Articles | Volume 12, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2615-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2615-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Nov 2021
Research article |
| 23 Nov 2021
Miocene high elevation in the Central Alps
Emilija Krsnik
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
Katharina Methner
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Marion Campani
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
Svetlana Botsyun
Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Sebastian G. Mutz
Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Todd A. Ehlers
Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Oliver Kempf
Federal Office of Topography swisstopo, Geologische Landesaufnahme, Wabern, 3084, Switzerland
Jens Fiebig
Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
Fritz Schlunegger
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
Andreas Mulch
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
Institute of Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
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Daniel Boateng, Sebastian G. Mutz, Armelle Ballian, Maud J. M. Meijers, Katharina Methner, Svetlana Botsyun, Andreas Mulch, and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2022-48, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2022-48, 2022
Preprint under review for ESD
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We present model-based topographic sensitivity experiments that provide valuable constraints for interpreting past proxies and records of climate and tectonic processes. The study uses a climate model to quantify the response of regional climate and oxygen isotopic composition of precipitation to the diachronous surface uplift scenarios across the European Alps. The results suggest that isotopic signal changes can be measured in geologic archives using stable isotope paleoaltimetry.
Hemanti Sharma and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-65, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-65, 2022
Preprint under review for ESurf
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Seasonality in precipitation (P) and vegetation (V) jointly influence catchment erosion (E), although which factor plays the dominant role is unclear. In this study, we performed a sensitivity analysis of E to P-V seasonality through numerical modeling. Our results suggest that P variations strongly influence seasonal variations in E. While the effect of seasonal V variations is secondary but significant. This is more pronounced in moderate and least pronounced in extreme environmental settings.
Hemanti Sharma, Sebastian G. Mutz, and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 997–1015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-997-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-997-2022, 2022
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We estimate global changes in frost cracking intensity (FCI) using process-based models for four time slices in the late Cenozoic ranging from the Pliocene (∼ 3 Ma) to pre-industrial (∼ 1850 CE, PI). For all time slices, results indicate that FCI was most prevalent in middle to high latitudes and high-elevation lower-latitude areas such as Tibet. Larger deviations (relative to PI) were observed in colder (LGM) and warmer climates (Pliocene) due to differences in temperature and glaciation.
Olaf Klaus Lenz, Mara Montag, Volker Wilde, Katharina Methner, Walter Riegel, and Andreas Mulch
Clim. Past, 18, 2231–2254, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2231-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-2231-2022, 2022
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We describe different carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) in an upper Paleocene to lower Eocene lignite succession (Schöningen, DE). The combination with a new stratigraphic framework allows for a correlation of distinct CIEs with long- and short-term thermal events of the last natural greenhouse period on Earth. Furthermore, changes in the peat-forming wetland vegetation are correlated with a CIE that can be can be related to the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).
David Mair, Ariel Henrique Do Prado, Philippos Garefalakis, Alessandro Lechmann, Alexander Whittaker, and Fritz Schlunegger
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 953–973, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-953-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-953-2022, 2022
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Grain size data are important for studying and managing rivers, but they are difficult to obtain in the field. Therefore, methods have been developed that use images from small and remotely piloted aircraft. However, uncertainty in grain size data from such image-based products is understudied. Here we present a new way of uncertainty estimation that includes fully modeled errors. We use this technique to assess the effect of several image acquisition aspects on grain size uncertainty.
Michael A. Schwenk, Laura Stutenbecker, Patrick Schläfli, Dimitri Bandou, and Fritz Schlunegger
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 163–190, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-163-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-163-2022, 2022
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We investigated the origin of glacial sediments in the Bern area to determine their route of transport either with the Aare Glacier or the Valais Glacier. These two ice streams are known to have joined in the Bern area during the last major glaciation (ca. 20 000 years ago). However, little is known about the ice streams prior to this last glaciation. Here we collected evidence that during a glaciation about 250 000 years ago the Aare Glacier dominated the area as documented in the deposits.
Ariel Henrique do Prado, Renato Paes de Almeida, Cristiano Padalino Galeazzi, Victor Sacek, and Fritz Schlunegger
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 457–471, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-457-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-457-2022, 2022
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Our work is focused on describing how and why the terrace levels of central Amazonia were formed during the last 100 000 years. We propose to address this question through a landscape evolution numerical model. Our results show that terrace levels at lower elevation were established in response to dry–wet climate changes and the older terrace levels at higher elevations most likely formed in response to a previously higher elevation of the regional base level.
Astrid Oetting, Emma C. Smith, Jan Erik Arndt, Boris Dorschel, Reinhard Drews, Todd A. Ehlers, Christoph Gaedicke, Coen Hofstede, Johann P. Klages, Gerhard Kuhn, Astrid Lambrecht, Andreas Läufer, Christoph Mayer, Ralf Tiedemann, Frank Wilhelms, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 16, 2051–2066, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2051-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2051-2022, 2022
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This study combines a variety of geophysical measurements in front of and beneath the Ekström Ice Shelf in order to identify and interpret geomorphological evidences of past ice sheet flow, extent and retreat.
The maximal extent of grounded ice in this region was 11 km away from the continental shelf break.
The thickness of palaeo-ice on the calving front around the LGM was estimated to be at least 305 to 320 m.
