scholarly journals Calibrating a long-term meteoric <sup>10</sup>Be delivery rate into Western US glacial deposits through a comparison of complimentary meteoric and in situ-produced <sup>10</sup>Be depth profiles

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Clow ◽  
Jane K. Willenbring ◽  
Mirjam Schaller ◽  
Joel D. Blum ◽  
Marcus Christl ◽  
...  

Abstract. Meteoric 10Be (10Bemet) concentrations in soil profiles great potential as a geochronometer and a tracer of Earth surface processes, particularly in fine-grained soils lacking quartz that would preclude the use of in situ-produced 10Be (10Bein situ). One prerequisite for using this technique for accurately calculating rates and dates is constraining the delivery, or flux, of 10Bemet to a site. However, few studies to date have quantified long-term (i.e. millennial) delivery rates. In this study, we compared existing concentrations of 10Bein situ with new measurements of 10Bemet in soils sampled from the same depth profiles to calibrate a long-term 10Bemet delivery rate. We did so on the Pinedale and Bull Lake glacial moraines at Fremont Lake, Wyoming (USA) where age, grain sizes, weathering indices, and soil properties are known, as are erosion/denudation rates calculated from 10Bein situ. After ensuring sufficient beryllium retention in each profile, solving for the delivery rate of 10Bemet via Monte Carlo simulations, and normalizing to Holocene-average paleomagnetic intensity, we calculate best-fit fluxes of 0.92 (+/− 0.08) × 106 and 0.71 (+0.09/−0.08) × 106 atoms cm−2 y−1 to the Pinedale and Bull Lake moraines, respectively, and compare these values to two widely-used 10Bemet delivery rate estimation methods. Accurately estimating 10Bemet flux using these methods requires careful consideration of spatial scale as well as temporally varying parameters (e.g. paleomagnetic field intensity) to ensure the most realistic estimates of 10Bemet-derived erosion rates in future studies.

Geochronology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-423
Author(s):  
Travis Clow ◽  
Jane K. Willenbring ◽  
Mirjam Schaller ◽  
Joel D. Blum ◽  
Marcus Christl ◽  
...  

Abstract. Meteoric 10Be (10Bemet) concentrations in soil profiles have great potential as a geochronometer and a tracer of Earth surface processes, particularly in fine-grained soils lacking quartz that would preclude the use of in situ produced 10Be (10Bein situ). One prerequisite for using this technique for accurately calculating rates and dates is constraining the delivery, or flux, of 10Bemet to a site. However, few studies to date have quantified long-term (i.e., millennial) delivery rates, and none have determined a delivery rate for an eroding soil. In this study, we compared existing concentrations of 10Bein situ with new measurements of 10Bemet in eroding soils sampled from the same depth profiles to calibrate a long-term 10Bemet delivery rate. We did so on the Pinedale (∼ 21–25 kyr) and Bull Lake (∼ 140 kyr) glacial moraines at Fremont Lake, Wyoming (USA), where age, grain sizes, weathering indices, and soil properties are known, as are erosion and denudation rates calculated from 10Bein situ. After ensuring sufficient beryllium retention in each profile, solving for the delivery rate of 10Bemet, and normalizing for paleomagnetic and solar intensity variations over the Holocene, we calculate 10Bemet fluxes of 1.46 (±0.20) × 106 atoms cm−2 yr−1 and 1.30 (±0.48) × 106 atoms cm−2 yr−1 to the Pinedale and Bull Lake moraines, respectively, and compare these values to two widely used 10Bemet delivery rate estimation methods that substantially differ for this site. Accurately estimating the 10Bemet flux using these methods requires a consideration of spatial scale and temporally varying parameters (i.e., paleomagnetic field intensity, solar modulation) to ensure the most realistic estimates of 10Bemet-derived erosion rates in future studies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Abby Jade Burdis

