift, central Greece
File(s)Pechlivanidou_et_al-2017-Basin_Research.pdf (7.84 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We present a source-to-sink analysis to explain sediment supply variations and depositional patterns over the Holocene within an active rift setting. We integrate a range of modelling approaches and data types with field observations from the Sperchios rift basin, Central Greece that allow us to analyse and quantify (1) the size and characteristics of sediment source areas, (2) the dynamics of the sediment routing system from upstream fluvial processes to downstream deposition at the coastline, and (3) the depositional architecture and volumes of the Holocene basin fill. We demonstrate that the Sperchios rift comprises a 'closed' system over the Holocene and that erosional and depositional volumes are thus balanced. Furthermore, we evaluate key controls in the development of this source-to-sink system, including the role of pre-existing topography, bedrock erodibility and lateral variations in the rate of tectonic uplift/subsidence. We show that tectonic subsidence alone can explain the observed grain size fining along the rift axis resulting in the downstream transition from a braided channel to an extensive meander belt ( > 15 km long) that feeds the fine-grained Sperchios delta. Additionally, we quantify the ratios of sediment storage to bypass for the two main footwall-sourced alluvial fan systems and relate the fan characteristics to the pattern and rates of fault slip. Finally, we show that ≥40% of the sediment that builds the Sperchios delta is supplied by ≤22% of the entire source area and that this can be primarily attributed to a longer-term (~10 6 years) transient landscape response to fault segment linkage. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to quantify the relative importance of multiple factors that control a complex source-to-sink system and thus improve our understanding of landscape evolution and stratigraphic development in active extensional tectonic settings.
Date Issued
2017-09-22
Date Acceptance
2017-08-27
Citation
Basin Research, 2017, 30 (3), pp.522-543
ISSN
0950-091X
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
522
End Page
543
Journal / Book Title
Basin Research
Volume
30
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
©2017 The AuthorsBasin Research ©2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers and International Association of Sedimentologists. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproductionin any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Subjects
04 Earth Sciences
Geology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2017-08-27