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Cenozoic climate change as a possible cause for the rise of the Andes

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  • Simon Lamb

    (Department of Earth Sciences)

  • Paul Davis

    (University of California)

Abstract

Causal links between the rise of a large mountain range and climate have often been considered to work in one direction, with significant uplift provoking climate change. Here we propose a mechanism by which Cenozoic climate change could have caused the rise of the Andes. Based on considerations of the force balance in the South American lithosphere, we suggest that the height of, and tectonics in, the Andes are strongly controlled both by shear stresses along the plate interface in the subduction zone and by buoyancy stress contrasts between the trench and highlands, and shear stresses in the subduction zone depend on the amount of subducted sediments. We propose that the dynamics of subduction and mountain-building in this region are controlled by the processes of erosion and sediment deposition, and ultimately climate. In central South America, climate-controlled sediment starvation would then cause high shear stress, focusing the plate boundary stresses that support the high Andes.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Lamb & Paul Davis, 2003. "Cenozoic climate change as a possible cause for the rise of the Andes," Nature, Nature, vol. 425(6960), pages 792-797, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:425:y:2003:i:6960:d:10.1038_nature02049
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02049
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    Cited by:

    1. Jiashun Hu & Lijun Liu & Michael Gurnis, 2021. "Southward expanding plate coupling due to variation in sediment subduction as a cause of Andean growth," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Muhammad Usman, 2016. "A study on the enhancing earthquake frequency in northern Pakistan: is the climate change responsible?," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 82(2), pages 921-931, June.

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