<p>New Zealand’s tectonically and climatically dynamic environment generates erosion rates that outstrip global averages by up to ten times in some locations. In order to assess recent changes in erosion rate, and also to predict future erosion dynamics, it is important to quantify long-term, background erosion. Current research on erosion in New Zealand predominantly covers short-term (100 yrs) erosion dynamics and Myr dynamics from thermochronological proxy data. Without competent medium-term denudation data for New Zealand, it is uncertain which variables (climate, anthropogenic disturbance of the landscape, tectonic uplift, lithological, or geomorphic characteristics) exert the dominant control on denudation in New Zealand. Spatially-averaged cosmogenic nuclide analysis can effectively offer this information by providing averaged rates of denudation on millennial timescales without the biases and limitations of short-term erosion methods.  Basin-averaged denudation rates were obtained in the Nelson/Tasman region, New Zealand, from analysis of concentrations of meteoric ¹⁰Be in silt and in-situ produced ¹⁰Be in quartz. The measured denudation rates integrate over ~2750 yrs (in-situ) and ~1200 yrs (meteoric). Not only do the ¹⁰Be records produce erosion rates that are remarkably consistent with each other, but they are also independent of topographic metrics. Denudation rates range from ~112 – 298 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, with the exception of one basin which is eroding at 600 - 800 t km⁻² yr⁻¹. The homogeneity of rates and absence of a significant correlation with geomorphic or lithological characteristics could indicate that the Nelson/Tasman landscape is in (or approaching) a topographic steady state.  Millennial term (¹⁰Be-derived) denudation rates are more rapid than those inferred from other conventional methods in the same region (~50 – 200 t km⁻² yr⁻¹). This is likely the result of the significant contribution of low frequency, high magnitude erosive events to overall erosion of the region. Both in-situ and meteoric ¹⁰Be analyses have the potential to provide competent millennial term estimates of natural background rates of erosion. This will allow for the assessment of geomorphic-scale impacts such as topography, tectonics, climate, and lithology on rates of denudation for the country where many conventional methods do not. Cosmogenic nuclides offer the ability to understand the response of the landscape to these factors in order to make confident erosion predictions for the future.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah VanLandingham ◽  
Eric W. Portenga ◽  
Edward C. Lefroy ◽  
Paul R. Bierman ◽  
Alan J. Hidy

Abstract. Long-term erosion rates in Tasmania, at the southern end of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, are poorly known, yet such knowledge is critical for making informed land-use decisions and improving ecological health of coastal ecosystems. Here, we present the first quantitative, geologically-relevant estimates of erosion rates for the George River basin, in northeast Tasmania, based on in-situ produced 10Be (10Bei) measured from stream sand at two trunk channel sites and seven tributaries (average 10.5 mm kyr−1). These new 10Bei-based erosion rates are strongly related to mean annual precipitation rates and elevation, and we suggest that the current East-West precipitation gradient across George River greatly influences erosion in northeast Tasmania. This stands in contrast to erosion rates along the mainland portions of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, which are more strongly related to basin slope. We also extract and measure meteoric 10Be (10Bem) from sediment grain coatings of the stream sand at each site, which we use to estimate 10Bem-based erosion and denudation rates for George River. 10Bem based erosion and denudation metrics, particularly those from the central and eastern tributaries, are also closely related to elevation and precipitation in the same manner as 10Bei erosion rates. Although 10Bem-based denudation rates replicate 10Bei erosion rates within a factor of two, 10Bem-based erosion rates are systematically 5–6x higher than 10Bei erosion rates. 10Bem erosion and denudation metrics for the westernmost headwater catchments are significantly lower than expected and have likely been affected by intensive and widespread topsoil erosion related to forestry, which delivers large volumes of sediment rich in 10Bem to tributary streams. The 10Bei erosion rates presented in this study may be useful for land managers seeking to restore ecological health of Tasmania’s estuaries by reducing sediment input to levels prior to landscape disturbance.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Abby Jade Burdis