We provide essential boundary conditions for palaeo-ice-sheet models.
Andrea Madella, Christoph Glotzbach, and Todd A. Ehlers
Geochronology, 4, 177–190, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-177-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-177-2022, 2022
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Cooling ages date the time at which minerals cross a certain isotherm on the way up to Earth's surface. Such ages can be measured from bedrock material and river sand. If spatial variations in bedrock ages are known in a river catchment, the spatial distribution of erosion can be inferred from the distribution of the ages measured from the river sand grains. Here we develop a new tool to help such analyses, with particular emphasis on quantifying uncertainties due to sample size.
Alessandro Lechmann, David Mair, Akitaka Ariga, Tomoko Ariga, Antonio Ereditato, Ryuichi Nishiyama, Ciro Pistillo, Paola Scampoli, Mykhailo Vladymyrov, and Fritz Schlunegger
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 2441–2473, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2441-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2441-2022, 2022
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Muon tomography is a technology that is used often in geoscientific research. The know-how of data analysis is, however, still possessed by physicists who developed this technology. This article aims at providing geoscientists with the necessary tools to perform their own analyses. We hope that a lower threshold to enter the field of muon tomography will allow more geoscientists to engage with muon tomography. SMAUG is set up in a modular way to allow for its own modules to work in between.
Michael A. Schwenk, Patrick Schläfli, Dimitri Bandou, Natacha Gribenski, Guilhem A. Douillet, and Fritz Schlunegger
Sci. Dril., 30, 17–42, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-30-17-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-30-17-2022, 2022
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A scientific drilling was conducted into a bedrock trough (overdeepening) in Bern-Bümpliz (Switzerland) in an effort to advance the knowledge of the Quaternary prior to 150 000 years ago. We encountered a 208.5 m-thick succession of loose sediments (gravel, sand and mud) in the retrieved core and identified two major sedimentary sequences (A: lower, B: upper). The sedimentary suite records two glacial advances and the subsequent filling of a lake sometime between 300 000 and 200 000 years ago.
Mirjam Schaller and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 131–150, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-131-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-131-2022, 2022
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Soil production, chemical weathering, and physical erosion rates from the large climate and vegetation gradient of the Chilean Coastal Cordillera (26 to 38° S) are investigated. Rates are generally lowest in the sparsely vegetated and arid north, increase southward toward the Mediterranean climate, and then decrease slightly, or possible stay the same, further south in the temperate humid zone. This trend is compared with global data from similar soil-mantled hillslopes in granitic lithologies.
Renas I. Koshnaw, Fritz Schlunegger, and Daniel F. Stockli
Solid Earth, 12, 2479–2501, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2479-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2479-2021, 2021
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As continental plates collide, mountain belts grow. This study investigated the provenance of rocks from the northwestern segment of the Zagros mountain belt to unravel the convergence history of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. Provenance data synthesis and field relationships suggest that the Zagros Mountains developed as a result of the oceanic crust emplacement on the Arabian continental plate, followed by the Arabia–Eurasia collision and later uplift of the broader region.
Kirstin Übernickel, Jaime Pizarro-Araya, Susila Bhagavathula, Leandro Paulino, and Todd A. Ehlers
Biogeosciences, 18, 5573–5594, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5573-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5573-2021, 2021
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Animal burrowing is important because it impacts the physical and chemical evolution of Earth’s surface. However, most studies are species specific, and compilations of animal community effects are missing. We present an inventory of the currently known 390 burrowing species for all of Chile along its climate gradient. We observed increasing amounts of excavated material from an area with dry conditions along a gradient towards more humid conditions.
Sean D. Willett, Frédéric Herman, Matthew Fox, Nadja Stalder, Todd A. Ehlers, Ruohong Jiao, and Rong Yang
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1153–1221, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1153-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1153-2021, 2021
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The cooling climate of the last few million years leading into the ice ages has been linked to increasing erosion rates by glaciers. One of the ways to measure this is through mineral cooling ages. In this paper, we investigate potential bias in these data and the methods used to analyse them. We find that the data are not themselves biased but that appropriate methods must be used. Past studies have used appropriate methods and are sound in methodology.
Hemanti Sharma, Todd A. Ehlers, Christoph Glotzbach, Manuel Schmid, and Katja Tielbörger
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1045–1072, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1045-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1045-2021, 2021
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We study effects of variable climate–vegetation with different uplift rates on erosion–sedimentation using a landscape evolution modeling approach. Results suggest that regardless of uplift rates, transients in precipitation–vegetation lead to transients in erosion rates in the same direction of change. Vegetation-dependent erosion and sedimentation are influenced by Milankovitch timescale changes in climate, but these transients are superimposed upon tectonically driven uplift rates.
Nicolai Schleinkofer, David Evans, Max Wisshak, Janina Vanessa Büscher, Jens Fiebig, André Freiwald, Sven Härter, Horst R. Marschall, Silke Voigt, and Jacek Raddatz
Biogeosciences, 18, 4733–4753, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4733-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4733-2021, 2021
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We have measured the chemical composition of the carbonate shells of the parasitic foraminifera Hyrrokkin sarcophaga in order to test if it is influenced by the host organism (bivalve or coral). We find that both the chemical and isotopic composition is influenced by the host organism. For example strontium is enriched in foraminifera that grew on corals, whose skeleton is built from aragonite, which is naturally enriched in strontium compared to the bivalves' calcite shell.
