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Paleohydrologic record of spring deposits in and around Pleistocene pluvial Lake Tecopa, southeastern California
Tufa (spring) deposits in the Tecopa basin, California, reflect the response of arid groundwater regimes to wet climate episodes. Two types of tufa are represented, informally defined as (1) an easily disaggregated, fine-grained mixture of calcite and quartz (friable tufa) in the southwest Tecopa Valley, and (2) hard, vuggy micrite, laminated carbonate, and carbonate-cemented sands and gravels (indurated tufa) along the eastern margin of Lake Tecopa. High δ 18 O VSMOW (Vienna standard mean ocean water) water values, field relations, and the texture of friable tufa suggest rapid nucleation of calcite as subaqueous, fault- controlled groundwater discharge mixed with high-pH, hypersaline lake water. Variations between δ 18 O VSMOW and δ 13 C PDB (Peedee belemnite) values relative to other closed basin lakes such as the Great Salt Lake and Lake Lahontan suggest similarities in climatic and hydrologic settings. Indurated tufa, also fault controlled, formed mounds and associated feeder systems as well as stratabound carbonate-cemented ledges. Both deposits represent discharge of deeply circulated, high total dissolved solids, and high p CO 2 regional groundwater with kinetic enrichments of as much as several per mil for δ 18 O VSMOW values. Field relations show that indurated tufa represents episodic discharge, and U-series ages imply that discharge was correlated with cold, wet climate episodes. In response to both the breaching of the Tecopa basin and a modern arid climate, most discharge has changed from fault-controlled locations near basin margins to topographic lows of the Amargosa River drainage at elevations 30–130 m lower. Because of episodic climate change, spring flows may have relocated from basin margin to basin center multiple times.
Bedrock cores from 89° North: Implications for the geologic framework and Neogene paleoceanography of Lomonosov Ridge and a tie to the Barents shelf
Two piston cores from the Eurasian flank of Lomonosov Ridge near lat 88.9°N, long 140°E provide the first samples of bedrock from this high-standing trans-Arctic ridge. Core 94-PC27 sampled nonmarine siltstone similar in facies and age to uppermost Triassic to lower Lower Jurassic and mid– Lower Cretaceous beds in the 4 to > 5 km Mesozoic section on Franz Josef Land, on the outer Barents shelf. A ca. 250 Ma peak in the cumulative frequency curve of detrital zircons from the siltstone, dated by U- Th-Pb analysis, suggests a source in the post-tectonic syenites of northern Taymyr and nearby islands in the Kara Sea. Textural trends reported in the literature indicate that the Lower Jurassic nonmarine strata of Franz Josef Land coarsen to the southeast; this suggests the existence of a sedimentary system in which detrital zircons could be transported from the northern Taymyr Peninsula to the outer Barents shelf near the position of core 94-PC27 prior to opening of the Eurasia Basin. Correlation of the coaly siltstone in core 94-PC27 with part of the Mesozoic section on Franz Josef Land is compatible with the strong evidence from seafloor magnetic anomalies and bathymetry that Lomonosov Ridge is a continental fragment rifted from the Barents shelf during the Cenozoic. It also suggests that Lomonosov Ridge near the North Pole is underlain by a substantial section of unmetamorphosed Mesozoic marine and nonmarine sedimentary strata. Core 94-PC29 sampled cyclical deposits containing ice-rafted debris (IRD) overlying weakly consolidated laminated olive-black anoxic Neogene siltstone and mudstone with an average total organic carbon (TOC) of 4.1 wt%. The high TOC content of the mudstone indicates that during the Neogene, prior to the introduction of IRD into the Arctic seas about 3.3 Ma (early late Pliocene), the shallow waters of the central Arctic Ocean supported significant primary photosynthetic organic production near the North Pole. These deposits also contain fine grains of siltstone that resemble the breccia-clast siltstone of core 94-PC27 and reworked Carboniferous, Cretaceous, and Tertiary palynomorphs that may have also originated in the bedrock of Lomonosov Ridge.
