Charwell Basin is a 6 km-wide structural depression situated at the boundary between the axial ranges and faulted and folded Marlborough Fault Zone of north-eastern South Island, New Zealand. The basin contains the piedmont reach of the Charwell River, and a series of late Quaternary loess-mantled alluvial terraces and terrace remnants that have been uplifted and translocated from their sediment source due to strike-slip motion along the Hope Fault which bounds the basin to its immediate north. The aim of this study was to provide an interdisciplinary, integrated and holistic analysis of late Quaternary landscape evolution and environmental change in Charwell Basin using terrain analysis, loess stratigraphy, soil chemistry and paleoecological data. The study contributes new understanding of New Zealand landscape and ecosystem responses to regional and global climatic change extending to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6, and shows that climatically-forced shifts in biogeomorphic processes play a significant role in lowland landscape evolution. Morphometric analysis of alluvial terraces and terrace remnants of increasing age demonstrated geomorphic evolution through time, with a decrease in extent of original planar terrace tread morphology and an increase in frequency of steeper slopes and convexo-concave land elements. Paleotopographic analysis of a &gt150 ka terrace mantled by up to three loess sheets revealed multiple episodes of alluvial aggradation and degradation and, subsequent to river abandonment, gully incision prior to and coeval with loess accumulation. Spatial heterogeneity in loess sheet preservation showed a complex history of loess accumulation and erosion. A critical profile curvature range of -0.005 to -0.014 (d2z/dx2, m-1) for loess erosion derived from a model parameterised in different ways successfully predicted loess occurrence on adjacent slope elements, but incorrectly predicted loess occurrence on an older terrace remnant from which all loess has been eroded. Future analyses incorporating planform curvature, regolith erosivity and other landform parameters may improve identification of thresholds controlling loess occurrence in Charwell Basin and in other South Island landscapes. A loess chronostratigraphic framework was developed for, and pedogenic phases identified in, the three loess sheets mantling the &gt150 ka terrace. Except for one age, infrared-stimulated luminescence dates from both an upbuilding interfluve loess exposure and colluvial gully infill underestimated loess age with respect to the widespread Kawakawa/Oruanui Tephra (KOT; 27,097 ± 957 cal. yr BP), highlighting the need for improvements in the methodology. Onset of loess sheet 1 accumulation started at ca. 50 ka, with a break at ca. 27 ka corresponding to the extended Last Glacial Maximum (eLGM) interstadial identified elsewhere in New Zealand. Loess accumulation through MIS 3 indicates a regional loess flux, and that glaciation was not a necessary condition for loess generation in South Island. Loess accumulation and local alluvial aggradation are decoupled: the youngest aggradation event only covers ~12 kyr of the period of loess sheet 1 accumulation. Older local aggradation episodes could not be the source because their associated terraces are mantled by loess sheet 1. In the absence of numerical ages, the timing of L2 and L3 accumulation is inferred on the basis of an offshore clastic sediment record. The upbuilding phase of loess sheet 2 occurred in late MIS 5a/MIS 4, and loess sheet 3 accumulated in two phases in MIS 5b and late MIS 6. Biogenic silica data were used to reconstruct broad shifts in vegetation and changes in gully soil saturation status. During interglacial/interstadial periods (MIS 1, early MIS 3, MIS 5) Nothofagus¬-dominated forest covered the area in association with Microlaena spp grasses. Lowering of treeline altitude during glacial/stadial periods (MIS 2, MIS 3, MIS 5b, late MIS 6) led to reduction in forest cover and a mosaic of shrubs and Chionochloa spp, Festuca spp and Poa spp tussock grasses. Comparison of interfluve and gully records showed spatial heterogeneity in vegetation cover possibly related to environmental gradients of exposure or soil moisture. A post-KOT peak in gully tree phytoliths corresponds to the eLGM interstadial, and a shift to grass-dominated vegetation occurred during the LGM sensu stricto. Diatoms indicated the site became considerably wetter from ca. 36 ka, with peak wetness at ca. 30, 25 and 21 ka, possibly due to reduced evapotranspiration and/or increased precipitation from a combination of