| 1. |
- Abbuehl, Luca M., et al.
(författare)
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El Niño forcing on 10Be-based surface denudation rates in the northwestern Peruvian Andes?
- 2010
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 123:3-4, s. 257-268
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High magnitude precipitation events provide large contributions to landscape formation and surface denudation in arid environments. Here, we quantify the precipitation-dependent geomorphic processes within the Rio Piura drainage basin located on the Western Escarpment of the northern Peruvian Andes at 5 degrees S latitude. In this region, monsoonal easterly winds bring precipitation to the >3000 m asl high headwaters, from where the annual amount of precipitation decreases downstream toward the Pacific coast. Denudation rates are highest in the knickzones near the headwaters, similar to 200-300 mm ky(-1), and sediment discharge is limited by the transport capacity of the channel network. Every few years, this situation is perturbed by westerly, wind-driven heavy precipitation during El Nino events and results in supply-limited sediment discharge as indicated by bedrock channels. The detailed analysis of the stream-long profiles of two river basins within the Rio Piura catchment reveals a distinct knickzone in the transition zone between the easterly and westerly climatic influences, suggesting an En Nino forcing on the longitudinal channel profiles over at least Holocene timescales. Measured trunk stream catchment-wide denudation rates are up to ca. 300 mm ky(-1) and decrease successively downstream along the river profiles. Denudation rates of tributary rivers are ca. 200 mm ky(-1) near the plateau and show a stronger downstream decreasing trend than trunk stream rates. This suggests that the landscape is in a transient stage of local relief growth, which is driven by fluvial incision. This corroborates the results of paleoclimate studies that point towards higher El Nino frequencies during the past ca. 3000 years, leading to higher runoff and more erosion in the trunk channel compared to the hillslopes and thus growth of local relief. Downstream increases in channel gradient spatially coincide with the reaches of highest precipitation rates during El Nino events, we therefore interpret that Holocene landscape evolution has largely been controlled by climate. The ky-timescale of the Be-10 data together with the transience of the landscape implies that El Nino events in northwestern Peru have occurred since at least the Holocene, and that adjustment to channel incision is still taking place.
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| 2. |
- Boelhouwers, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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The maritime Subantarctic: a distinct periglacial environment
- 2003
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 52:1-2, s. 39-55
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent research on slope processes and weathering on Marion Island has highlighted distinctive attributes of the maritime Subantarctic periglacial environment, compared to other periglacial environments. This is reflected morphologically by sorted stripe characteristics and stratified solifluction forms, but the wind factor and low diurnal temperature range also results in differences with other diurnal frost environments. Its hyper-maritime setting at low mean annual temperatures results in very high frost cycle frequencies, with associated effectiveness in surface sediment transport and patterned ground development. In addition, a high frequency of wetting and drying cycles is observed in rocks. Small seasonal temperature ranges and steep temperature profiles indicate a high sensitivity to climate change in the Subantarctic, as reflected in a rich relict periglacial record on most islands. This sensitivity appears absent in high tropical environments of low annual temperature range.
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| 3. |
- Bonow, Johan M., et al.
(författare)
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Cenozoic uplift of Nuussuaq and Disko, West Greenland : elevated erosion surfaces as uplift markers of a passive margin
- 2006
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 80:3-4, s. 325-337
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Remnants of a high plateau have been identified on Nuussuaq and Disko, central West Greenland. We interpret the plateau as an erosion surface (the summit erosion surface) formed mainly by a fluvial system and graded close to its former base level and subsequently uplifted to its present elevation. It extends over 150 km east–west, being of low relative relief, broken along faults, tilted westwards in the west and eastwards in the east, and having a maximum elevation of ca. 2 km in central Nuussuaq and Disko. The summit erosion surface cuts across Precambrian basement rocks and Paleocene–Eocene lavas, constraining its age to being substantially younger than the last rift event in the Nuussuaq Basin, which took place during the late Maastrichtian and Danian. The geological record shows that the Nuussuaq Basin was subjected to subsidence of several kilometres during Paleocene–Eocene volcanism and was transgressed by the sea later during the Eocene. By comparing with results from apatite fission track analysis and vitrinite reflectance maturity data, it is suggested that formation of the erosion surface was probably triggered by an uplift and erosion event starting between 40 and 30 Ma. Surface formation was completed prior to an uplift event that started between 11 and 10 Ma and caused valley incision. This generation of valleys graded to the new base level and formed a lower erosion surface, at most 1 km below the summit erosion surface, thus indicating the magnitude of its uplift. Formation of this generation of valleys was interrupted by a third uplift event also with a magnitude of 1 km that lifted the landscape to near its present position. Correlation with the fission-track record suggests that this uplift event started between 7 and 2 Ma. Uplift must have been caused initially by tectonism. Isostatic compensation due to erosion and loading and unloading of ice sheets has added to the magnitude of uplift but have not significantly altered the configuration of the surface. It is concluded that the elevations of palaeosurfaces (surfaces not in accordance with present climate or tectonic conditions) on West Greenland's passive margin can be used to define the magnitude and lateral variations of Neogene uplift events. The striking similarity between the landforms in West Greenland and those on many other passive margins is also noted.