Effect of the northward-migrating Mendocino triple junction on the Eel River forearc basin, California: Stratigraphic development
The Eel River forearc basin, northern California, lies at the southern end of the Cascadia subduction zone and at the leading edge of the migrating Mendocino triple junction. Stratigraphic relationships within the Eel River forearc basin suggest that the current outer-arc high formed between ca. 3 and 2 Ma when the margin switched from a nonaccretionary to an accretionary phase and then uplifted to attain critical taper. Between ca. 2 and 1 Ma, an influx of sedimentation from the ancestral Klamath and Eel River systems increased the width of the northern California margin and caused continued uplift followed by widespread erosion of the western margin of the basin at ca. 1 Ma. In the northeastern part of the forearc basin, localized erosion of the shelf occurred at ca. 500 ka. The arrival of the northward-migrating Mendocino triple junction at ca. 500 ka is documented by uplift, northward tilting, erosion of the margin as much as 20 km north of Cape Mendocino, and reduced deposition within the forearc basin as much as 80 km north of the current position of the triple junction. Terrestrial sediments delivered to the continental margin and eroded sediments near the triple junction largely bypassed the southern part of the basin and were likely deposited in northern areas of the basin or flowed down the Eel Canyon to be deposited within the Gorda Fan.
Radioisotopic and biostratigraphic age relations in the Coast Range Ophiolite, northern California: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Western Cordillera
The Coast Range ophiolite (CRO) in northern California includes two distinct remnants. The Elder Creek ophiolite is a classic suprasubduction zone ophiolite with three sequential plutonic suites (layered gabbro, wehrlit-pyroxenite, quartz diorite), a mafic to felsic dike complex, and mafic-felsic volcanic rocks; the entire suite is cut by late mid-oceanic-ridge basalt (MORB) dikes and overlain by ophiolitic breccia. The Stonyford volcanic complex (SFVC) comprises three volcanic series with intercalated chert horizons that form a submarine volcano enclosed in sheared serpentinite. Structurally below this seamount are mélange blocks of CRO similar to Elder Creek. U/Pb zircon ages from plagiogranite and quartz diorites at Elder Creek range in age from 165 Ma to 172 Ma. U/Pb zircon ages obtained from CRO mélange blocks below the SFVC are similar (166–172 Ma). 40 Ar- 39 Ar ages of alkali basalt glass in the upper SFVC are all younger at ≈164 Ma. Radiolarians extracted from chert lenses intercalated with basalt in the SFVC indicate that the sedimentary strata range in age from Bathonian (Unitary Association Zone 6–6 of Baumgartner et al., 1995a ) near the base of the complex to late Callovian to early Kimmeridgian (Unitary Association Zones 8–10) in the upper part. The SFVC sedimentary record preserves evidence of a major faunal change wherein relatively small sized, polytaxic radiolarian faunas were replaced by very robust, oligo-taxic, nassellarian-dominated faunas that included Praeparvicingula spp. We suggest that CRO formation began after the early Middle Jurassic (172–180 Ma) collision of an exotic or fringing arc with North America and initiation of a new or reconfigured east-dipping subduction zone. The data show that the CRO formed prior to the Late Jurassic Nevadan orogeny, probably by rapid forearc extension above a nascent subduction zone. We infer that CRO spreading ended with the collision of an oceanic spreading center ca. 164 Ma, coincident with the oldest high-grade blocks in the structurally underlying Franciscan assemblage. We further suggest that the “classic” Nevadan orogeny represents a response to spreading center collision, with shallow subduction of young lithosphere causing the initial compressional deformation and with a subsequent change in North American plate motion to rapid northward drift (J2 cusp) causing sinistral transpression and transtension in the Sierra foothills. These data are not consistent with models for Late Jurassic arc collision in the Sierra foothills or a backarc origin for the CRO.