strengthened westerly winds and increased cloudiness, or strengthened southerly flow and increased precipitation. Human influence after ca. 750 yr BP led to re-establishment of grassland in the area, which deposited phytoliths mixed to 30 cm depth in the soil. A coupled gully colluvial infilling/vegetation record showed that sediment flux during the late Pleistocene was ~0.0019 m3 m-1 yr-1 under a shrubland/grassland mosaic, and Holocene sediment flux was ~0.0034 m3 m-1 yr-1 under forest. This increase of 60% through the last glacial-interglacial transition resulted from increased bioturbation and down-slope soil transport via root growth and treethrow, which formed a biomantle as evidenced by slope redistribution of the KOT. These results contrast with sediment transport rates and processes hypothesised to occur contemporaneously in adjacent mountain catchments. This suggests that intraregional biogeomorphic processes can differ significantly depending on topography and geological substrate, with different landscapes responding in unique ways to the same climate shifts. Analysis of Quaternary terrestrial landscape evolution in non-glaciated mountainous and lowland areas must therefore consider spatial and temporal heterogeneity in sediment fluxes and underlying transport processes.

Un total de cinq séquences a été étudié sur le Mont Lozère afin de reconstruire la dynamique paysagère et les usages du sol sur la longue durée. L’approche multiproxy utilisé a permis de déterminer les principaux rythmes d’anthropisation et de déterminer son caractère régional et/ou local. Ce travail mené à haute résolution spatiale, chronologique et analytique a permis d’intégrer les résultats avec les données obtenus dans le cadre du PCR-Mont Lozère, afin de caractériser les modes d’occupation de la montagne qui ont modelé ce paysage culturel depuis le Néolithique jusqu’à nos jours. Une longue histoire des interactions socio-environnementales a été mise en évidence au Mont Lozère, avec une première phase à caractère agropastoral dès le Néolithique ancien, vers ca. 4550-4400 cal BC. Le Néolithique final est une période clé caractérisée par un important impact agropastoral fondé sur l’utilisation du feu pour l’ouverture de clairières. Pendant l’Âge du Fer, un déboisement marqué dans les espaces d’altitude et de piedmont coïncide avec un développement des activités agropastorales et métallurgiques. Le Haut Moyen Âge se caractérise par l’amplification des déforestations, contemporaines d’un essor des activités agropastorales. Durant le Moyen Âge Central, un système diversifié d’exploitation des ressources naturelles inclue de la métallurgie, l’agriculture, le pastoralisme, l’extraction minière et le charbonnage. Le développement agropastoral du Bas Moyen Âge aboutit à une déforestation marquée du massif qui s’étend jusqu’à la moitié du 19ème siècle, quand commencent la déprise agropastorale et les reboisements au Mont Lozère. L’histoire de la nardaie qui caractérise les espaces sommitaux suit ces phases majeures de l’anthropisation et dévoile le rôle clé qu’a joué l’agropastoralisme dans la genèse et l’évolution de ce paysage culturel de moyenne montagne. / Five sedimentary sequences have been studied in the Mont Lozère with the aim to reconstruct the landscape dynamics and the land-use through the longue durée. The use of a multi-proxy analysis has allowed us both to identify distinct rhythms of human-induced landscape shift and to establish the local/regional extent of these changes. The use of high spatial, chronological and analytical resolution has enabled a correct integration of the results of this research with those supplied by the PCR-Mont Lozère project. As a result, a series of land-uses in a mountain environment from the Neolithic to present time has been proposed. A long history of socio-environmental interactions in Mont-Lozère is evidenced. A first shepherding phase in Early Neolithic (4550-4400 cal BC) has been evidenced. During Late Neolithic pastoral practices and related slash-and-burn strategies attain its highest activity. In the Iron Age Period a noticeable deforestation of both foothills and higher environments takes place as a consequence of the overall increase farming and metallurgical activities. Forest clearances increase even more during High-Medieval times, at the same time that farming activities reinforce. During the Middle Ages a more complex and diversified land-use system, including farming, metallurgy, mining and charcoal production, is recorded. The development of farming activities in the Late Medieval resulted in a more evident forest clearance of the