Solmaz Mohadjer, Sebastian G. Mutz, Matthew Kemp, Sophie J. Gill, Anatoly Ischuk, and Todd A. Ehlers
Geosci. Commun., 4, 281–295, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-4-281-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-4-281-2021, 2021
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Lack of access to science-based natural hazards information impedes the effectiveness of school-based disaster risk reduction education. To address this challenge, we created and classroom tested a series of earthquake education videos that were co-taught by school teachers and Earth scientists in the UK and Tajikistan. Comparison of the results reveals significant differences between students' views on the Earth's interior and why and where earthquakes occur.
Mirjam Schaller, Igor Dal Bo, Todd A. Ehlers, Anja Klotzsche, Reinhard Drews, Juan Pablo Fuentes Espoz, and Jan van der Kruk
SOIL, 6, 629–647, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-629-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-629-2020, 2020
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In this study geophysical observations from ground-penetrating radar with pedolith physical and geochemical properties from pedons excavated in four study areas of the climate and ecological gradient in the Chilean Coastal Cordillera are combined. Findings suggest that profiles with ground-penetrating radar along hillslopes can be used to infer lateral thickness variations in pedolith horizons and to some degree physical and chemical variations with depth.
Owen A. Anfinson, Daniel F. Stockli, Joseph C. Miller, Andreas Möller, and Fritz Schlunegger
Solid Earth, 11, 2197–2220, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2197-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2197-2020, 2020
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We present new U–Pb age data to provide insights into the source of sediment for the Molasse Sedimentary Basin in Switzerland. The paper aims to help shed light on the processes that built the Central Alpine Mountains between ~35 and ~15 Ma. A primary conclusion drawn from the results is that at ~21 Ma there was a significant change in the sediment sources for the basin. We feel this change indicates major tectonic changes within the Central Alps.
Clemens Schannwell, Reinhard Drews, Todd A. Ehlers, Olaf Eisen, Christoph Mayer, Mika Malinen, Emma C. Smith, and Hannes Eisermann
The Cryosphere, 14, 3917–3934, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3917-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3917-2020, 2020
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To reduce uncertainties associated with sea level rise projections, an accurate representation of ice flow is paramount. Most ice sheet models rely on simplified versions of the underlying ice flow equations. Due to the high computational costs, ice sheet models based on the complete ice flow equations have been restricted to < 1000 years. Here, we present a new model setup that extends the applicability of such models by an order of magnitude, permitting simulations of 40 000 years.
Samuel Mock, Christoph von Hagke, Fritz Schlunegger, István Dunkl, and Marco Herwegh
Solid Earth, 11, 1823–1847, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1823-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1823-2020, 2020
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Based on thermochronological data, we infer thrusting along-strike the northern rim of the Central Alps between 12–4 Ma. While the lithology influences the pattern of thrusting at the local scale, we observe that thrusting in the foreland is a long-wavelength feature occurring between Lake Geneva and Salzburg. This coincides with the geometry and dynamics of the attached lithospheric slab at depth. Thus, thrusting in the foreland is at least partly linked to changes in slab dynamics.
Fritz Schlunegger, Romain Delunel, and Philippos Garefalakis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 717–728, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-717-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-717-2020, 2020
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We calculated the probability of sediment transport in coarse-grained mountainous streams in the Alps and the Andes where data on water discharge is available. We find a positive correlation between the predicted probability of sediment transport and the grain size sorting of the bed material. We suggest that besides sediment discharge, the bedload sorting exerts a significant influence on the mobility of sediment and thus on the stability of gravel bars in mountainous streams.
David Mair, Alessandro Lechmann, Romain Delunel, Serdar Yeşilyurt, Dmitry Tikhomirov, Christof Vockenhuber, Marcus Christl, Naki Akçar, and Fritz Schlunegger
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 637–659, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-637-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-637-2020, 2020
Bernd R. Schöne, Aliona E. Meret, Sven M. Baier, Jens Fiebig, Jan Esper, Jeffrey McDonnell, and Laurent Pfister
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 673–696, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-673-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-673-2020, 2020
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We present the first annually resolved stable isotope record (1819–1998) from shells of Swedish river mussels. Data reflect hydrological processes in the catchment and changes in the isotope value of local precipitation. The latter is related to the origin of moisture from which precipitation formed (North Atlantic or the Arctic) and governed by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. Results help to better understand climate dynamics and constrain ecological changes in river ecosystems.
Philippos Garefalakis and Fritz Schlunegger
Solid Earth, 10, 2045–2072, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-2045-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-2045-2019, 2019
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The controls on the 20 Myr old Burdigalian transgression in the Swiss Molasse basin have been related to a reduction in sediment flux, a rise in global sea level, or tectonic processes in the adjacent Alps. Here, we readdress this problem and extract stratigraphic signals from the Upper Marine Molasse deposits in Switzerland. In conclusion, we consider rollback tectonics to be the main driving force controlling the transgression, which is related to a deepening and widening of the basin.
