Abstract
Active orogens are thought to behave as internally deforming critical-taper wedges that are in rough long-term equilibrium with tectonic influx and erosional outflux. Spatial and temporal variations in climate are therefore hypothesized to have a significant influence on denudation, topography and deformation of orogens, thereby affecting wedge taper. However, the impact of the most severe transition in Northern Hemisphere climate during the Cenozoic era—the onset of glaciation—has hitherto not been empirically documented. Here we analyse the spatial patterns of denudation and deformation, and their temporal variations, in the heavily glaciated St Elias orogen in southern Alaska. Low-temperature thermochronometry, thermokinematic modelling and offshore seismic reflection and borehole data suggest that the global-scale intensification of glaciation in the middle Pleistocene epoch enhanced glacier growth and caused ice streams to advance to the edge of the continental shelf. This led to focused denudation across the subaerial reaches of the orogen and burial of the actively deforming wedge toe by the eroded sediment. We propose that this climatically driven mass redistribution forced a structural reorganization of the orogen to maintain critical taper. Our empirical results thus support decades of numerical model predictions of orogenesis and provide compelling field evidence for the significant impact of climate change on tectonics.
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Acknowledgements
We thank collaborators in studying the St Elias orogen and other colleagues for many helpful discussions and ideas, including E. Berger, R. Law, J. Buscher and particularly all STEEP (St. Elias Erosion-Tectonics Project) participants. Reviews by S. Brocklehurst and E. Kirby contributed significantly to the manuscript. Support was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF-EAR 0409224, NSF-EAR 0408584, NSF-EAR 0735402, NSF-ODP 0351620).
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All authors contributed to the interpretations and hypotheses presented. Writing was done by A.L.B., with contributions by J.A.S. and S.P.S.G. Low-temperature thermochronometry was carried out by A.L.B. and J.A.S. ArcGIS analyses were carried out by A.L.B. Thermokinematic modelling was carried out by P.U., with contributions by A.L.B. HeFTy age calculations were done by A.L.B. Figures were created by A.L.B (Figs 1–3 and 6), S.P.S.G. (Fig. 5) and P.U. (Fig. 4). Structural analysis and models were done by A.L.B., J.B.C. and T.L.P. Seismic reflection gathering, processing and interpretation were carried out by S.P.S.G., L.A.W., J.M.J. and B.A.W. Project planning was done by T.L.P., J.A.S. and S.P.S.G.
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Berger, A., Gulick, S., Spotila, J. et al. Quaternary tectonic response to intensified glacial erosion in an orogenic wedge. Nature Geosci 1, 793–799 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo334
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo334
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