Massif. This area remained unchanged until the 19th century, when the decay of agriculture and shepherding occurs and forest replanting in Mont Lozère is recorded. The history of highland herb communities of Nardus stricta correctly matches the main phases of land-use and underlines the key-role of farming in the genesis and evolution of this cultural landscape. / Se han estudiado cinco secuencias sedimentarias en el Mont Lozère con el objetivo de reconstruir la dinámica paisajística y los usos del suelo en la longue durée. La utilización de un análisis multiproxy ha permitido determinar los principales ritmos de antropización y establecer su carácter regional y/o local. La alta resolución espacial, cronológica y analítica hapermitido la integración de resultados con aquellos obtenidos en el marco del PCR-Mont Lozère y proponer los usos de la montaña que han modelado el paisaje cultural desde el Neolítico hasta la actualidad. Se ha evidenciado una larga historia de las interacciones socioambientales en el Mont Lozère, con una primera fase de carácter agropastoral en el Neolítico Antiguo, en ca. 4550-4400 cal BC. El Neolítico Final es una fase de marcado impacto agropastoral en la que se generalizan las quemas para abrir claros en el bosque. En la Edad del Hierro se inicia una marcada deforestación en el piedemonte y los espacios de altitud, coincidiendo con un desarrollo agropastoral y metalúrgico. En el periodo altomedieval se amplifican las deforestaciones coincidiendo con un marcado incremento de las actividades agropastorales. En la Plena Edad Media se evidencia un sistema diversificado que implica metalurgia, agricultura, pastoreo, minería y carboneo. El desarrollo agropastoral de la Baja Edad Media supone una marcada deforestación en el macizo que se extiende hasta mitad del s. XIX, momento en que se inicia el declive del agropastoralismo y empiezan las reforestaciones en el Mont Lozère. La historia de las formaciones herbosas con Nardus stricta de los espacios somitales sigue estas principales fases de antropización y revela el papel clave del agropastoralismo en la génesis y evolución de este paisaje cultural.

L'évolution topographique des chaînes de montagne résulte d'interactions complexes entre la tectonique et le climat via l'action des processus de surface. La quantification de l'évolution du relief passe par le développement d'outils méthodologiques permettant d'identifier les processus mis en jeu pour des échelles de temps (103-106 années) et d'espace (1-100 km) caractéristiques de contextes orogéniques. Dans cette étude, l'évolution Néogène et Quaternaire du relief des Alpes Européennes est abordée à partir d'une approche couplant la thermochronométrie basse-température in-situ (essentiellement (U-Th-Sm)/He et 4He/3He sur apatite) et la modélisation numérique. Le développement d'une méthode numérique associant la modélisation thermo-cinématique (Pecube) à un algorithme d'inversion (Neighbourhood Algorithm) permet l'interprétation quantitative de données thermochronologiques en termes d'histoires d'exhumation et d'évolution du relief. La quantification de l'évolution du relief reste néanmoins problématique et fortement dépendante du contexte géomorphologique étudié. Cette étude implique la nécessité de repenser a priori la stratégie d'échantillonnage et d'interprétation des données suivant le contexte géomorphologique considéré et le signal d'exhumation que l'on cherche à quantifier via la thermochronologie. Enfin, l'application de cette approche à un jeu de données thermochronologiques échantillonnées dans le massif des Ecrins-Pelvoux (Alpes françaises) révèle l'existence d'un épisode d'exhumation rapide cessant autour de ~5-6 Ma, encadré par des taux d'exhumation plus modérés. Cependant, les données ne permettent pas de conclure quant à l'évolution tardi-Néogène du relief dans le massif des Ecrins-Pelvoux. L'application de la thermochronométrie 4He/3He dans la vallée du Rhône (Alpes suisses), couplée à des données thermochronologiques issues de la littérature, confirme un épisode d'exhumation rapide jusqu'à ~5-7 Ma, et révèle une augmentation majeure du relief local (~1-1.5 km) associée au creusement des vallées par d'importants appareils glaciaires. Le début de cette phase de creusement correspond à la transition climatique Mi-Pléistocène (~1 Ma) depuis des cycles glaciaires symétriques de 40 ka vers des cycles asymétriques (100 ka) de plus forte amplitude. Ces données permettent également de reconstruire la topographie pré-glaciaire du bassin versant du Rhône, et ainsi d'évaluer, à une échelle plus globale, l'impact des glaciations Pléistocènes sur