Clemens Schannwell, Reinhard Drews, Todd A. Ehlers, Olaf Eisen, Christoph Mayer, and Fabien Gillet-Chaulet
The Cryosphere, 13, 2673–2691, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2673-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2673-2019, 2019
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Ice rises are important ice-sheet features that archive the ice sheet's history in their internal structure. Here we use a 3-D numerical ice-sheet model to simulate mechanisms that lead to changes in the geometry of the internal structure. We find that changes in snowfall result in much larger and faster changes than similar changes in ice-shelf geometry. This result is integral to fully unlocking the potential of ice rises as ice-dynamic archives and potential ice-core drilling sites.
Katharina Methner, Olaf Lenz, Walter Riegel, Volker Wilde, and Andreas Mulch
Clim. Past, 15, 1741–1755, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1741-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1741-2019, 2019
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We describe the presence of a carbon isotope excursion (CIE) in Paleogene lignites (Schöningen, DE) and assess paleoenvironmental changes in midlatitudinal late Paleocene–early Eocene peat mire records along the paleo-North Sea coast (Schöningen, Cobham, Vasterival). These records share major characteristics of a reduced CIE (~ -1.3 ‰) in terms of bulk organic matter, increased fire activity (pre-CIE), minor plant species changes, and drowning of near-coastal mires during the CIE.
François Clapuyt, Veerle Vanacker, Marcus Christl, Kristof Van Oost, and Fritz Schlunegger
Solid Earth, 10, 1489–1503, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1489-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1489-2019, 2019
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Using state-of-the-art geomorphic techniques, we quantified a 2-order of magnitude discrepancy between annual, decadal, and millennial sediment fluxes of a landslide-affected mountainous river catchment in the Swiss Alps. Our results illustrate that the impact of a single sediment pulse is strongly attenuated at larger spatial and temporal scales by sediment transport. The accumulation of multiple sediment pulses has rather a measurable impact on the regional pattern of sediment fluxes.
Sebastian G. Mutz and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 663–679, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-663-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-663-2019, 2019
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We apply machine learning techniques to quantify and explain differences between recent palaeoclimates with regards to factors that are important in shaping the Earth's surface. We find that changes in ice cover, near-surface air temperature and rainfall duration create the most distinct differences. We also identify regions particularly prone to changes in rainfall and temperature-controlled erosion, which will help with the interpretation of erosion rates and geological archives.
Sophie Szopa, Rémi Thiéblemont, Slimane Bekki, Svetlana Botsyun, and Pierre Sepulchre
Clim. Past, 15, 1187–1203, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1187-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-1187-2019, 2019
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The stratospheric ozone layer plays a key role in atmospheric thermal structure and circulation. Here, with a chemistry–climate model, we evaluate the potential role of stratospheric ozone chemistry in the case of Eocene hot conditions. Our results suggest that using stratospheric ozone calculated by the modeled Eocene conditions instead of the commonly specified preindustrial ozone distribution could change the simulated global surface air temperature by as much as 14 %.
Samuel Mock, Christoph von Hagke, Fritz Schlunegger, István Dunkl, and Marco Herwegh
Solid Earth Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-56, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2019-56, 2019
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Based on own and published age data, we can infer tectonic pulses along-strike the entire northern rim of the Central Alps between 12–4 million years. Although lithologic variations largely influence the local deformation pattern, the tectonic signal is remarkably consistent all the way from Lake Geneva to Salzburg. This might result from a deep-seated tectonic force and marks a change from dominantly vertical to large-scale horizontal tectonics in the late stage of Alpine orogeny.
Lorenz Michel, Christoph Glotzbach, Sarah Falkowski, Byron A. Adams, and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 275–299, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-275-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-275-2019, 2019
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Mountain-building processes are often investigated by assuming a steady state, meaning the balance between opposing forces, like mass influx and mass outflux. This work shows that the Olympic Mountains are in flux steady state on long timescales (i.e., 14 Myr), but the flux steady state could be disturbed on shorter timescales, especially by the Plio–Pleistocene glaciation. The contribution highlights the temporally nonsteady evolution of mountain ranges.
Alessandro Lechmann, David Mair, Akitaka Ariga, Tomoko Ariga, Antonio Ereditato, Ryuichi Nishiyama, Ciro Pistillo, Paola Scampoli, Fritz Schlunegger, and Mykhailo Vladymyrov
Solid Earth, 9, 1517–1533, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1517-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1517-2018, 2018
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Muon tomography is a technology, similar to X-ray tomography, to image the interior of an object, including geologically interesting ones. In this work, we examined the influence of rock composition on the physical measurements, and the possible error that is made by assuming a too-simplistic rock model. We performed numerical simulations for a more realistic rock model and found that beyond 300 m of rock, the composition starts to play a significant role and has to be accounted for.
Matthias Nettesheim, Todd A. Ehlers, David M. Whipp, and Alexander Koptev
Solid Earth, 9, 1207–1224, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1207-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1207-2018, 2018
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In this modeling study, we investigate rock uplift at plate corners (syntaxes). These are characterized by a unique bent geometry at subduction zones and exhibit some of the world's highest rock uplift rates. We find that the style of deformation changes above the plate's bent section and that active subduction is necessary to generate an isolated region of rapid uplift. Strong erosion there localizes uplift on even smaller scales, suggesting both tectonic and surface processes are important.
