University of New Mexico
Deep-seated bedrock landsliding in Grand Canyon's Surprise Valley area
Abstract
dc:description.abstractThe effects of large-scale landsliding on the continental-scale Colorado River system in Grand Canyon remain poorly understood. This paper describes deep-seated bedrock landslides in the Surprise Valley area by combining detailed mapping, volume-balanced cross-sections, strath terrace heights, and cosmogenic burial dating of river deposits buried by landslides. Mapping shows failures involving ~1000 m Paleozoic section localized within basal shale detachments, dammed and diverted the Colorado River and local tributaries, and forced the creation of epigenetic gorges. Restored cross-sections show pre-existing paleotopography in Surprise Valley possibly created by an older, through-flowing Colorado River. Two individual landslide segments dated to ~1 Ma with large errors via cosmogenic burial age dating. Detachment height, long-term bedrock incision rates, and structural relationships suggest major failures events occurred at 3 Ma, 1 Ma, <<1 Ma. Paleotopography, groundwater, and bedrock incision likely drove landsliding rather than lava-dammed lakes downstream based on geochronology.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Level thesis:degree_level
- Masters
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Year
- 2015
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Robertson, Jesse
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Karlstrom, Karl
- Huntoon, Peter
- Crossey, Laura
- Schmandt, Brandon
Subjects
dc:subject × 4Rights
- Language dc:language
- English
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:digitalrepository.unm.edu:eps_etds-1071