Geomorphology and Earthscope:

Landscape evolution in the service of geodynamics

Eric Kirby
Penn State University
Earthscope Science Planning Workshop
Tectonic Geomorphology
Records of deformation over
10
3
- 10
6
yrs
Bridges geologic and
geodetic timescales
Provides information on
spatial wavelength, rates,
and history of topographic
change
Lithospheric deformation at intermediate timescales
2 Approaches:
Displaced debris-ow levee in Panamint Valley
Landforms as markers of deformation
Invert topography for rock uplift
Stolar et al., 2006
I. Landforms as markers of fault slip
Enabled by new
technologies
LiDAR
Geochronology:
(cosmogenic and OSL)
- access timescales
between 10 - 200 ka
Bridges geologic and
geodetic timescales
Patterns/rates of
strain release through
time
How wide are faults?
LiDAR (ALSM) shaded relief of debris-ow - Panamint Valley
Pace of deformation in western US
Geologic studies
reveal variations
in fault slip over
timescales longer
than seismic cycle
Examples from:
Southern CA
Eastern CA
PBO Geodetic network
Alternating periods of fault activity
Bennett et al., 2004
Diffuse dextral shear in eastern CA
T. Dixon
Transient loading during seismic cluster?
Oskin et al., 2008 - Geology
Dolan et al., 2007 - Geology
Does strain hardening drive alternating periods of activity and quiescence?
Continued investment is warranted
LiDAR coverage of active faults
R. Malservisi and M. Hackl - data from PBO, USGS, SOPAC, SCEC
II. Invert topography for rock uplift
Landscape relief
adjusts such that
erosion rate balances
differential uplift of
rock
Timescales ~10
5
- 10
6

yr
Depend on length
scale of system
What measure of
topography?
Ahnert, 1970
Montgomery and Brandon, 2002
II. Invert topography for rock uplift
Relief is scale-dependent
measure that convolves
landscape process-domains
Most relief in active
mountain belts on channel
network
Channels also govern
landscape response to
changes in tectonics,
climate
Liwu River, Taiwan
0
3.5 km
30 km
Tectonic Geomorphology Primer
High erosion rate
Low erosion rate
!
S = k
s
A
"#
Duvall, Kirby and Burbank, 2004
Blue ~ 6 mm/yr
Red ~ 14 mm/yr
Orange ~ 2- 14 mm/yr
What do we know?
What do we know?
Transient Channel Response
!
V
kp
=
U
f
1
n
(U
f
"U
i
)
U
f
1
n
"U
i
1
n
!
V
kp
=U
f
knickpoint
High U
Low U
Whats in it for you?
Data of Kirby et al., 2003
Whats in it for you?
Data of Kirby et al., 2003
Joint inversion of InSAR and GPS - Shen et al., 2009
Whats in it for you?
Kirby et al., in prep
Whats in it for you?
Kirby et al., in prep
100-200 m/My
600-1200 m/My
II. Future Directions
Linkages between mantle buoyancy and topography:
Vigorous small-scale convection?
Removal and/or hydration of mantle lithosphere
Edge convection vs. warming of heterogeneous lithosphere
3%
2
1
0
1
2
3
P-wave
f
a
s
t

s
l
o
w

B. Schmandt and G. Humphreys
The challenge
Long wavelength and (relatively) slow rates
Subtle signals in landscape
Long response timescales
Require interdisciplinary approach combining landscape analysis with
proxies for erosion and paleoelevation
W. Ouimet and E. Kirby
Karlstrom and CREST Working Group, in prep
The opportunity
Rates and spatial scales of topographic change can help
distinguish processes generating buoyancy (lithospheric
heating vs edge convection)
The opportunity
And hold potential for constraining wavelength of
deformation
The opportunity
Uplift history provides bounds on timescale and density
structure associated with small-scale convection (e.g.,
Molnar and Jones, 2004)
Zandt et al., 2004
Stock et al., 2005
Sierra
Wallowa Mtns
~2 km uplift
post-CRB
(Hales et al.)
-2 -1 0 1 2% Vp
Schmandt and Humphreys
II. Future Directions
Persistence of topography in Appalachians:
Slow degradation of relict topography?
zzzzzzzz zz zz
Paul Bierman et al., Peter Zeitler, Jim Spotila
II. Future Directions
Time (Ma)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
f
l
u
x

o
f

e
r
o
d
e
d

r
o
c
k

(
X
1
0
3

k
m
3
/
M
a
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
E
r
o
s
i
o
n

r
a
t
e

f
o
r

3
0
0
,
0
0
0

k
m
2

b
a
s
i
n

(
m
/
M
a
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Persistence of topography in Appalachians:
Slow degradation of relict topography?
Rejuvenation in Miocene by changes in dynamic topography?
Sediment accumulation
Take-home
The evolution of
landscape topography
encodes information
about the pace and
wavelength of
lithospheric
deformation
History is key
Cross-fertilization
among geodynamics,
earth structure,
geology, climate, and
landscape