Manuel Schmid, Todd A. Ehlers, Christian Werner, Thomas Hickler, and Juan-Pablo Fuentes-Espoz
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 859–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-859-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-859-2018, 2018
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We present a numerical modeling study into the interactions between transient climate and vegetation cover with hillslope and fluvial processes. We use a state-of-the-art landscape evolution model library (Landlab) and design model experiments to investigate the effect of climate change and the associated changes in surface vegetation cover on main basin metrics. This paper is a companion paper to Part 1 (this journal), which investigates the effect of climate change on surface vegetation cover.
Christian Werner, Manuel Schmid, Todd A. Ehlers, Juan Pablo Fuentes-Espoz, Jörg Steinkamp, Matthew Forrest, Johan Liakka, Antonio Maldonado, and Thomas Hickler
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 829–858, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-829-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-829-2018, 2018
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Vegetation is crucial for modulating rates of denudation and landscape evolution, and is directly influenced by climate conditions and atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Using transient climate data and a state-of-the-art dynamic vegetation model we simulate the vegetation composition and cover from the Last Glacial Maximum to present along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile. In part 2 we assess the landscape response to transient climate and vegetation cover using a landscape evolution model.
David Mair, Alessandro Lechmann, Marco Herwegh, Lukas Nibourel, and Fritz Schlunegger
Solid Earth, 9, 1099–1122, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1099-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1099-2018, 2018
Fritz Schlunegger and Philippos Garefalakis
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 743–761, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-743-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-743-2018, 2018
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Clast imbrication, which is a depositional fabric where clasts overlap each other similar to a run of toppled dominoes, is one of the most conspicuous sedimentary structures in coarse-grained fluvial deposits. However, the conditions leading to this fabric have been contested. Here, we calculate the hydrological conditions for various stream gradients. We find that clast imbrication most likely forms where channel gradients exceed a threshold and where upper flow regime conditions prevail.
Byron A. Adams and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 595–610, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-595-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-595-2018, 2018
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Where alpine glaciers were active in the past, they have created scenic landscapes that are likely in the process of morphing back into a form that it more stable with today's climate regime and tectonic forces. By looking at older erosion rates from before the time of large alpine glaciers and erosion rates since deglaciation in the Olympic Mountains (USA), we find that the topography and erosion rates have not drastically changed despite the impressive glacial valleys that have been carved.
Kim Alix Jakob, Jörg Pross, Christian Scholz, Jens Fiebig, and Oliver Friedrich
Clim. Past, 14, 1079–1095, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1079-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1079-2018, 2018
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Eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) thermocline dynamics during the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (iNHG; ~ 2.5 Ma) currently remain unclear. In light of this uncertainty, we generated geochemical, faunal and sedimentological data for EEP Site 849 (~ 2.75–2.4 Ma). We recorded a thermocline depth change shortly before the final phase of the iNHG, which supports the hypothesis that tropical thermocline shoaling may have contributed to substantial Northern Hemisphere ice growth.
Michelle E. Gilmore, Nadine McQuarrie, Paul R. Eizenhöfer, and Todd A. Ehlers
Solid Earth, 9, 599–627, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-599-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-599-2018, 2018
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We examine the Himalayan Mountains of Bhutan by integrating balanced geologic cross sections with cooling ages from a suite of mineral systems. Interpretations of cooling ages are intrinsically linked to both the motion along faults as well as the location and magnitude of erosion. In this study, we use flexural and thermal kinematic models to understand the sensitivity of predicted cooling ages to changes in fault kinematics, geometry, and topography.
Sebastian G. Mutz, Todd A. Ehlers, Martin Werner, Gerrit Lohmann, Christian Stepanek, and Jingmin Li
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 271–301, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-271-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-271-2018, 2018
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We use a climate model and statistics to provide an overview of regional climates from different times in the late Cenozoic. We focus on tectonically active mountain ranges in particular. Our results highlight significant changes in climates throughout the late Cenozoic, which should be taken into consideration when interpreting erosion rates. We also document the differences between model- and proxy-based estimates for late Cenozoic climate change in South America and Tibet.
Anna Costa, Peter Molnar, Laura Stutenbecker, Maarten Bakker, Tiago A. Silva, Fritz Schlunegger, Stuart N. Lane, Jean-Luc Loizeau, and Stéphanie Girardclos
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 509–528, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-509-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-509-2018, 2018
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We explore the signal of a warmer climate in the suspended-sediment dynamics of a regulated and human-impacted Alpine catchment. We demonstrate that temperature-driven enhanced melting of glaciers, which occurred in the mid-1980s, played a dominant role in suspended sediment concentration rise, through increased runoff from sediment-rich proglacial areas, increased contribution of sediment-rich meltwater, and increased sediment supply in proglacial areas due to glacier recession.
François Clapuyt, Veerle Vanacker, Fritz Schlunegger, and Kristof Van Oost
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 791–806, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-791-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-791-2017, 2017
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This work aims at understanding the behaviour of an earth flow located in the Swiss Alps by reconstructing very accurately its topography over a 2-year period. Aerial photos taken from a drone, which are then processed using a computer vision algorithm, were used to derive the topographic datasets. Combination and careful interpretation of high-resolution topographic analyses reveal the internal mechanisms of the earthflow and its complex rotational structure, which is evolving over time.
