Colorado River chronostratigraphy at Lee's Ferry, Arizona, and the Colorado Plateau bull's-eye of incision

Abstract

Research Article| April 01, 2013 Colorado River chronostratigraphy at Lee's Ferry, Arizona, and the Colorado Plateau bull's-eye of incision Joel L. Pederson; Joel L. Pederson 1Department of Geology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar W. Scott Cragun; W. Scott Cragun 1Department of Geology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alan J. Hidy; Alan J. Hidy 1Department of Geology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA2Earth Sciences Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Tammy M. Rittenour; Tammy M. Rittenour 1Department of Geology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John C. Gosse John C. Gosse 2Earth Sciences Department, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2013) 41 (4): 427–430. https://doi.org/10.1130/G34051.1 Article history received: 20 Sep 2012 rev-recd: 18 Oct 2012 accepted: 22 Oct 2012 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Joel L. Pederson, W. Scott Cragun, Alan J. Hidy, Tammy M. Rittenour, John C. Gosse; Colorado River chronostratigraphy at Lee's Ferry, Arizona, and the Colorado Plateau bull's-eye of incision. Geology 2013;; 41 (4): 427–430. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G34051.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Lee's Ferry (Arizona, United States) lies at an important geologic transition between the Grand Canyon margin and the Canyonlands center of the Colorado Plateau. It marks a knickpoint along the Colorado River at the top of the steep Grand Canyon, and it is central to debate about the patterns of erosion and sources of uplift in this famous landscape. New chronostratigraphic data from the suite of fill terraces here indicate a strong fluvial response to climate drivers superimposed upon an integrated mid-to-late Pleistocene incision rate of ∼350 m/m.y. A regional compilation of well-constrained results over the same timescale reveals that this is intermediate between slower rates downstream in Grand Canyon and even faster rates in the central Colorado Plateau, which taper off again farther upstream near the plateau's eastern edge. This bull's-eye pattern of rapid incision in the central Colorado Plateau does not match proposed sources of uplift from mantle dynamics at the south and west flank of the plateau, nor patterns of river steepness and energy. Instead we suggest that this incision pattern is primarily driven by transient response to drainage integration and isostatic feedback from the deep exhumation of weak rocks in the central plateau. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.