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Coupled influence of tectonics, climate, and surface processes on landscape evolution in southwestern North America

Author

Listed:
  • Alireza Bahadori

    (Columbia University in the City of New York
    Stony Brook University)

  • William E. Holt

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Ran Feng

    (University of Connecticut)

  • Jacqueline Austermann

    (Columbia University in the City of New York)

  • Katharine M. Loughney

    (University of Georgia)

  • Tristan Salles

    (University of Sydney)

  • Louis Moresi

    (The Australian National University)

  • Romain Beucher

    (The Australian National University)

  • Neng Lu

    (The Australian National University)

  • Lucy M. Flesch

    (Purdue University)

  • Christopher M. Calvelage

    (Purdue University)

  • E. Troy Rasbury

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Daniel M. Davis

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Andre R. Potochnik

    (Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute)

  • W. Bruce Ward

    (e4sciences)

  • Kevin Hatton

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Saad S. B. Haq

    (Purdue University)

  • Tara M. Smiley

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Kathleen M. Wooton

    (Stony Brook University)

  • Catherine Badgley

    (University of Michigan)

Abstract

The Cenozoic landscape evolution in southwestern North America is ascribed to crustal isostasy, dynamic topography, or lithosphere tectonics, but their relative contributions remain controversial. Here we reconstruct landscape history since the late Eocene by investigating the interplay between mantle convection, lithosphere dynamics, climate, and surface processes using fully coupled four-dimensional numerical models. Our quantified depth-dependent strain rate and stress history within the lithosphere, under the influence of gravitational collapse and sub-lithospheric mantle flow, show that high gravitational potential energy of a mountain chain relative to a lower Colorado Plateau can explain extension directions and stress magnitudes in the belt of metamorphic core complexes during topographic collapse. Profound lithospheric weakening through heating and partial melting, following slab rollback, promoted this extensional collapse. Landscape evolution guided northeast drainage onto the Colorado Plateau during the late Eocene-late Oligocene, south-southwest drainage reversal during the late Oligocene-middle Miocene, and southwest drainage following the late Miocene.

Suggested Citation

  • Alireza Bahadori & William E. Holt & Ran Feng & Jacqueline Austermann & Katharine M. Loughney & Tristan Salles & Louis Moresi & Romain Beucher & Neng Lu & Lucy M. Flesch & Christopher M. Calvelage & E, 2022. "Coupled influence of tectonics, climate, and surface processes on landscape evolution in southwestern North America," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-18, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31903-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31903-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ritske Huismans & Christopher Beaumont, 2011. "Depth-dependent extension, two-stage breakup and cratonic underplating at rifted margins," Nature, Nature, vol. 473(7345), pages 74-78, May.
    2. Alireza Bahadori & William E. Holt, 2019. "Geodynamic evolution of southwestern North America since the Late Eocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Karin Sigloch & Mitchell G. Mihalynuk, 2013. "Intra-oceanic subduction shaped the assembly of Cordilleran North America," Nature, Nature, vol. 496(7443), pages 50-56, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alireza Bahadori & William E. Holt & Jacqueline Austermann & Lajhon Campbell & E. Troy Rasbury & Daniel M. Davis & Christopher M. Calvelage & Lucy M. Flesch, 2022. "The role of gravitational body forces in the development of metamorphic core complexes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, December.

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