TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatiotemporal Rates of Tectonic Deformation and Landscape Evolution above a Laterally Propagating Thrust Fault
T2 - Wheeler Ridge Anticline, California, USA
AU - Kleber, Emily J.
AU - DeVecchio, Duane E.
AU - Arrowsmith, J. Ramón
AU - Rittenour, Tammy M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Lidar data acquisition and processing are completed by the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) via the graduate student Seed program and available publicly through the OpenTopography (doi:10.0.19.205/G99K485N). NCALM funding is provided by NSF’s Division of Earth Sciences, Instrumentation and Facilities Program (EAR-1043051). Fieldwork and geochronology costs were funded by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC award 15165); a consortium of earthquake scientists is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP award 8HQGR0073). Additional financial support was provided by the Arizona State University Graduate Student Fellowship and Sigma Xi. Special thanks to the California Department of Water Resources, the Wheeler-Maricopa Water District, California Resources Corporation, the California Geological Survey, and the Wildlands Conservancy Wind Wolves Preserve. Thank you to Austin Elliot and Wang Yu for their thoughtful reviews that improved this manuscript.
Funding Information:
Lidar data acquisition and processing are completed by the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) via the graduate student Seed program and available publicly through the OpenTopography (doi:10.0.19.205/G99K485N). NCALM funding is provided by NSF?s Division of Earth Sciences, Instrumentation and Facilities Program (EAR-1043051). Fieldwork and geochronology costs were funded by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC award 15165); a consortium of earthquake scientists is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP award 8HQGR0073). Additional ?nancial support was provided by the Arizona State University Graduate Student Fellowship and Sigma Xi. Special thanks to the California Department of Water Resources, the Wheeler-Maricopa Water District, California Resources Corporation, the California Geological Survey, and the Wildlands Conservancy Wind Wolves Preserve. Thank you to Austin Elliot and Wang Yu for their thoughtful reviews that improved this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Emily J. Kleber et al. Exclusive Licensee GeoScienceWorld. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - The Wheeler Ridge anticline, located in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California, USA, is a well-studied and classic example of a laterally growing fault propagation fold. New high-resolution lidar elevation data combined with nine infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) ages of discrete geomorphic surfaces that are bounded by prominent transverse wind and river gaps allow for investigation of tectonic topography through time. Luminescence ages from four of the six surfaces yield depositional ages that range from 32 ka to 153 ka, which are broadly consistent with a previously published soil chronosequence. Our graphical modeling indicates an average surface uplift rate of ~2.1 mm/yr and an average along-strike fold propagation rate of ~20 mm/yr. However, our probabilistic modelling and topographic analysis suggest a rate decrease of both uplift and lateral propagation toward the fault tip from ~2.4 to 0.7 mm/yr and from ~49 to 14 mm/yr, respectively. Rate decreases are not progressive but rather occur in punctuated deformational intervals across previously documented structural barriers (tear faults) resulting in a fold that is characterized by discrete segments that exhibit a systematic deformational decrease toward the east. The punctuated tectonic growth of Wheeler Ridge has also locally controlled the topographic evolution of the anticline by effecting the formational timing and position of at least seven wind and river gaps that result from multiple north-flowing antecedent streams that traverse the growing structure. We quantify the timing of wind and river gap formation, based on IRSL results and inferred incision rates, and present a model for the spatiotemporal evolution of transverse drainages and the topographic development of Wheeler Ridge. Our chronology of gap formation broadly correlates with regional Late Pleistocene dry climate intervals suggesting that both tectonics and climate were integral to the geomorphic development of the Wheeler Ridge anticline.
AB - The Wheeler Ridge anticline, located in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California, USA, is a well-studied and classic example of a laterally growing fault propagation fold. New high-resolution lidar elevation data combined with nine infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) ages of discrete geomorphic surfaces that are bounded by prominent transverse wind and river gaps allow for investigation of tectonic topography through time. Luminescence ages from four of the six surfaces yield depositional ages that range from 32 ka to 153 ka, which are broadly consistent with a previously published soil chronosequence. Our graphical modeling indicates an average surface uplift rate of ~2.1 mm/yr and an average along-strike fold propagation rate of ~20 mm/yr. However, our probabilistic modelling and topographic analysis suggest a rate decrease of both uplift and lateral propagation toward the fault tip from ~2.4 to 0.7 mm/yr and from ~49 to 14 mm/yr, respectively. Rate decreases are not progressive but rather occur in punctuated deformational intervals across previously documented structural barriers (tear faults) resulting in a fold that is characterized by discrete segments that exhibit a systematic deformational decrease toward the east. The punctuated tectonic growth of Wheeler Ridge has also locally controlled the topographic evolution of the anticline by effecting the formational timing and position of at least seven wind and river gaps that result from multiple north-flowing antecedent streams that traverse the growing structure. We quantify the timing of wind and river gap formation, based on IRSL results and inferred incision rates, and present a model for the spatiotemporal evolution of transverse drainages and the topographic development of Wheeler Ridge. Our chronology of gap formation broadly correlates with regional Late Pleistocene dry climate intervals suggesting that both tectonics and climate were integral to the geomorphic development of the Wheeler Ridge anticline.
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U2 - 10.2113/2021/3395719
DO - 10.2113/2021/3395719
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85120319350
SN - 1941-8264
VL - 2021
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - Lithosphere
JF - Lithosphere
IS - SpecialIssue 2
ER -