Origin and paleoclimatic significance of late Quaternary loess in Nebraska: Evidence from stratigraphy, chronology, sedimentology, and geochemistry
Loess is one of the most extensive surficial geologic deposits in midcontinental North America, particularly in the central Great Plains region of Nebraska. Last-glacial-age loess (Peoria Loess) reaches its greatest known thickness in the world in this area. New stratigraphic, geochronologic, mineralogic, and geochemical data yield information about the age and provenance of Peoria Loess, as well as evaluation of recent climate models. Sixteen new radiocarbon ages and recently acquired optically stimulated luminescence ages indicate that Peoria Loess deposition in Nebraska occurred between ca. 25,000 cal yr B.P. and ca. 13,000 cal yr B.P. After ca. 13,000 cal yr B.P. a period of pedogenesis began, represented by the dark, prominent Brady Soil. At some localities, further loess deposition was minimal. At other localities, sometime after ca. 11,000 cal yr B.P., there were additional episodes of loess deposition (Bignell Loess) intermittently throughout the Holocene. The spatial variability of particle size abundances in Peoria Loess shows a northwest-to-southeast fining in Nebraska, consistent with maps of previous workers that show a northwest-to-southeast thinning of loess. These observations indicate that paleowinds that deposited the loess were from the west or northwest and that the source or sources of Peoria Loess lay to the west or northwest. New mineralogical and geochemical data indicate that the most important sources of loess were likely Tertiary siltstones of the White River and Arikaree Groups, silt facies of Pliocene eolian sediments, and small contributions from Pierre Shale. It is likely that fine-grained silts were transported episodically through the Nebraska Sand Hills from Tertiary and Cretaceous bedrock sources to the north, in agreement with a model presented recently. The identification of Tertiary siltstones and silts as the primary sources of loess is consistent with isotopic data presented in a companion paper. Contributions of glaciogenic silt from the Platte and Missouri Rivers were limited to loess zones close to the valleys of those drainages. An earlier computer-based model of global dust generation during the last glacial period did not identify the Great Plains of North America as a significant source of nonglaciogenic eolian silt. However, a refined version of this model does simulate this region as a significant non-glacial dust source during the last glacial period, in good agreement with the results presented here.
Isotopic evidence for the diversity of late Quaternary loess in Nebraska: Glaciogenic and nonglaciogenic sources
Pb isotope compositions of detrital K-feldspars and U-Pb ages of detrital zircons are used as indicators for determining the sources of Peoria Loess deposited during the last glacial period (late Wisconsin, ca. 25–14 ka) in Nebraska and western Iowa. Our new data indicate that only loess adjacent to the Platte River has Pb isotopic characteristics suggesting derivation from this river. Most Peoria Loess in central Nebraska (up to 20 m thick) is non-glaciogenic, on the basis of Pb isotope ratios in K-feldspars and the presence of 34-Ma detrital zircons. These isotopic characteristics suggest derivation primarily from the Oligocene White River Group in southern South Dakota, western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming, and northeastern Colorado. The occurrence of 10–25 Ma detrital zircons suggests additional minor contributions of silt from the Oligocene-Miocene Arikaree Group and Miocene Ogallala Group. Isotopic data from detrital K-feldspar and zircon grains from Peoria Loess deposits in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa suggest that the immediate source of this loess was alluvium of the Missouri River. We conclude that this silt probably is of glaciogenic origin, primarily derived from outwash from the western margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Identification of the White River Group as the main provenance of Peoria Loess of central Nebraska and the Missouri River valley as the immediate source of western Iowa Peoria Loess indicates that paleowind directions during the late Wisconsin were primarily from the northwest and west, in agreement with earlier studies of particle size and loess thickness variation. In addition, the results are in agreement with recent simulations of non-glaciogenic dust sources from linked climate-vegetation modeling, suggesting dry, windy, and minimally vegetated areas in parts of the Great Plains during the last glacial period.
Earthquakes generated from bedding plane-parallel reverse faults above an active wedge thrust, Seattle fault zone
A key question in earthquake hazard analysis is whether individual faults within fault zones represent independent seismic sources. For the Seattle fault zone, an upper plate structure within the Cascadia convergent margin, evaluating seismic hazard requires understanding how north-side-up, bedding-plane reverse faults, which generate late Holocene fault scarps, interact with the north-vergent master-ramp thrust and overlying backthrust of the fault zone. A regional uplift at A.D. 900–930 involved an earthquake that nucleated at depth and included slip on both the master-ramp thrust and the back-thrust. This earthquake also included slip on some of the <6-km-deep north-side-up, bedding-plane reverse faults. At locales where the north-side-up reverse faults intersect the Puget Sound coast, an earthquake a few centuries earlier than the A.D. 900–930 regional uplift only uplifted areas within hundreds of meters north of the reverse faults. We infer that the bedding-plane reverse faults are seismogenic because shore platforms near the reverse faults have been abruptly uplifted during earthquakes when other shorelines in the Seattle fault zone were unaffected. Faults of the Seattle fault zone therefore can both produce regional uplift earthquakes, with or without surface displacement on the reverse faults, and produce earthquakes that rupture the bedding-plane reverse faults causing fault scarps and uplift localized to hundreds of meters north of these faults. This latter type of earthquake has occurred at least twice and perhaps three times in the late Holocene, and all these earthquakes preceded the regional coseismic uplift of A.D. 900–930. To account for the paleoseismic observations, we propose that the Seattle fault zone is a wedge thrust, with the leading edge being a fault-bend, wedge thrust fold. The active axial surface of the wedge thrust fold is pinned at the tip of the wedge, and a steeply north-dipping sequence of Tertiary sediment forms the south limb of the wedge thrust fold. Some of these steeply north-dipping, bedding-plane surfaces are seismogenic reverse faults that produce scarps. Earthquakes on the wedge thrust produce the regional coseismic uplift events, and earthquakes within the fault-bend fold cause the local uplift earthquakes. Thus, bedding-plane faults can rupture during earthquakes when the wedge thrust does not rupture but instead continues to accumulate seismic energy.