l'évolution du relief. Des résultats préliminaires issus de la modélisation numérique des processus glaciaires mettent en évidence le potentiel d'une telle approche afin de tester quantitativement l'influence de la transition climatique Mi-Pléistocène sur le développement du relief alpin, ouvrant de nouvelles perspectives de recherche. Enfin, l'étude de l'évolution topographique post-glaciaire dans le massif des Ecrins-Pelvoux (modélisation numérique et utilisation du 10Be cosmogénique produit in-situ) met en évidence une dynamique d'érosion fluviale pouvant atteindre localement des vitesses de l'ordre du cm an-1, illustrant l'évolution géomorphologique rapide en réponse à la transition climatique entre le tardi-Pléistocène et l'Holocène. / The topographic evolution of mountain belts results from complex couplings between tectonics, climate and surface processes. Quantifying landscape evolution requires methodological tools to constrain forcing processes over temporal (103-106 years) and spatial (1-100 km) scales characteristic of orogenic systems. This thesis investigates the Neogene and Quaternary relief evolution of the European Alps using in situ low-temperature thermochronometry (mostly apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He and 4He/3He) and numerical modeling. A novel numerical approach combining thermal-kinematic modeling (Pecube) with an inversion scheme (Neighbourhood Algorithm) allows extracting quantitative information on exhumation and relief histories from thermochronological datasets. Quantifying relief evolution remains problematic, however, and strongly depends on the geomorphic setting. Our results show that both thermochronology data sampling and modeling strategies have to be considered a priori, in function of the geomorphic setting and the spatial/temporal scale of the exhumation signal to be constrained. This approach has been applied on a thermochronological dataset collected in the Ecrins-Pelvoux massif (French Alps). The results show a pulse of rapid exhumation until ~5-6 Ma, preceded and followed by more moderate rates of exhumation. However, the data cannot resolve the late-Neogene relief evolution in the Ecrins-Pelvoux massif. New 4He/3He thermochronometry data from the Rhône valley (Swiss Alps), combined with thermochronological data from the literature, also point out an episode of rapid exhumation until ~5-7 Ma, and reveal a major increase in local topographic relief (~1-1.5 km) linked to valley carving by large mountain glaciers. The onset of this phase of relief carving corresponds to the Mid-Pleistocene transition from symmetric 40-ka to asymmetric and high amplitude 100-ka glacial/interglacial oscillations. The new data also permit to reconstruct the pre-glacial topography of the Rhône basin, and to evaluate the net effect of Pleistocene glaciations on relief evolution at the basin scale. Preliminary results from numerical modeling of glacial dynamics highlight the potential opportunity of using such an approach to quantitatively assess the impact of the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition on Alpine relief development, leading to new research avenues. Finally, the post-glacial topographic evolution of the Ecrins-Pelvoux massif has been studied using numerical modeling and in situ cosmogenic 10Be analyses. The results suggest efficient fluvial incision at rates of cm yr-1, illustrating the efficient landscape response to late-Pleistocene/Holocene climate change.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-10-10Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:04:03Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ribeiro_mcs_dr_rcla.pdf: 2488984 bytes, checksum: 03d50e477260abf1ff5efba31498aa81 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados obtidos por meio de análises geomorfológicas (Mapa de Níveis de Paleosuperfícies) e termocronológicos (traços de fissão em apatitas e U-Th/He em apatitas) ao longo da Serra do Mar nos setores (1), (2), (3) e (4). As correlações entre as analises geomorfológicas e termocronológicas evidenciaram uma geológica e geomorfológica compreendida entre o Cretáceo Superior e Paleoceno, demonstrando que a evolução das morfologias que compõem a área de estudo estiveram associadas a eventos tectônicos e sucedidos por uma intensa atividade erosiva. De acordo com as datações realizadas utilizando termocronômetros com temperatura de fechamento distintas, estes indicaram que as configurações dos relevos que compõem a Serra do Mar não podem ser associadas apenas aos efeitos das atividades erosivas (recuo de escarpa) e isostáticas, para poderem