Abstract
Despite much progress, many questions remain regarding the potential dynamic coupling between atmospheric and lithospheric processes in the long-term evolution of mountain belts. As a complement to recent efforts to discover the interrelationships among climate, topography, erosion, and rock deformation under conditions of mass-flux steady state, we explore orogen response to changes in climate and tectonic influx. We derive an analytical model that predicts a powerful climatic control on orogen evolution and distinct, potentially diagnostic, responses to climatic and tectonic perturbations. Due to isostatic compensation, the near-surface rock uplift rate during transients is tightly coupled to climate-modulated erosional efficiency. System response is approximately exponential, with a characteristic response timescale that is inversely proportional to the climate- and lithology-modulated erosional efficiency, and is largely insensitive to initial conditions, tectonic influx, and both the sign and magnitude of perturbations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 218-228 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Earth and Planetary Science Letters |
| Volume | 243 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 15 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Climate
- Critical wedge
- Erosion
- Rock uplift
- Tectonics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geochemistry and Petrology
- Geophysics
- Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Cite this
Orogen response to changes in climatic and tectonic forcing. / Whipple, Kelin; Meade, Brendan J.
In: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 243, No. 1-2, 15.03.2006, p. 218-228.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Orogen response to changes in climatic and tectonic forcing
AU - Whipple, Kelin
AU - Meade, Brendan J.
PY - 2006/3/15
Y1 - 2006/3/15
N2 - Despite much progress, many questions remain regarding the potential dynamic coupling between atmospheric and lithospheric processes in the long-term evolution of mountain belts. As a complement to recent efforts to discover the interrelationships among climate, topography, erosion, and rock deformation under conditions of mass-flux steady state, we explore orogen response to changes in climate and tectonic influx. We derive an analytical model that predicts a powerful climatic control on orogen evolution and distinct, potentially diagnostic, responses to climatic and tectonic perturbations. Due to isostatic compensation, the near-surface rock uplift rate during transients is tightly coupled to climate-modulated erosional efficiency. System response is approximately exponential, with a characteristic response timescale that is inversely proportional to the climate- and lithology-modulated erosional efficiency, and is largely insensitive to initial conditions, tectonic influx, and both the sign and magnitude of perturbations.
AB - Despite much progress, many questions remain regarding the potential dynamic coupling between atmospheric and lithospheric processes in the long-term evolution of mountain belts. As a complement to recent efforts to discover the interrelationships among climate, topography, erosion, and rock deformation under conditions of mass-flux steady state, we explore orogen response to changes in climate and tectonic influx. We derive an analytical model that predicts a powerful climatic control on orogen evolution and distinct, potentially diagnostic, responses to climatic and tectonic perturbations. Due to isostatic compensation, the near-surface rock uplift rate during transients is tightly coupled to climate-modulated erosional efficiency. System response is approximately exponential, with a characteristic response timescale that is inversely proportional to the climate- and lithology-modulated erosional efficiency, and is largely insensitive to initial conditions, tectonic influx, and both the sign and magnitude of perturbations.
KW - Climate
KW - Critical wedge
KW - Erosion
KW - Rock uplift
KW - Tectonics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33344459153&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33344459153&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2005.12.022
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2005.12.022
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33344459153
VL - 243
SP - 218
EP - 228
JO - Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters
SN - 0012-821X
IS - 1-2
ER -