230Th/U dating of a late Pleistocene alluvial fan along the southern San Andreas fault
U-series dating of pedogenic carbonate-clast coatings provides a reliable, precise minimum age of 45.1 ± 0.6 ka (2σ) for the T2 geomorphic surface of the Biskra Palms alluvial fan, Coachella Valley, California. Concordant ages for multiple subsamples from individual carbonate coatings provide evidence that the 238 U- 234 U- 230 Th system has remained closed since carbonate formation. The U-series minimum age is used to assess previously published 10 Be exposure ages of cobbles and boulders. All but one cobble age and some boulder 10 Be ages are younger than the U-series minimum age, indicating that surface cobbles and some boulders were partially shielded after deposition of the fan and have been subsequently exhumed by erosion of fine-grained matrix to expose them on the present fan surface. A comparison of U-series and 10 Be ages indicates that the interval between final alluvial deposition on the T2 fan surface and accumulation of dateable carbonate is not well resolved at Biskra Palms; however, the “time lag” inherent to dating via U-series on pedogenic carbonate can be no larger than ∼10 k.y., the uncertainty of the 10 Be-derived age of the T2 fan surface. Dating of the T2 fan surface via U-series on pedogenic carbonate (minimum age, 45.1 ± 0.6 ka) and 10 Be on boulder-top samples using forward modeling (preferred age, 50 ± 5 ka) provides broadly consistent constraints on the age of the fan surface and helps to elucidate its postdepositional development.
40Ar/39Ar dating of Silurian and late Devonian cleavages in lower greenschist-facies rocks in the Westminster terrane, Maryland, USA
40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of muscovite, biotite, and K-feldspar combined with microstructural analysis of lower greenschist-facies, polymetamorphic, phyllitic rocks, and marbles were successfully used to decipher the thermal and tectonic histories of the Westminster and adjacent terranes in western Maryland. The presence of unreset detrital muscovite in some samples demonstrates that temperatures in these rocks never exceeded the closure temperature for argon diffusion in muscovite, ∼350 ± 50 °C. Minor biotite in some arkoses constrains the minimum metamorphic temperatures to ≥∼320 °C. These data show an Early Silurian (ca. 430 Ma) cleavage in the western part of the Westminster terrane and a Late Devonian event (ca. 370 Ma) in the eastern Westminster and adjacent Potomac terranes. These two cleavage domains are separated by the NE-trending, newly identified Parrs Ridge fault zone. We propose that the sinistral transpressive collision of the Carolina terrane with Laurentia emplaced the western portion of the Westminster terrane in the Pennsylvania embayment along the Martic fault where it was folded and cleaved at ca. 430 Ma but otherwise largely sheltered from later deformation. The later Late Devonian dextral transpressive accretion of the outboard Potomac terrane thrust rocks of the eastern Westminster and Potomac terranes to the west, causing Late Devonian (360–370 Ma) S 2 cleavage in these rocks, but only minimal discrete overprinting S 3 cleavages in rocks farther west. Final juxtaposition and thermal convergence of these terranes occurred along reactivated dextral strike-slip faults in the Alleghanian at ca. 300 Ma.