explicar a homogeneidade entre as idades de traços de fissão e (U-Th)/He em apatitas, sem a presença da atuação tectônica soerguendo e desnivelando parte destes relevos. / In this paper the results obtained geomorphological analysis (Map of levels of Palaeosurfaces) and thermochronogical analysis (apatite fission-track and UTh/ He). The correlation between the geomorphologica and the thermochronological analysis evidenced a geological and geomorphological evolution from the Upper Cretaceous to the Palaeocene, showing that the evolution of the morpholoies composing the study area were associated to tectonics events and preceded by intense erosive activity. According to the datings done using thermocronometers with distinct closing temperatures the configuration of the relieves that compose the Serra do Mar can not be associated only to the effects of the erosive (escarpment retreate) and isostatic activities but also to the tectonic motion uplifting and unlevelling part such morphologies, in order to explain the homogeneity between the ages of the fission-track and U-Th/He of apatites.

Les reliefs résultent d'une interaction entre de nombreux processus qui mettent en jeu des couplages complexes : climat, tectonique, érosion, impact anthropique, etc. Dans les paysages dominés par l'érosion fluviatile, la morphologie du relief est étroitement liée à la structure du réseau hydrographique. Ce dernier joue un rôle important dans les couplages entre les processus de surface (processus fluviaux et processus de versants). De nombreuses évidences de captures entre rivières provoquant des réorganisations du réseau hydrographique suggèrent que le réseau de drainage évolue, et il est loin d'être fixe comme le suggèrent certains modèles numériques d'évolution du paysage. Néanmoins, les travaux s'intéressant aux causes et aux mécanismes de ces réorganisations sont peu nombreux, et essentiellement qualitatifs. L'objectif de cette thèse a été de quantifier et de modéliser la réorganisation des réseaux hydrographiques par mécanisme de capture par rivières pirates dans le cadre d'un enfoncement relatif entre deux bassins, où l'avancement (par érosion régressive) de la tête de vallée de la rivière pirate provoque le détournement d'une rivière qui coule à proximité. Le comportement des Modèles numériques d'Evolution des Paysages (MEP) et plus particulièrement l'influence des paramètres de contrôle, ont été étudiés. L'expérimentation a été réalisée avec le logiciel GOLEM qui a été adapté aux besoins. L'étude s'est principalement portée sur le cas de l'évolution du réseau hydrographique de la partie française de la Meuse, qui a connue de nombreuses captures par le passé (capture de la Haute-Moselle par la Meurthe, capture de l'Aire par l'Aisne) et dont les caractéristiques actuelles sont favorables à de nouvelles captures (le lit de la Meuse se trouve perché à plus de 50m au dessus des vallées qui l'entourent (le lit de la Meuse se trouve perché à plus de 50m au dessus des vallées qui l'entourent : la Marne à l'ouest et la Moselle à l'est). / Landforms result from interaction between several processes, involving complex coupling: climate, tectonics, erosion, human impact, etc. In landscapes dominated by fluvial erosion, terrain morphology is closely related to the hydrographic network system. Because the latter plays an important role in the surface processes coupling (fluvial processes and hillslope processes). Many evidences of stream piracies causing reorganization of hydrographic network suggest that the drainage system is changing, and it is far from being fixe as propose some numerical landscape evolution models. Nevertheless, works focusing on causes and mechanisms of these reorganizations are very few and they are largely qualitative. The aim of this thesis is to quantify and describe the reorganization of hydrographic networks provoked by headward piracy mechanism in the case of relative lowering between two basins, where the riverhead progress by headward erosion causing the diversion of a river flowing nearby. The problem is tackled with a numerical modeling approach. We emphasis on the evolution of the hydrographic networks of the French part of the Meuse basin, where several piracies were recorded in the past (the piracy of the Upper-Moselle by the Meurthe and the piracy of the Aire by the Aisne), and which current characteristics are favorable to new piracies (the Meuse river bed is perched at more than 50m comparing to its surrounding valleys (the Meuse river bed is perched at more than 50m comparing to its surrounding valleys: Marne at the west and the Moselle at the east).

