Back to Search
Start Over
Long-term glacial erosion of active mountain belts: Example of the Chugach–St. Elias Range, Alaska
- Source :
- Geology. 32:501
- Publication Year :
- 2004
- Publisher :
- Geological Society of America, 2004.
-
Abstract
- An emerging paradigm that equates glaciers to ''buzz saws'' of exceptional erosional efficiency has been strengthened by short- term (,10 2 yr) sediment yields from southern Alaska. New low- temperature cooling ages from this area, the glaciated Chugach- St. Elias Mountains, constrain long-term (10 6 yr) exhumation rates. Vertically averaged exhumation rates reach ;3 mm/yr, but are an order of magnitude lower than rates based on short-term sediment yields. Whereas these exhumation rates are not exceptional for oro- genic belts, denudation patterns are strongly correlated with the distribution of glaciers, and erosion appears to keep pace with con- vergence and uplift. These findings imply a coupling between gla- cially dominated erosion and tectonics.
Details
- ISSN :
- 00917613
- Volume :
- 32
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Geology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........20f00f32e55e9333a2dfd2339b386ac0