Heiko Paeth, Christian Steger, Jingmin Li, Sebastian G. Mutz, and Todd A. Ehlers
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2017-111, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2017-111, 2017
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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We use a high-resolution regional climate model to investigate various episodes of distinct climate states over the Tibetan Plateau region during the Cenozoic rise of the Plateau and Quaternary glacial/interglacial cycles. The simulated changes are in good agreement with available paleo-climatic reconstructions from proxy data. It is shown that in some regions of the Tibetan Plateau the climate anomalies during the Quaternary have been as strong as the changes occurring during the uplift period.
Michael Dietze, Solmaz Mohadjer, Jens M. Turowski, Todd A. Ehlers, and Niels Hovius
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 653–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-653-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-653-2017, 2017
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We use a seismometer network to detect and locate rockfalls, a key process shaping steep mountain landscapes. When tested against laser scan surveys, all seismically detected events could be located with an average deviation of 81 m. Seismic monitoring provides insight to the dynamics of individual rockfalls, which can be as small as 0.0053 m3. Thus, seismic methods provide unprecedented temporal, spatial and kinematic details about this important process.
Camille Litty, Fritz Schlunegger, and Willem Viveen
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 571–583, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-571-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-571-2017, 2017
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This paper focuses on the analysis of the properties controlling the grain size in the streams of the western Peruvian Andes. Pebble size distributions in these streams have been compared to fluvial processes and basin properties. The resulting trends and differences in sediment properties seem to have been controlled by threshold conditions upon supply and transport.
Svetlana Botsyun, Pierre Sepulchre, Camille Risi, and Yannick Donnadieu
Clim. Past, 12, 1401–1420, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1401-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-1401-2016, 2016
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We use an isotope-equipped GCM and develop original theoretical expression for the precipitation composition to assess δ18O of paleo-precipitation changes with the Tibetan Plateau uplift. We show that δ18O of precipitation is very sensitive to climate changes related to the growth of mountains, notably changes in relative humidity and precipitation amount. Topography is shown to be not an exclusive controlling factor δ18O in precipitation that have crucial consequences for paleoelevation studies
Oliver Friedrich, Sietske J. Batenburg, Kazuyoshi Moriya, Silke Voigt, Cécile Cournède, Iris Möbius, Peter Blum, André Bornemann, Jens Fiebig, Takashi Hasegawa, Pincelli M. Hull, Richard D. Norris, Ursula Röhl, Thomas Westerhold, Paul A. Wilson, and IODP Expedition
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2016-51, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2016-51, 2016
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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A lack of knowledge on the timing of Late Cretaceous climatic change inhibits our understanding of underlying causal mechanisms. Therefore, we used an expanded deep ocean record from the North Atlantic that shows distinct sedimentary cyclicity suggesting orbital forcing. A high-resolution carbon-isotope record from bulk carbonates allows to identify global trends in the carbon cycle. Our new carbon isotope record and the established cyclostratigraphy may serve as a future reference site.
Laura Stutenbecker, Anna Costa, and Fritz Schlunegger
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 253–272, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-253-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-253-2016, 2016
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This paper considers the influence of lithology on the landscape development in the Central Swiss Alps. In high-alpine settings such as the upper Rhône valley, external forcing by climate, glaciation and uplift affects the geomorphological evolution of the landscape. By careful compilation of published data and geomorphological analysis we found that the rock type and its susceptibility to erosion are the main factors controlling the response time to those perturbations.
Solmaz Mohadjer, Todd Alan Ehlers, Rebecca Bendick, Konstanze Stübner, and Timo Strube
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 529–542, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-529-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-529-2016, 2016
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The Central Asia Fault Database is the first publicly accessible digital repository for active faults in central Asia and the surrounding regions. It includes an interactive map and a search tool that allow users to query and display critical fault information such as slip rates and earthquake history. The map displays over 1196 fault traces and 34 000 earthquake locations. The database contains attributes for 123 faults mentioned in the literature.
K. P. Norton, F. Schlunegger, and C. Litty
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 147–157, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-147-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-147-2016, 2016
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Cut-fill terraces are common landforms throughout the world. Their distribution both in space and time is not clear-cut, as they can arise from numerous processes. We apply a climate-dependent regolith production algorithm to determine potential sediment loads during climate shifts. When combined with transport capacity, our results suggest that the cut-fill terraces of western Peru can result from transient stripping of hillslope sediment but not steady-state hillslope erosion.
R. M. Headley and T. A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 153–170, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-153-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-153-2015, 2015
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Within a landscape evolution model operating over geologic timescales, this work evaluates how different assumptions and levels of complexity for modeling glacier flow impact the pattern and amount of glacial erosion. Compared to those in colder climates, modeled glaciers in warmer and wetter climates are more sensitive to the choice of glacier flow model. Differences between landscapes evolved with different glacier flow models are intensified over multiple cycles.