<p>New Zealand’s tectonically and climatically dynamic environment generates erosion rates that outstrip global averages by up to ten times in some locations. In order to assess recent changes in erosion rate, and also to predict future erosion dynamics, it is important to quantify long-term, background erosion. Current research on erosion in New Zealand predominantly covers short-term (100 yrs) erosion dynamics and Myr dynamics from thermochronological proxy data. Without competent medium-term denudation data for New Zealand, it is uncertain which variables (climate, anthropogenic disturbance of the landscape, tectonic uplift, lithological, or geomorphic characteristics) exert the dominant control on denudation in New Zealand. Spatially-averaged cosmogenic nuclide analysis can effectively offer this information by providing averaged rates of denudation on millennial timescales without the biases and limitations of short-term erosion methods.  Basin-averaged denudation rates were obtained in the Nelson/Tasman region, New Zealand, from analysis of concentrations of meteoric ¹⁰Be in silt and in-situ produced ¹⁰Be in quartz. The measured denudation rates integrate over ~2750 yrs (in-situ) and ~1200 yrs (meteoric). Not only do the ¹⁰Be records produce erosion rates that are remarkably consistent with each other, but they are also independent of topographic metrics. Denudation rates range from ~112 – 298 t km⁻² yr⁻¹, with the exception of one basin which is eroding at 600 - 800 t km⁻² yr⁻¹. The homogeneity of rates and absence of a significant correlation with geomorphic or lithological characteristics could indicate that the Nelson/Tasman landscape is in (or approaching) a topographic steady state.  Millennial term (¹⁰Be-derived) denudation rates are more rapid than those inferred from other conventional methods in the same region (~50 – 200 t km⁻² yr⁻¹). This is likely the result of the significant contribution of low frequency, high magnitude erosive events to overall erosion of the region. Both in-situ and meteoric ¹⁰Be analyses have the potential to provide competent millennial term estimates of natural background rates of erosion. This will allow for the assessment of geomorphic-scale impacts such as topography, tectonics, climate, and lithology on rates of denudation for the country where many conventional methods do not. Cosmogenic nuclides offer the ability to understand the response of the landscape to these factors in order to make confident erosion predictions for the future.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1059-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apolline Mariotti ◽  
Pierre-Henri Blard ◽  
Julien Charreau ◽  
Carole Petit ◽  
Stéphane Molliex ◽  
...  

Abstract. Marine sedimentary archives are well dated and often span several glacial cycles; cosmogenic 10Be concentrations in their detrital quartz grains could thus offer the opportunity to reconstruct a wealth of past denudation rates. However, these archives often comprise sediments much finer (<250 µm) than typically analyzed in 10Be studies, and few studies have measured 10Be concentrations in quartz grains smaller than 100 µm or assessed the impacts of mixing, grain size, and interannual variability on the 10Be concentrations of such fine-grained sediments. Here, we analyzed the in situ cosmogenic 10Be concentrations of quartz grains in the 50–100 and 100–250 µm size fractions of sediments from the Var basin (southern French Alps) to test the reliability of denudation rates derived from 10Be analyses of fine sands. The Var basin has a short transfer zone and highly variable morphology, climate, and geology, and we test the impact of these parameters on the observed 10Be concentrations. Both analyzed size fractions returned similar 10Be concentrations in downstream locations, notably at the Var's outlet, where concentrations ranged from (4.02±0.78)×104 to (4.40±0.64)×104 atoms g−1 of quartz. By comparing expected and observed 10Be concentrations at three major river junctions, we interpret that sediment mixing is efficient throughout the Var basin. We resampled four key locations 1 year later, and despite variable climatic parameters during that period, interannual 10Be concentrations were in agreement within uncertainties, except for one upper subbasin. The 10Be-derived denudation rates of Var subbasins range from 0.10±0.01 to 0.57±0.09 mm yr−1, and spatial variations are primarily controlled by the average subbasin slope. The integrated denudation rate of the entire Var basin is 0.24±0.04 mm yr−1, in agreement with other methods. Our results demonstrate that fine-grained sediments (50–250 µm) may return accurate denudation rates and are thus potentially suitable targets for future 10Be applications, such as studies of paleo-denudation rates using offshore sediments.


2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenz Wüthrich ◽  
Claudio Brändli ◽  
Régis Braucher ◽  
Heinz Veit ◽  
Negar Haghipour ◽  
...  