En tant qu'événement parmi les plus puissants de l'histoire éruptive récente de Lombok, les matériaux volcaniques expulsés par le volcan Samalas en 1257 couvrent toute l'île de Lombok et sont largement répandus dans sa partie est. Près de 800 ans après l'éruption, l'impact géomorphologique de cette éruption sur l'île reste inconnu, alors que ses conséquences climatiques et sociétales globales sont désomais mieux comprises. Une combinaison des informations stratigraphiques, des topographies actuelles, des mesures géophysiques, des sources écrites locales, analyse de laboratoire et informatique ont été utilisées pour obtenir des informations détaillées sur les impacts géomorphologiques de l'éruption du volcan Samalas sur la zone côtière le long du détroit d' Alas, Nusa Tenggara Ouest, Indonésie. Cette étude fournit de nouvelles informations relatives à l'impact géomorphologique d'une éruption volcanique majeure dans des zones côtières, dans ce cas-ci, dans la partie est de Lombok, ainsi que sur la côte ouest de Sumbawa. En premier lieu, les résultats de l'étude montrent que le paysage de la partie est de Lombok est encore évolué jusqu'à présent. Le volume de matière volcanique de l'éruption des Samalas reste à environ 14% du volume initial. Deuxièmement, la découverte de Babad Suwung fournit une description supplémentaire de l'éruption des Samalas sur l'île de Sumbawa et pourraient être la plus ancienne observation visuelle de déferlantes pyroclastiques après celles de Pline Ie Jeune en 79 pour le Vésuve. Enfin, l'éruption du volcan Samalas en 1257 a prouvé avoir déclenché un tsunami mineur qui a frappé l'île de Belang, sur la côte ouest de Sumbawa. / As the most powerful event in Lombok’s recent eruptive history, volcanic materials thatwere expelled by the Samalas volcano in 1257 CE covered the entire of Lombok Islandand are widespread in its eastern part. Almost 800 years after the eruption, the geomorphological impact of this eruption on the island of Lombok remains unknown,whereas its overall climatic and societal consequences are now better understood. Acombination of stratigraphic information, present-day topography, geophysical measurement with two-dimensional resistivity profiling technique, local written sources,as well as laboratory and computational analysis, were used to obtain detailed information concerning geomorphic impacts of the 1257 CE eruption of Samalas volcano on the coastal area along the Alas Strait in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. This study provides new information related to the geomorphic impact of amajor eruption volcanic in coastal areas, in this case, on the eastern part of Lombok and the western coast of Sumbawa. In the first place, the study result shows that since the 1257 CE eruption, the landscape on the eastern part of Lombok is still evolved untilthe present time. The volume of the 1257 CE volcanic material remains about 14% from the initial volume. Secondly, the discovery of Babad Suwung provides additional explanation of Samalas eruption and may become the oldest visual observation of pyroclastic surges and volcanic fallout, following those by Pliny the Younger in 79 CE. Finally, the 1257 CE eruption of Samalas volcano has proven triggered a minor tsunami that hit Belang Island, on the west coast of Sumbawa.