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| 4. |
- Bonow, Johan M.
(författare)
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Re-exposed basement landforms in the Disko region, West Greenland : disregarded data for estimation of glacial erosion and uplift modelling
- 2005
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 74:1-4, s. 106-127
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Classifications of large-scale landscapes in Greenland have traditionally been based on type and intensity of glacial erosion, with the general idea that present landforms are mainly the result of erosion from ice sheets and glaciers. However, on southern Disko and in areas offshore in Disko Bugt, a basement surface has preserved remnants of weathered gneiss and pre-Paleocene landforms, recently exhumed from Paleocene basalt. Isolated hills and lineaments have been mapped in a digital terrain model and aerial photographs. Offshore have hills been mapped from seismic lines. The medium size bedrock forms on southern Disko as tors, clefts and roche moutonées have been studied in the field. Remnant saprolites were inventoried, sampled and analysed according to grain size and clay mineralogy. The basement surface retains saprolites up to 8 m thick in close relation to the cover rocks. The landforms in the basement rocks belong essentially to an etched surface only slightly remodelled by glacial erosion and, below the highest coastline, also by wave action. The outline of hills is governed by two lineament directions, ENE–WSW representing the schistocity of the gneiss and NW–SE fracture zones. These structures are thus interpreted to have been exploited by the deep weathering while the frequent N–S lineaments have not and thus might be younger. Main ice-flow has been from the NE and has resulted in plucking of SW facing lee sides, however the resulting bedrock forms are mainly controlled by structures and orientation of joints. The identification of re-exposed sub-Paleocene etch forms on Disko and the hills of similar size offshore, forming a hilly relief, have implications for identification of a hilly relief south of Disko Bugt, its relation to younger planation surfaces as well as for conclusions of uplift events.
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| 5. |
- Castillo, Miguel, et al.
(författare)
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Knickpoint retreat and transient bedrock channel morphology triggered by base-level fall in small bedrock river catchments : The case of the Isle of Jura, Scotland
- 2013
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 180, s. 1-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A sudden drop in river base-level can trigger a knickpoint that propagates throughout the fluvial network causing a transient state in the landscape. Knickpoint retreat has been confirmed in large fluvial settings (drainage areas > 100 km(2)) and field data suggest that the same applies to the case of small bedrock river catchments (drainage areas < 100 km(2)). Nevertheless, knickpoint recession on resistant lithologies with structure that potentially affects the retreat rate needs to be confirmed with field-based data. Moreover, it remains unclear whether small bedrock rivers can absorb base-level fall via knickpoint retreat. Here we evaluate the response of small bedrock rivers to base-level fall on the isle of Jura in western Scotland (UK), where rivers incise into dipping quartzite. The mapping of raised beach deposits and strath terraces, and the analysis of stream long profiles, were used to identify knickpoints that had been triggered by base-level fall. Our results indicate that the distance of knickpoint retreat scales to the drainage area in a power law function irrespective of structural setting. On the other hand, local channel slope and basin size influence the vertical distribution of knickpoints. As well, at low drainage areas (similar to 4 km(2)) rivers are unable to absorb the full amount of base-level fall and channel reach morphology downstream of the knickpoint tends towards convexity. The results obtained here confirm that knickpoint retreat is mostly controlled by stream discharge, as has been observed for other transient landscapes. Local controls, reflecting basin size and channel slope, have an effect on the vertical distribution of knickpoints; such controls are also related to the ability of rivers to absorb the base-level fall.
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| 6. |
- Chandler, Benjamin M. P., et al.
