The interactions of climate, tectonics, and topography in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State: the influence of erosion on tectonic steady-state and the synthesis of the alpine glacial history
Hellwig JL. 2010. The interactions of climate, tectonics, and topography in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State: the influence of erosion on tectonic steady-state and the synthesis of the alpine glacial history
The sliding based glacial erosion model was used to explain uplift patterns in 3 separate river valleys on the Olympic Peninsula. From the Abstract: "The interaction of climate, tectonics, and topography in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State is explored to determine the influence of glaciers on spatially variable erosion and rock uplift rates. As glaciers have long been present on the peninsula, could glacial erosion explain the observed pattern of rock uplife? A numerical model of glacial flow, ICE Cascade, is used to reconstruct the glacial extent of the Last Glacial Maximum for the first time. Modelel ice extent best matches observations when summer temperatures range from 7.0-8.0 degreesC and precipitation is reduced to 0.4-0.8 times the modern. These values are consistent with paleoclimate records. Simulated glacial erosion based on a sliding law varies with observed trends in rock uplift rates across the peninsula. If erosion rates are assumed to equal rock uplift rates, as suggested by evidence of tectonic steady state in the region, a glacial erosion constant on the order of 10[-5] is indicated based on modeled sliding rates in three valleys on the western side of the range."
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Hellwig, Jessica
- Date of Issue
- 2010
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- Climate, Erosion, Geology, Glacial History, mountain topography, Tectonics, thesis