Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples
Abstract Incised valleys that develop due to relative sea‐level change are common features of continental shelves and coastal plains. Assessment of the factors that control the geometry of incised‐valley fills has hitherto largely relied on conceptual, experimental or numerical models, else has been...
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crwiley:10.1111/sed.12596 2024-04-28T08:36:07+00:00 Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples Wang, Ru Colombera, Luca Mountney, Nigel P. Veiga, Gonzalo China Scholarship Council Natural Environment Research Council 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sed.12596 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fsed.12596 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sed.12596 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/sed.12596 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Sedimentology volume 66, issue 6, page 2134-2168 ISSN 0037-0746 1365-3091 Stratigraphy Geology General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science journal-article 2019 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12596 2024-04-08T06:49:34Z Abstract Incised valleys that develop due to relative sea‐level change are common features of continental shelves and coastal plains. Assessment of the factors that control the geometry of incised‐valley fills has hitherto largely relied on conceptual, experimental or numerical models, else has been grounded on case studies of individual depositional systems. Here, a database‐driven statistical analysis of 151 late‐Quaternary incised‐valley fills has been performed, the aim being to investigate the geological controls on their geometry. Results of this analysis have been interpreted with consideration of the role of different processes in determining the geometry of incised‐valley fills through their effect on the degree and rate of river incision, and on river size and mobility. The studied incised‐valley fills developed along active margins are thicker and wider, on average, than those along passive margins, suggesting that tectonic setting exerts a control on the geometry of incised‐valley fills, probably through effects on relative sea‐level change and river behaviour, and in relation to distinct characteristics of basin physiography, water discharge and modes of sediment delivery. Valley‐fill geometry is positively correlated with the associated drainage‐basin size, confirming the dominant role of water discharge. Climate is also inferred to exert a potential control on valley‐fill dimensions, possibly through modulations of temperature, peak precipitation, vegetation and permafrost, which would in turn affect water discharge, rates of sediment supply and valley‐margin stability. Shelves with slope breaks that are currently deeper than 120 m contain incised‐valley fills that are thicker and wider, on average, than those hosted on shelves with breaks shallower than 120 m. No correlation exists between valley‐fill thickness and present‐day coastal‐prism convexity, which is measured as the difference in gradient between lower coastal plains and inner shelves. These findings challenge some concepts embedded in ... Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost Wiley Online Library Sedimentology 66 6 2134 2168 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
topic |
Stratigraphy Geology General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science |
spellingShingle |
Stratigraphy Geology General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science Wang, Ru Colombera, Luca Mountney, Nigel P. Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples |
topic_facet |
Stratigraphy Geology General Earth and Planetary Sciences General Environmental Science |
description |
Abstract Incised valleys that develop due to relative sea‐level change are common features of continental shelves and coastal plains. Assessment of the factors that control the geometry of incised‐valley fills has hitherto largely relied on conceptual, experimental or numerical models, else has been grounded on case studies of individual depositional systems. Here, a database‐driven statistical analysis of 151 late‐Quaternary incised‐valley fills has been performed, the aim being to investigate the geological controls on their geometry. Results of this analysis have been interpreted with consideration of the role of different processes in determining the geometry of incised‐valley fills through their effect on the degree and rate of river incision, and on river size and mobility. The studied incised‐valley fills developed along active margins are thicker and wider, on average, than those along passive margins, suggesting that tectonic setting exerts a control on the geometry of incised‐valley fills, probably through effects on relative sea‐level change and river behaviour, and in relation to distinct characteristics of basin physiography, water discharge and modes of sediment delivery. Valley‐fill geometry is positively correlated with the associated drainage‐basin size, confirming the dominant role of water discharge. Climate is also inferred to exert a potential control on valley‐fill dimensions, possibly through modulations of temperature, peak precipitation, vegetation and permafrost, which would in turn affect water discharge, rates of sediment supply and valley‐margin stability. Shelves with slope breaks that are currently deeper than 120 m contain incised‐valley fills that are thicker and wider, on average, than those hosted on shelves with breaks shallower than 120 m. No correlation exists between valley‐fill thickness and present‐day coastal‐prism convexity, which is measured as the difference in gradient between lower coastal plains and inner shelves. These findings challenge some concepts embedded in ... |
author2 |
Veiga, Gonzalo China Scholarship Council Natural Environment Research Council |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wang, Ru Colombera, Luca Mountney, Nigel P. |
author_facet |
Wang, Ru Colombera, Luca Mountney, Nigel P. |
author_sort |
Wang, Ru |
title |
Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples |
title_short |
Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples |
title_full |
Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples |
title_fullStr |
Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples |
title_full_unstemmed |
Geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: Insights from a global dataset of late‐Quaternary examples |
title_sort |
geological controls on the geometry of incised‐valley fills: insights from a global dataset of late‐quaternary examples |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sed.12596 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fsed.12596 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sed.12596 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/sed.12596 |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_source |
Sedimentology volume 66, issue 6, page 2134-2168 ISSN 0037-0746 1365-3091 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12596 |
container_title |
Sedimentology |
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66 |
container_issue |
6 |
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2134 |
op_container_end_page |
2168 |
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1797567987743457280 |