(författare)
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The glacial landsystem of Fjallsjökull, Iceland : Spatial and temporal evolution of process-form regimes at an active temperate glacier
- 2020
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 361
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study assesses the spatial and temporal evolution of the glacial landsystem signature at Fjallsjiikull, southeast Iceland, using (a) mapping of the glacial geomorphology and surficial geology and (b) repeat uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys. A small-scale (1: 15,000 scale) landsystem map has been compiled using LiDAR data (2011-2012) and historical aerial photographs (1945-1998), along with a large-scale (1: 2000 scale) map based on UAV imagery from May 2019. From our mapping and UAV surveys, we identify sediment-landform assemblages that are typical of active temperate glacial landsystems, including recessional push/squeeze moraines and intervening flutings, overridden moraine arcs, proglacial outwash (sandur) fans and linear/ribbon sandar. We recognize three landform zones that are defined by changes in moraine morphology and the nature of proglacial outwash deposition: (1) the outer foreland is characterized by proglacial outwash fans, overridden moraine arcs and broadly linear recessional moraines; (2) the middle foreland contains sawtooth moraines and linear sandar; and (3) the innermost zone comprises extremely sawtooth and hairpin moraines as well as associated crevasse-squeeze ridge limbs. This landform zonation reflects spatio-temporal changes in moraineforming processes and outwash deposition as determined by changes in snout morphology arid proglacial drainage characteristics. Within this general tripartite zonation, we also identify localized (atonal/intrazonal) sediment-landform assemblages that are not typically found at active temperate glaciers, including ice-cored/hummocky terrain and localized kame and kettle topography. Repeat UAV surveying in 2016-2019 has allowed us to capture and quantify recent intrazonal landsystem change at the southern glacier margin. We identify a switch from moraine formation to the development of ice-cored terrain and an ice-cored esker complex in association with the uncovering of a depositional overdeepening,. Our study demonstrates the important role that variations in local boundary conditions (e.g. topography) can play in the process-form response of individual active temperate outlet glaciers, contributing to the expanding database on modern glacial landsystems.
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| 7. |
- Ebert, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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DEM identification of macroscale stepped relief in arctic northern Sweden
- 2011
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 132:3-4, s. 339-350
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stepped relief is a characteristic feature of many upland areas on Earth. In this study, we examine if stepped relief can be identified objectively by GIS-analysis of digital elevation models (DEMs). We specifically study the stepped relief landscapes of northern Sweden, comprising areas of contrasting topography in the mountainous northern Scandes and on the inselberg plains of the Precambrian basement east of the Caledonides.We mainly use hypsographic curves to examine the elevation distribution of the study areas and to identify palaeosurfaces. Peaks in the hypsographic curves are interpreted as palaeosurfaces, while hypsographic minima are interpreted as breaks in slope, separating these surfaces. In the northern Scandes, where only patchy remnants of palaeosurfaces remain, we use empirical cutoff values of slope angles to restrict palaeosurface areas to those identified in thefield and in air photos. In addition, air photo andfield mapping of glacially eroded areas is necessary to exclude glacially formed low relief surfaces, such as valley floors. These latter procedures introduce an unavoidable degree of subjectivity to the study. Our results indicate that in the northern Scandes, surfaces with an inclination of 11°, after glacially formed features are abstracted, correspond well with palaeosurface remnants. Breaks in slope separating the surface generations in themountains are centred around 860, 1320, and 1520 masl (above sea level), respectively. On the plains east of the northern Scandes, hypsographic data were filtered to remove inselbergs in order to analyse only the plains. Hypsographic curves of both the filtered and the unfiltered data of the inselberg plains show minima at elevations that correspond to steps separating multiple palaeosurfaces at elevations of 190, 250, and 400 masl. The steps separating the different palaeosurfaces are, in places, aligned with known geological discontinuities, but extensive remnants also transect structure. The presence of stepped relief is consistent with existing models of phased Cenozoic uplift and incision in northern Fennoscandia.
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| 8. |
- Ebert, Karin, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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The impact of Quaternary glaciations on inselbergs in northern Sweden
- 2010
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 115:1-2, s. 56-66
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate the glacial modification of inselbergs (large, isolated bedrock hills) in northern Sweden. Inselbergs are generally regarded as products of deep weathering (etching) and stripping under warm and humid climates. Unlike inselbergs found in the tropics, the inselbergs in northern Sweden were exposed to ice sheet glaciation for long periods of the Quaternary. We used DEMs to examine 794 inselbergs in our study area and they were classified according to their degree of glacial modification. Bedrock structural control was assessed using GIS data on the regional geology. Clusters of inselbergs were mapped in the field for features indicative of glacial erosion, such as glacial cliffs and stripped bedrock surfaces, and for features indicative of limited erosion, such as tors and blockfields. The results of the study indicate that inselbergs in the area were mostly modified by Quaternary ice sheets only to a low or moderate extent and that the degree of glacial erosion is dependent on their relief and location. Inselbergs with a relative relief of < 100 m and in areas of lower absolute relief experienced the strongest glacial modification, where the strongest glacial modification can result in lateral erosion of the inselberg flanks. Inselberg summits often display signs of minimal glacial erosion, such as tor-like bedrock outcrops with signs of strong weathering. In summary, we argue that inselbergs in northern Sweden have largely retained their pre-Quaternary shape despite long periods of ice sheet cover.