Coupled hydrology and biogeochemistry of Paleocene–Eocene coal beds, northern Gulf of Mexico
Thirty-six formation waters, gas, and microbial samples were collected and analyzed from natural gas and oil wells producing from the Paleocene to Eocene Wilcox Group coal beds and adjacent sandstones in north-central Louisiana, USA, to investigate the role hydrology plays on the generation and distribution of microbial methane. Major ion chemistry and Cl − Br relations of Wilcox Group formation waters suggest mixing of freshwater with halite-derived brines. High alkalinities (up to 47.8 meq/L), no detectable SO 4 , and elevated δ 13 C values of dissolved inorganic carbon (up to 20.5‰ Vienna Peedee belemnite [VPDB]) and CO 2 (up to 17.67‰ VPDB) in the Wilcox Group coals and adjacent sandstones indicate the dominance of microbial methanogenesis. The δ 13 C and δD values of CH 4 , and carbon isotope fractionation of CO 2 and CH 4 , suggest CO 2 reduction is the major methanogenic pathway. Geochemical indicators for methanogenesis drop off significantly at chloride concentrations above ∼1.7 mol/L, suggesting that high salinities inhibit microbial activity at depths greater than ∼1.6 km. Formation waters in the Wilcox Group contain up to 1.6% modern carbon (A 14 C) to at least 1690 m depth; the covariance of δD values of co-produced H 2 O and CH 4 indicate that the microbial methane was generated in situ with these Late Pleistocene or younger waters. The most enriched carbon isotope values for dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and CO 2 , and highest alkalinities, were detected in Wilcox Group sandstone reservoirs that were CO 2 flooded in the 1980s for enhanced oil recovery, leading to the intriguing hypothesis that CO 2 sequestration may actually enhance methanogenesis in organic-rich formations.
Constraints on the development of Proterozoic basins in central India from 40 Ar/ 39 Ar analysis of authigenic glauconitic minerals
Ages of some key stratigraphic sequences in central Indian Proterozoic basins are based predominantly on lithostratigraphic relationships that have been constrained by only a few radioisotopic dates. To help improve age constraints, single grains of glauconitic minerals taken from sandstone and limestone in two Proterozoic sequences in the Pranhita-Godavari Valley and the Chattisgarh basin were analyzed by the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar incremental heating method. Analysis of the age spectra distinguishes between ages that are interpreted to reflect the time of glauconite formation, and anomalous ages that result from inherited argon or postcrystallization heating. The analyses indicate an age of 1686 ± 6 Ma for the Pandikunta Limestone and 1566 ± 6 Ma for the Ramgundam Sandstone, two units in the western belt of Proterozoic sequences in Pranhita-Godavari Valley. Glauconite from the Chanda Limestone, in the upper part of this sequence, contains inherited 40 Ar but is interpreted to reflect an age of ca. 1200 Ma. Glauconite from the Somanpalli Group in the eastern belt of the Pranhita-Godavari Valley gives an age of 1620 ± 6 Ma. In the Chattisgarh basin, glauconite from two units gives disturbed ages that suggest a period of regional heating in the Chattisgarh basin at ca. 960–1000 Ma. These new ages indicate that these sequences are 200–400 m.y. older than previously recognized, which has important implications for geochemical studies of Mesoproterozoic ocean redox conditions in addition to providing important constraints on regional tectonics and lithostratigraphy.
Slow slip phenomena in Cascadia from 2007 and beyond: a review
Recent technological advances combined with more detailed analyses of seismologic and geodetic observations have fundamentally changed our understanding of the ways in which tectonic stresses arising from plate motions are accommodated by slip on faults. The traditional view that relative plate motions are accommodated by a simple cycle of stress accumulation and release on “locked” plate-boundary faults has been revolutionized by the serendipitous discovery and recognition of the significance of slow-slip phenomena, mostly in the deeper reaches of subduction zones. The Cascadia subduction zone, located in the Pacific Northwest of the conterminous United States and adjacent Canada, is an archetype of exploration and learning about slow-slip phenomena. These phenomena are manifest as geodetically observed aseismic transient deformations accompanied by a previously unrecognized class of seismic signals. Although secondary failure processes may be involved in generating the seismic signals, the primary origins of both aseismic and seismic phenomena appear to be episodic fault slip, probably facilitated by fluids, on a plate interface that is critically stressed or weakened. In Cascadia, this transient slip evolves more slowly and over more prolonged durations relative to the slip in earthquakes, and it occurs between the 30- and 40-km-depth contours of the plate interface where information was previously elusive. Although there is some underlying organization that relaxes nearly all the accrued plate-motion stresses along the entirety of Cascadia, we now infer that slow slip evolves in complex patterns indicative of propagating stress fronts. Our new understanding provides key constraints not only on the region where the slow slip originates, but also on the probable characteristics of future megathrust earthquakes in Cascadia. Herein, we review the most significant scientific issues and progress related to understanding slow-slip phenomena in Cascadia and highlight some of their societal implications. We provide a comprehensive review, from the big picture as inferred from studies of regional-scale monitoring data to the details revealed by innovative, focused experiments and new instrumentation. We focus on what has been learned largely since 2007, when several major investments in monitoring and temporary deployments dramatically increased the quality and quantity of available data.