<div><div><div><p>The radionuclide 10Be is produced in the atmosphere and is delivered to Earth’s surface in meteoric rain and aerosols. The stable nuclide 9Be is present in trace concentrations within rocks in Earth’s crust and is released via chemical weathering. Together, these two isotopes have been employed to study a wide range of Earth processes. Here I explore new terrestrial archives of Be isotopes: cave speleothems and terrestrial Mn-oxides. Until this point, these archives have barely been studied. Only one published dataset of Be isotopes in cave speleothems exists (Lundblad, 2006), and to my knowledge, terrestrial manganese oxides are yet to be explored. However, since speleothems and Mn-oxides precipitate from groundwater, they have the potential to encode temporal variations in the 10Be/9Be ratio of water and colloids in the vadose zone.</p><p>I develop a framework for using the 10Be/9Be ratio in the dissolved phase and/or secondary weathering products as a metric of chemical weathering rate. I am motivated by several over-arching questions:</p><ol><li><p>1) Which factor, or factors, is/are dominant in controlling Be isotopes in speleothems and terrestrial Mn-oxides?</p></li><li><p>2) Can Be isotopes in speleothems be used as a metric of weathering rate over time, particularly across glacial/interglacial cycles?</p></li><li><p>3) Can Be isotopes be used to date the formation of terrestrial Mn-oxides?</p></li></ol><p>I measure Be-isotope concentrations in speleothems from Soreq Cave, Israel. By applying an equation that I derive in this thesis, I use the temporal variation in the speleothem10Be/9Be ratio to calculate chemical weathering rates over the last 168 ka. Chemical weathering varies with independent proxies for temperature. The weathering-temperature relationship can be fit to an Arrhenius relationship, and the calculated activation energy (Ea) matches other field-based estimates for feldspar, an abundant mineral in the soil above the cave. In the Appendices I present additional results of Be-isotope measurements in a flowstone from Buffalo Cave in South Africa, as well as Mn-oxides from the Appalachians.</p></div></div></div>

The post-orogenic history of the Appalachian Mountains, particularly the persistence of rough topography and the degree of river incision throughout the region, has been a longstanding focus of geomorphology studies. Numerous models have been developed to explain the evolution of this landscape, variously invoking episodic or continuous processes of uplift and erosion to drive the generation or reduction of topographic relief. Recently, late Cenozoic uplift has found favor as a mechanism for rejuvenating the topography of the southern and central Appalachians. This hypothesis has drawn on longitudinal river profiles, seismic tomography, and offshore sediment records as evidence of Neogene uplift.<div><br></div><div>Radiometric dating of surficial deposits provides a means to directly test models of episodic and continuous landscape evolution, as well as the Neogene uplift hypothesis. The research described in this thesis dates surficial sediments (river terraces, alluvial fans, and a filled sinkhole) and supergene manganese oxides using 26Al/10Be burial dating and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, respectively. Our cosmogenic 26Al/10Be dating provides detailed histories of aggradation and incision along the Shenandoah and Tennessee Rivers since the early Pliocene. 40Ar/39Ar dating of manganese oxides permits estimates of surface preservation and denudation in the Shenandoah Valley and nearby watersheds throughout the Cenozoic.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The results of our work in the Shenandoah Valley, Tennessee River basin, and intervening areas indicate that the Appalachians experienced no significant pulse of uplift during the Cenozoic. Long-term preservation of supergene manganese oxides dates as far back as the Eocene, demonstrating minimal denudation and discontinuous formation that lend evidence to episodic landscape evolution models. Cosmogenic26Al/10Be burial ages along the Shenandoah and Tennessee Rivers reveal Pliocene aggradation, with enhanced deposition in the Shenandoah Valley during the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period. Both rivers likely experienced incision during the Pleistocene, likely due to climatic fluctuations. These results demonstrate that while the Appalachian landscape has remained largely unchanged for tens of millions of years, rapid Pleistocene changes in base level recently triggered significant incision of major drainages.<br></div>