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| 9. |
- Ebert, Karin, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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Unequal ice-sheet erosional impacts across low-relief shield terrain in northern Fennoscandia
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 233:SI, s. 64-74
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Much previous work on Late Cenozoic glacial erosion patterns in bedrock has focussed on mountain areas. Here we identify varying impacts of ice sheet erosion on the low-relief bedrock surface of the Fennoscandian shield, and examine the geological, topographical and glaciological controls on these patterns.We combine GIS-mapping of topographical, hydrological and weathering data with field observations. We identify and investigate areas with similar geology and general low relief that show different degrees of ice sheet erosional impact, despite similar ice cover histories. On two transects with a total area of ~ 84 000 km2 across the northern Fennoscandian shield, we first establish patterns of glacial erosion and then examine why glacially streamlined areas exist adjacent to areas of negligible glacial erosion. The northern transect includes two areas of exceptional glacial preservation, the Parkajoki area in Sweden and the so-called ice divide zone in Finland, each of which preserve tors and deep saprolite covers. The southern transect, overlapping in the northern part with the first transect, includes areas of well developed glacial streamlining, with bedrock areas stripped of loose material and barely any weathering remnants.For both areas, we firstly present contrasting indicators for ice sheet erosional impact: streamlined and non-streamlined inselbergs; parallel and dendritic/rectangular drainage patterns; and the absence and presence of Neogene weathering remnants. This is followed by an investigation of factors that possibly influence ice sheet erosional impact: ice cover history, ice cover duration and thickness, bedrock type and structure, and topography.We find that the erosional impact of the Fennoscandian ice sheet has varied across the study area. Distinct zones of ice sheet erosion are identified in which indicators of either low or high erosion coexist in the same parts of the transects. No direct impact of rock type on glacial erosion patterns was found, but an indirect control appears clear. Bedrock geology and long-term differential weathering and tectonic evolution determined the topography of the pre-glacial landscape, and these topographic differences subsequently influenced ice sheet dynamics and thereby partly controlled patterns of ice sheet erosion. Ice cover duration and former ice thickness were not significant controls on glacial erosion patterns. Extensive preservation of pre-glacial relief through low glacial erosion is attributed to the maintenance throughout the Pleistocene of divergent flow and frozen-bed conditions in the Fennoscandian ice sheet. In contrast, glacial streamlining and strong glacial erosion were caused mainly by acceleration of flow around major obstacles and flow towards major depressions on the ice sheet bed. The relatively strong ice sheet erosion towards the Gulf of Bothnia is the result of a combination of favourable factors: bedrock structure and river valleys aligned sub-parallel to ice sheet flow and convergent ice flow towards the Baltic.
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| 10. |
- Ehsani, Amir Houshang, et al.
(författare)
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Geomorphometric feature analysis using morphometric parameterization and artificial neural networks
- 2008
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Ingår i: Geomorphology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-555X .- 1872-695X. ; 99:1-4, s. 1-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents a semi-automatic method using an unsupervised neural network to analyze geomorphometric features as landform elements. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) provided detailed digital elevation models (DEMs) for all land masses between 60 degrees N and 57 degrees S. Exploiting these data for recognition and extraction of geomorphometric features is a challenging task. Results obtained with two methods, Wood's morphometric parameterization and the Self Organizing Map (SOM), are presented in this paper. Four morphometric parameters (slope, minimum curvature, maximum curvature and cross-sectional curvature) were derived by fitting a bivariate quadratic surface with a window size of 5 by 5 to the SRTM DEM. These parameters were then used as input to the two methods. Wood's morphometric parameterization provides point-based features (peak, pit and pass), line-based features (channel and ridge) and area-based features (planar). Since point-based features are defined as having a very small slope when their neighbors are considered, two tolerance values (slope tolerance and curvature tolerance) are introduced. Selection of suitable values for the tolerance parameters is crucial for obtaining useful results. The SOM as an unsupervised neural network algorithm is employed for the classification of the same morphometric parameters into ten classes characterized by morphometric position (crest, channel, ridge and plan area) subdivided by slope ranges. These terrain features are generic landform element and can be used to improve mapping and modeling of soils, vegetation, and land use, as well as ecological, hydrological and geomorphological features. These landform elements are the smallest homogeneous divisions of the land surface at the given resolution. The result showed that the SOM is an efficient scalable tool for analyzing geomorphometric features as meaningful landform elements, and uses the, full potential of morphometric characteristics.
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