Erosion, storage, and transport of sediment in two subbasins of the Rio Puerco, New Mexico
Arroyos in the American Southwest proceed through cut-and-fill cycles that operate at centennial to millennial time scales. The geomorphic community has put much effort into understanding the causes of arroyo cutting in the late Quaternary and in the modern record (late 1800s), while little effort has gone into understanding how arroyos fill and the sources of this fill. Here, we successfully develop a geographic information system (GIS)-modeled sediment budget that is based on detailed field measurements of hillslope and channel erosion and deposition. Field measurements were made in two arroyo basins draining different lithologies and undergoing different land disturbance (Volcano Hill Wash, 9.30 km 2 ; Arroyo Chavez, 2.11 km 2 ) over a 3 yr period. Both basins have incised channels that formed in response to the late nineteenth-century incision of the Rio Puerco. Large volumes of sediment were generated during arroyo incision, equal to more than 100 yr of the current annual total sediment load (bed load + suspended load) in each basin. Downstream reaches in both arroyos are presently aggrading, and the main source of the sediment is from channel erosion in upstream reaches and first- and second-order tributaries. The sediment budget shows that channel erosion is the largest source of sediment in the current stage of the arroyo cycle: 98% and 80% of the sediment exported out of Volcano Hill Wash and Arroyo Chavez, respectively. The geomorphic surface most affected by arroyo incision and one of the most important sediment sources is the valley alluvium, where channel erosion, gullying, soil piping, and grazing all occur. Erosion rates calculated for the entire Volcano Hill Wash (-0.26 mm/yr) and Arroyo Chavez (-0.53 mm/yr) basins are higher than the modeled upland erosion rates in each basin, reflecting the large contributions from channel erosion. Erosion rates in each basin are affected by a combination of land disturbance (grazing) and lithology--erodible sandstones and shales in Arroyo Chavez compared with basalt for Volcano Hill Wash. Despite these differences, hillslope sediment yields are similar to long-term denudation rates. As the arroyo fills over time from mouth to headwaters, hillslope sediment becomes a more significant sediment source.
Owyhee River intracanyon lava flows: does the river give a dam?
Rivers carved into uplifted plateaus are commonly disrupted by discrete events from the surrounding landscape, such as lava flows or large mass movements. These disruptions are independent of slope, basin area, or channel discharge, and can dominate aspects of valley morphology and channel behavior for many kilometers. We document and assess the effects of one type of disruptive event, lava dams, on river valley morphology and incision rates at a variety of time scales, using examples from the Owyhee River in southeastern Oregon. Six sets of basaltic lava flows entered and dammed the river canyon during two periods in the late Cenozoic ca. 2 Ma–780 ka and 250–70 ka. The dams are strongly asymmetric, with steep, blunt escarpments facing up valley and long, low slopes down valley. None of the dams shows evidence of catastrophic failure; all blocked the river and diverted water over or around the dam crest. The net effect of the dams was therefore to inhibit rather than promote incision. Once incision resumed, most of the intracanyon flows were incised relatively rapidly and therefore did not exert a lasting impact on the river valley profile over time scales >10 6 yr. The net long-term incision rate from the time of the oldest documented lava dam, the Bogus Rim lava dam (≤1.7 Ma), to present was 0.18 mm/yr, but incision rates through or around individual lava dams were up to an order of magnitude greater. At least three lava dams (Bogus Rim, Saddle Butte, and West Crater) show evidence that incision initiated only after the impounded lakes filled completely with sediment and there was gravel transport across the dams. The most recent lava dam, formed by the West Crater lava flow around 70 ka, persisted for at least 25 k.y. before incision began, and the dam was largely removed within another 35 k.y. The time scale over which the lava dams inhibit incision is therefore directly affected by both the volume of lava forming the dam and the time required for sediment to fill the blocked valley. Variations in this primary process of incision through the lava dams could be influenced by additional independent factors such as regional uplift, drainage integration, or climate that affect the relative base level, discharge, and sediment yield within the watershed. By redirecting the river, tributaries, and subsequent lava flows to different parts of the canyon, lava dams create a distinct valley morphology of flat, broad basalt shelves capping steep cliffs of Tertiary sediment. This stratigraphy is conducive to landsliding and extends the effects of intracanyon lava flows on channel geomorphology beyond the lifetime of the dams.