Related subject area
Subject area: The evolving Earth surface | Editorial team: Stratigraphy, sedimentology, geomorphology, morphotectonics, and palaeontology | Discipline: Sedimentology
Deep vs. shallow – two contrasting theories? A tectonically activated Late Cretaceous deltaic system in the axial part of the Mid-Polish Trough: a case study from southeast Poland
What makes seep carbonates ignore self-sealing and grow vertically: the role of burrowing decapod crustaceans
Dawn and dusk of Late Cretaceous basin inversion in central Europe
Simulating permeability reduction by clay mineral nanopores in a tight sandstone by combining computer X-ray microtomography and focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy imaging
Birth and closure of the Kallipetra Basin: Late Cretaceous reworking of the Jurassic Pelagonian–Axios/Vardar contact (northern Greece)
Sediment history mirrors Pleistocene aridification in the Gobi Desert (Ejina Basin, NW China)
Tectonic processes, variations in sediment flux, and eustatic sea level recorded by the 20 Myr old Burdigalian transgression in the Swiss Molasse basin
Miocene basement exhumation in the Central Alps recorded by detrital garnet geochemistry in foreland basin deposits
Can anaerobic oxidation of methane prevent seafloor gas escape in a warming climate?
Precipitation of dolomite from seawater on a Carnian coastal plain (Dolomites, northern Italy): evidence from carbonate petrography and Sr isotopes
The Ogooue Fan (offshore Gabon): a modern example of deep-sea fan on a complex slope profile
Formation of linear planform chimneys controlled by preferential hydrocarbon leakage and anisotropic stresses in faulted fine-grained sediments, offshore Angola
From oil field to geothermal reservoir: assessment for geothermal utilization of two regionally extensive Devonian carbonate aquifers in Alberta, Canada
Sedimentary mechanisms of a modern banded iron formation on Milos Island, Greece
Zbyszek Remin, Michał Cyglicki, and Mariusz Niechwedowicz
Solid Earth, 13, 681–703, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-681-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-13-681-2022, 2022
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Traditionally, the axial part of the Polish Basin, i.e. the Mid-Polish Trough, was interpreted as the deepest and most subsiding part of the basin during the Cretaceous times. We interpret this area conversely, as representing a landmass – the Łysogóry–Dobrogea Land. Inversion-related tectonics, uplift on the one hand and enhanced subsidence on the other, drove the development of the Szozdy Delta within the axial part of the basin. New heavy mineral data suggest different burial histories.
Jean-Philippe Blouet, Patrice Imbert, Sutieng Ho, Andreas Wetzel, and Anneleen Foubert
Solid Earth, 12, 2439–2466, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2439-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-2439-2021, 2021
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Biochemical reactions related to hydrocarbon seepage are known to induce carbonates in marine sediments. Seep carbonates may act as seals and force lateral deviations of rising hydrocarbons. However, crustacean burrows may act as efficient vertical fluid channels allowing hydrocarbons to pass through upward, thereby allowing the vertical growth of carbonate stacks over time. This mechanism may explain the origin of carbonate columns in marine sediments throughout hydrocarbon provinces worldwide.
Thomas Voigt, Jonas Kley, and Silke Voigt
Solid Earth, 12, 1443–1471, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1443-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1443-2021, 2021
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Basin inversion in central Europe is believed to have started during Late Cretaceous (middle Turonian) and probably proceeded until the Paleogene. Data from different marginal troughs in central Europe point to an earlier start of basin inversion (in the Cenomanian). The end of inversion is overprinted by general uplift but had probably already occurred in the late Campanian to Maastrichtian. Both the start and end of inversion occurred with low rates of uplift and subsidence.
Arne Jacob, Markus Peltz, Sina Hale, Frieder Enzmann, Olga Moravcova, Laurence N. Warr, Georg Grathoff, Philipp Blum, and Michael Kersten
Solid Earth, 12, 1–14, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1-2021, 2021
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In this work, we combined different imaging and experimental measuring methods for analysis of cross-scale effects which reduce permeability of tight reservoir rocks. Simulated permeability of digital images of rocks is often overestimated, which is caused by non-resolvable clay content within the pores of a rock. By combining FIB-SEM with micro-XCT imaging, we were able to simulate the true clay mineral abundance to match experimentally measured permeability with simulated permeability.
Lydia R. Bailey, Filippo L. Schenker, Maria Giuditta Fellin, Miriam Cobianchi, Thierry Adatte, and Vincenzo Picotti
Solid Earth, 11, 2463–2485, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2463-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2463-2020, 2020
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The Kallipetra Basin, formed in the Late Cretaceous on the reworked Pelagonian–Axios–Vardar contact in the Hellenides, is described for the first time. We document how and when the basin evolved in response to tectonic forcings and basin inversion. Cenomanian extension and basin widening was followed by Turonian compression and basin inversion. Thrusting occurred earlier than previously reported in the literature, with a vergence to the NE, at odds with the regional SW vergence of the margin.
Georg Schwamborn, Kai Hartmann, Bernd Wünnemann, Wolfgang Rösler, Annette Wefer-Roehl, Jörg Pross, Marlen Schlöffel, Franziska Kobe, Pavel E. Tarasov, Melissa A. Berke, and Bernhard Diekmann
Solid Earth, 11, 1375–1398, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1375-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1375-2020, 2020
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We use a sediment core from the Gobi Desert (Ejina Basin, NW China) to illustrate the landscape history of the area. During 2.5 million years a sediment package of 223 m thickness has been accumulated. Various sediment types document that the area turned from a playa environment (shallow water environment with multiple flooding events) to an alluvial–fluvial environment after the arrival of the Heihe in the area. The river has been diverted due to tectonics.