[pt] O processo de voçorocamento é apontado em muitas pesquisas como consequência do uso do solo, sobretudo da ação antrópica. Entretanto, no médio vale do rio Paraíba do Sul (RJ/SP), tem se observado que áreas sob o mesmo tipo de cobertura e uso do solo apresentam comportamentos diferentes quanto a ocorrência de voçorocas, indicando que existem outros fatores que determinam, de forma mais intensa, a ocorrência desse processo. Desta forma, esse trabalho se propôs a investigar os fatores que podem influenciar a distribuição diferencial do processo de voçorocamento nesta paisagem. Foram selecionadas as bacias mais próximas à calha principal do rio Paraíba do Sul e foram plotadas (em imagem de satélite, com método de fotointerpretação) todas as voçorocas identificadas nesta área. A distribuição espacial de voçorocas foi comparada com outros dados da região (unidades litológicas, cobertura e uso e aspectos morfométricos do relevo). Ao todo foram plotadas 671 voçorocas. Destas 671, 99 (14,7 por cento) foram identificadas como resultado de cortes de estrada e 572 (85,3 por cento) sem apararente relação direta com os cortes de estrada. O resultado da análise evidenciou a predominância deste processo sobre a unidade metassedimentar do gnaisse Paraíba do Sul, caracterizado por um material bastante friável quando decomposto. Além disso, a proximidade da calha principal do rio Paraíba do sul também exerce influência como nível de base regional, determinando o limite do processo erosivo. / [en] Gully erosion have been indicated in many researches as a consequence of the use of land use and land cover. However, it has been observed, in middle Paraíba do Sul river valley, that areas on the same type of current and past land use cover presents different behaviors regarding the occurence of gullies. This indicates that there are other factors that determine the occurenc of this process. The factors that may influence the diferencial distribution of the gully erosion process in this landscape were investigated. Initially, the watersheds closest to the main waterway of the Paraíba do Sul river were selected and all gullies were identified in this área. The spatial distribution of gullies was compared with other data of the region (lithologic units structure, land use cover and morphometric aspects of relief). In all, 671 gullies were plotted. Of these 671, 99 (14,7 percent) were identified as resulto f roads, and 572 (85,3 percent) with no apparent direct relation to this. The result of the analysis evidenced that the predominance of gully erosion is on the metassedimentary lithologic unit of the Paraiba do Sul gneiss. This lithologic unit is characterized by a very friable material when decomposed. In addition, the proximity of the main channel of the Paraiba do Sul river also exerts influences as a regional base level, determining the limit of the erosive process.

This dissertation combines studies of aeolian bedforms and aeolian dune-field patterns to create a comprehensive set of tools that can be used in tandem (or separately) to extract information about climate change and landscape evolution, and to identify the controls on formation for specific modern dune fields or ancient aeolian sequences. The spatial distribution of surface processes, erosion/deposition rates, and lee face sorting on aeolian dunes are each a function of the incident angle. This correlation between stratification style and incidence angle can be used to develop a “toolbox” of methods based on measurements of key suites of parameters found in ancient aeolian deposits. Information obtained from the rock record can be used as input data for different kinds of numerical models. Regional-scale paleowind conditions can be used to validate paleoclimate and global circulation models. Understanding the natural variability in the Earth’s climate throughout its history can help predict future climate change. Reconstructed wind regimes and bedform morphologies can be used in numerical models of aeolian dune-field pattern evolution to simulate patterns analogous to those reconstructed from ancient aeolian systems. Much of the diversity of aeolian dune-field patterns seen in the real world is a function of the sediment supply and transport capacity, which in turn determine the sediment availability of the system. Knowledge of the sediment supply, availability, and transport capacity of aeolian systems can be used to predict the amount of sand in the system and where it might have migrated. This information can be extremely useful for development and production of oil and gas accumulations, where a discovery has been made but the spatial extent of the aeolian reservoir is unknown. / text