Abstract. During the Pleistocene, glaciers advanced repeatedly from the Alps onto the Swiss Plateau. Numeric age control for the last glaciation is good and thus the area is well suited to test a method which has so far not been applied to till in Switzerland. In this study, we apply in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be depth profile dating to several till deposits. Three sites lie inside the assumed Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) extent of the Rhône and Aare glaciers (Bern, Deisswil, Steinhof) and two lie outside (Niederbuchsiten, St. Urban). All sites are strongly affected by denudation, and all sites have reached steady state, i.e., the 10Be production is in equilibrium with radioactive decay and denudational losses. Deposition ages can therefore not be well constrained. Assuming constant denudation rates of 5 cm kyr−1, total denudation on the order of 100 cm for sites within the extent of the LGM and up to tens of meters for older moraines are calculated. Denudation events, for example related to periglacial conditions during the LGM, mitigate the need to invoke such massive denudation and could help to explain high 10Be concentrations at great depths, which we here dub pseudo-inheritance. This term should be used to distinguish conceptionally from true inheritance, i.e., high concentrations derived from the catchment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Lodes ◽  
Dirk Scherler ◽  
Hella Wittmann ◽  
Renee Van Dongen

&lt;p&gt;Rock fracturing induced by tectonic deformation is thought to promote faster denudation in more highly fractured areas by lowering grain size and directing the flow of water. That the density and pattern of fractures in a landscape play a role in controlling erosion and landscape evolution has been known for over a century, but not until recently do we have tools, like cosmogenic nuclides, to quantify erosion rates in places with varying fracture densities. In the Nahuelbuta Range in south-central Chile, we observed that &gt;30-m thick regolith exists next to patches of unweathered bedrock. We hypothesize that the density of fractures dictates the pace and patterns of chemical weathering, regolith conversion, and erosion in the Nahuelbuta Range. To test this, we used in situ cosmogenic &lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;Be to obtain denudation rates from amalgamated samples of bedrock, corestones and soils, and measured fracture density and orientation, as well as hillslope boulder size in several sites in the Nahuelbuta Range. We found that more highly fractured areas indeed have higher denudation rates than less fractured areas, and that bedrock denudation rates are ~10 m/Myr while soil denudation rates are ~30 m/Myr, suggesting that soil-covered areas may be sites of higher fracture density at depth. Fractures have orientations that match mapped faults across the Nahuelbuta range, and thus are considered to be tectonically-induced. In addition, both fracture and fault orientations match the orientation of streams incising the range, suggesting that fractures control stream channel orientation by weakening bedrock and thus directing flow.&lt;/p&gt;


1996 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darryl E. Granger ◽  
James W. Kirchner ◽  
Robert Finkel

Leadership ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Clifton ◽  
Wenjin Dai

Interviews are a way, if not the key way, in which knowledge of leadership and leader identity is sought. Yet, the interviews as a site of the construction of this knowledge are often “black-boxed” and few scholars consider how the “what” of leadership and leader identity are constructed as in situ social practice. Taking a discursive approach to leadership, and using membership categorization analysis as a methodological tool, this paper considers the identity work that participants do when constructing (Japanese) leadership and leader identity in a research interview. Findings indicate that leader identity is fragmented and contradictory and that identity work is skewed to producing a morally acceptable leader identity that has little to do with revealing underlying truths of leadership as often assumed. On the basis of these findings, we call for the discursive turn in leadership research to go beyond considering leadership-in-action to also consider the way in which both meanings of leadership and leader identities are discursively constructed as in situ social practice, notably in research interviews. Second, we call for more careful consideration and analysis of research interview as a site for building knowledge of leadership and leader identities, which, close analysis reveals to be fluid, changeable, and even contradictory. Third, we argue that researchers should also analyze what the particular constructions of leadership and leader identities “do.” This aligns with calls for more critical approaches to leadership studies that challenge hegemonic views of leadership and seek to make visible the power dynamics of presenting leadership and leader identity in one way rather than another.


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