Philippos Garefalakis and Fritz Schlunegger
Solid Earth, 10, 2045–2072, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-2045-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-2045-2019, 2019
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The controls on the 20 Myr old Burdigalian transgression in the Swiss Molasse basin have been related to a reduction in sediment flux, a rise in global sea level, or tectonic processes in the adjacent Alps. Here, we readdress this problem and extract stratigraphic signals from the Upper Marine Molasse deposits in Switzerland. In conclusion, we consider rollback tectonics to be the main driving force controlling the transgression, which is related to a deepening and widening of the basin.
Laura Stutenbecker, Peter M. E. Tollan, Andrea Madella, and Pierre Lanari
Solid Earth, 10, 1581–1595, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1581-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1581-2019, 2019
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The Aar and Mont Blanc regions in the Alps are large granitoid massifs characterized by high topography. We analyse when these granitoids were first exhumed to the surface. We test this by tracking specific garnet grains, which are exclusively found in the granitoid massifs, in the sediments contained in the alpine foreland basin. This research ties in with ongoing debates on the timing and mechanisms of mountain building.
Christian Stranne, Matt O'Regan, Martin Jakobsson, Volker Brüchert, and Marcelo Ketzer
Solid Earth, 10, 1541–1554, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1541-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1541-2019, 2019
Maximilian Rieder, Wencke Wegner, Monika Horschinegg, Stefanie Klackl, Nereo Preto, Anna Breda, Susanne Gier, Urs Klötzli, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Gernot Arp, and Patrick Meister
Solid Earth, 10, 1243–1267, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1243-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-1243-2019, 2019
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The formation of dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2), an abundant mineral in Earth's geological record, is still incompletely understood. We studied dolomites embedded in a 100 m thick succession of coastal alluvial clays of Triassic age in the southern Alps. Observation by light microscopy and Sr isotopes suggests that dolomites may spontaneously from concentrated evaporating seawater, in coastal ephemeral lakes or tidal flats along the western margin of the Triassic Tethys sea.
Salomé Mignard, Thierry Mulder, Philippe Martinez, and Thierry Garlan
Solid Earth, 10, 851–869, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-851-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-10-851-2019, 2019
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A large quantity a continental material is transported to the oceans by the world rivers. Once in the ocean, these particles can be transported down the continental shelf thanks to underwater avalanches. The repetition of such massive events can form very important sedimentary deposits at the continent–ocean transition. Data obtained during an oceanic cruise in 2010 allowed us to study such a system located offshore of Gabon and to evaluate the importance sediment transport in this area.
Sutieng Ho, Martin Hovland, Jean-Philippe Blouet, Andreas Wetzel, Patrice Imbert, and Daniel Carruthers
Solid Earth, 9, 1437–1468, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1437-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1437-2018, 2018
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A newly discovered type of hydrocarbon leakage structure is investigated following the preliminary works of Ho (2013; et al. 2012, 2013, 2016): blade-shaped gas chimneys instead of classical cylindrical ones. These so-called
Linear Chimneysare hydraulic fractures caused by overpressured hydrocarbon fluids breaching cover sediments along preferential directions. These directions are dictated by anisotropic stresses induced by faulting in sediments and pre-existing salt-diapiric structures.
Leandra M. Weydt, Claus-Dieter J. Heldmann, Hans G. Machel, and Ingo Sass
Solid Earth, 9, 953–983, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-953-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-953-2018, 2018
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This study focuses on the assessment of the geothermal potential of two extensive upper Devonian aquifer systems within the Alberta Basin (Canada). Our work provides a first database on geothermal rock properties combined with detailed facies analysis (outcrop and core samples), enabling the identification of preferred zones in the reservoir and thus allowing for a more reliable reservoir prediction. This approach forms the basis for upcoming reservoir studies with a focus on 3-D modelling.
Ernest Chi Fru, Stephanos Kilias, Magnus Ivarsson, Jayne E. Rattray, Katerina Gkika, Iain McDonald, Qian He, and Curt Broman
Solid Earth, 9, 573–598, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-573-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-573-2018, 2018
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Banded iron formations (BIFs) are chemical sediments last seen in the marine sedimentary record ca. 600 million years ago. Here, we report on the formation mechanisms of a modern BIF analog in the Cape Vani sedimentary basin (CVSB) on Milos Island, Greece, demonstrating that rare environmental redox conditions, coupled to submarine hydrothermal activity and microbial processes, are required for these types of rocks to form in the modern marine biosphere.
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Short summary
Here we present new surface elevation constraints for the middle Miocene Central Alps based on stable and clumped isotope geochemical analyses. Our reconstructed paleoelevation estimate is supported by isotope-enabled paleoclimate simulations and indicates that the Miocene Central Alps were characterized by a heterogeneous and spatially transient topography with high elevations locally exceeding 4000 m.
Here we present new surface elevation constraints for the middle Miocene Central Alps based on...