Airborne LiDAR analysis and geochronology of faulted glacial moraines in the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone reveal substantial seismic hazards in the Lake Tahoe region, California-Nevada USA
We integrated high-resolution bare-earth airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imagery with field observations and modern geochronology to characterize the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone, which forms the neotectonic boundary between the Sierra Nevada and the Basin and Range Province west of Lake Tahoe. The LiDAR imagery clearly delineates active normal faults that have displaced late Pleistocene glacial moraines and Holocene alluvium along 30 km of linear, right-stepping range front of the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone. Herein, we illustrate and describe the tectonic geomorphology of faulted lateral moraines. We have developed new, three-dimensional modeling techniques that utilize the high-resolution LiDAR data to determine tectonic displacements of moraine crests and alluvium. The statistically robust displacement models combined with new ages of the displaced Tioga (20.8 ± 1.4 ka) and Tahoe (69.2 ± 4.8 ka; 73.2 ± 8.7 ka) moraines are used to estimate the minimum vertical separation rate at 17 sites along the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone. Near the northern end of the study area, the minimum vertical separation rate is 1.5 ± 0.4 mm/yr, which represents a two- to threefold increase in estimates of seismic moment for the Lake Tahoe basin. From this study, we conclude that potential earthquake moment magnitudes (M w ) range from 6.3 ± 0.25 to 6.9 ± 0.25. A close spatial association of landslides and active faults suggests that landslides have been seismically triggered. Our study underscores that the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone poses substantial seismic and landslide hazards.
Compaction and gas loss in welded pyroclastic deposits as revealed by porosity, permeability, and electrical conductivity measurements of the Shevlin Park Tuff
Pyroclastic flows produced by large volcanic eruptions commonly densify after emplacement. Processes of gas escape, compaction, and welding in pyroclastic-flow deposits are controlled by the physical and thermal properties of constituent material. Through measurements of matrix porosity, permeability, and electrical conductivity, we provide a framework for understanding the evolution of pore structure during these processes. Using data from the Shevlin Park Tuff in central Oregon, United States, and from the literature, we find that over a porosity range of 0%–70%, matrix permeability varies by almost 10 orders of magnitude (from 10 –20 to 10 –11 m 2 ), with over three orders of magnitude variation at any given porosity. Part of the variation at a given porosity is due to permeability anisotropy, where oriented core samples indicate higher permeabilities parallel to foliation (horizontally) than perpendicular to foliation (vertically). This suggests that pore space is flattened during compaction, creating anisotropic crack-like networks, a geometry that is supported by electrical conductivity measurements. We find that the power law equation: k 1 = 1.3 × 10 –21 × ϕ 5.2 provides the best approximation of dominant horizontal gas loss, where k 1 = permeability, and ϕ = porosity. Application of Kozeny-Carman fluid-flow approximations suggests that permeability in the Shevlin Park Tuff is controlled by crack- or disk-like pore apertures with minimum widths of 0.3 and 7.5 μm. We find that matrix permeability limits compaction over short times, but deformation is then controlled by competition among cooling, compaction, water resorption, and permeable gas escape. These competing processes control the potential for development of overpressure (and secondary explosions) and the degree of welding in the deposit, processes that are applicable to viscous densification of volcanic deposits in general. Further, the general relationships among porosity, permeability, and pore geometry are relevant for flow of any fluid through an ignimbritic host.