TectonicGeomorphologyFigures

CHAPTER1:IntroductiontoTectonicGeomorphology

Holocene
full
interglac ial

full
glac ial
104

one climate cycle

full
interglac ial

full
glac ial
105

a million years
full
interglac ial

full
glac ial
0

106

years before pres ent

Figure 1.1: Schematic illustration of climate change scaled at

orders of magnitude (Holocene, one glacial cycle, middle-late
Pleistocene).

Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.

uplift

youth

old age

maturity

rock-uplift rate: s hort-lived, cons tant

maximum
relief

waxing

altitude of
highest divides
altitude of main
valley floors

Davis

waning
rock-uplift rate: variable

altitude of
highest divides
altitude of main
valley floors

Penck

dynamic equilibrium
rock-uplift rate: long-lived, cons tant
altitude of
highest divides
altitude of main
valley floors

Hack

time
Figure 1.2: Classical models of tectonic forcing and landscape
responses after the theories of Davis (top), Penck (middle),
and Hack (bottom).
Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.

hillslopes
interfluves

channel network
drainage divide
(catchment boundary)
Figure 1.3: Geomorphic elements of a drainage basin.
Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.

impulsive
1.0

0.5

0.0

tectonic
flux
lag
sediment
flux
01

02

03

04

time (Myr)

05

varying
waxing
tectonic
flux

1.0

0.5

waning
sediment
flux
lag

0.0
01

02

03

04

05

time (Myr)

sustained

lag

1.0

0.5

0.0

sediment
flux

tectonic
flux
01

02

03

04

05

time (Myr)

Figure 1.4: Schematic output of a process-response model in

the duration and magniture of rock uplift (the vertical tectonic
flux) is compared with the erosional sediment flux from the
uplifted mountains.
Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.

original height
of "summits"

ice cube

eroded mass

new mean height

new mean height

initial conditions,
no relief

change in summit
height

change in mean
height

before isostatic
compensation,
increased relief

after isostatic
compensation,
increased relief

12
water

change in
depth of base

Figure 1.5: Isostatic uplift of mountain summits as exemplified

by an ice cube.
Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.

characteristic earthquakes
repeated magnitude
of offset at any location

earthquake 3
earthquake 2
earthquake 1

trace of the fault

random earthquakes
variable magnitude
of offset at any location

earthquake 4

earthquake 3
earthearth- quake 5
quake 2
earthquake 1

trace of the fault

Figure 1.6: Schematic illustration of characteristic earthquake
displacement versus unpredictable, random displacement.
Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.

non-steady state: changing relief

mean elevation

high-frequency,
low-amplitude
relief

plateau

i.

low-frequency,
high-amplitude
relief

non-steady state: changing

mean elevation
topographic
relief

ii.

increasing relief,
increasing mean
elevation,
constant local
base level

iii.

mean elevation
reference
s urface
constant relief,
increasing mean
elevation,
increasing local
base level

steady state topography

constant relief, constant mean elevation, constant

local base level

Figure 1.7: Non-steady-state topography can have constant

mean elevation, but changing topographic relief (top), or
constant relief, but changing mean elevation (middle).

Copyright 2001 Douglas Burbank and Robert Anderson. This fi gure may be downloaded and used for
teaching purposes only. It may not be reproduced in any publication, commercial or scientifi c, without
permission from the publishers, Blackwell Publishing, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK.