Patterns and rates of 103–105 yr denudation in carbonate terrains under subhumid to subalpine climatic gradient, Mount Hermon, Israel

Abstract

Research Article| December 12, 2018 Patterns and rates of 103–105 yr denudation in carbonate terrains under subhumid to subalpine climatic gradient, Mount Hermon, Israel S. Avni; S. Avni † 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel †[e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar N. Joseph-Hai; N. Joseph-Hai 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar I. Haviv; I. Haviv 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. Matmon; A. Matmon 2The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, Admond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L. Benedetti; L. Benedetti 3Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)–Collège de France, UM 34 Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Technopôle de l'Arbois, BP80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar ASTER Team ASTER Team 4Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Technopôle de l'Arbois, BP80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information S. Avni † 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel N. Joseph-Hai 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel I. Haviv 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel A. Matmon 2The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, Admond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel L. Benedetti 3Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)–Collège de France, UM 34 Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Technopôle de l'Arbois, BP80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France ASTER Team 4Centre de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Géosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE), Technopôle de l'Arbois, BP80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, France †[e-mail] Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 20 Nov 2017 Revision Received: 25 Jun 2018 Accepted: 25 Aug 2018 First Online: 12 Dec 2018 Online Issn: 1943-2674 Print Issn: 0016-7606 © 2018 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2019) 131 (5-6): 899–912. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31973.1 Article history Received: 20 Nov 2017 Revision Received: 25 Jun 2018 Accepted: 25 Aug 2018 First Online: 12 Dec 2018 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation S. Avni, N. Joseph-Hai, I. Haviv, A. Matmon, L. Benedetti, ASTER Team; Patterns and rates of 103–105 yr denudation in carbonate terrains under subhumid to subalpine climatic gradient, Mount Hermon, Israel. GSA Bulletin 2018;; 131 (5-6): 899–912. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B31973.1 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 SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Despite the worldwide ubiquity of carbonate terrains, quantification and understanding of rates and patterns of carbonate erosion are still lacking. Carbonate landscapes are prone to chemical weathering (dissolution) and should therefore be strongly influenced by climatic variables such as precipitation. However, isolating the impact of these variables is difficult, as denudation rates are also influenced by tectonic processes and lithology. This study focused on deciphering 103–105 yr denudation patterns across Mount Hermon, Israel, exploiting its climatic gradient (1500–600 mm/yr) and homogeneous lithology (Jurassic limestone). The concentrations of in situ cosmogenic 36Cl in bedrock and sediment samples were utilized to characterize the spatial distribution of denudation and examine its potential drivers. Our results indicate differential denudation rates of Mount Hermon hilltops. The subalpine region (1700–2200 m, ∼1300–1500 mm yr–1, mean annual temperature of 7 °C) yielded an average hilltop denudation rate of 19 ± 5 mm k.y.–1 (n = 5), while hilltops at intermediate altitudes (1000–1600 m, ∼900–1200 mm yr–1) seem to erode faster at 42 ± 8 mm k.y.–1 (n = 7). In addition, soil cover seems to enhance denudation rates relative to bare bedrock conditions. This highlights a major difference between carbonates and silicates, where numerous silicates data sets suggest an exponential decrease in bedrock weathering and soil production as the soil thickness increases. Our new 36Cl results, in conjunction with previously measured average hilltop lowering rates within the subhumid Mediterranean climate across the Judean mountain range (500–600 mm yr–1, 19 ± 7 mm k.y.–1), suggest that optimum conditions for carbonate denudation and chemical weathering occur below the tree line, where soil is abundant, pCO2 is higher, and snow cover is scarce. This observation has intriguing implications in terms of long-term landscape evolution—an increase in the elevation of a mountain range above the tree line may provide negative feedback, which will decrease its hilltop erosion rate. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.