Morphological controls on the dynamics of carbonate landscapes under a mediterranean climate. (18th April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thomas, Franck; Godard, Vincent; Bellier, Olivier; Shabanian, Esmaeil; Ollivier, Vincent; Benedetti, Lucilla; Rizza, Magali; Espurt, Nicolas; Guillou, Valéry; Hollender, Fabrice; Molliex, Stéphane
• Is Part Of: Terra nova. Volume 29:Number 3(2017)
• Page Start: 173
• Page End: 182
• Publication Date: 2017-04-18
• Subjects: Earth sciences -- Periodicals; Geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1111/ter.12260
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-4879

Abstract

Abstract: The influence of the morphological setting on the denudation of carbonate landscapes and the respective contributions of mechanical and chemical weathering processes are still debated. We have addressed these questions by measuring 36 Cl concentrations in 40 samples from the Luberon mountain, SE France, to constrain the denudation of various landscape elements. We observe a clear contrast between the local denudation rates from the flat summit surface, clustered around 30 mm/ka, and the basin‐average denudation rates across the flanks, ranging from 100 to 200 mm/ka. This difference highlights the transient evolution of the range, whose topography is still adjusting to previous uplift events. Such a pattern also suggests that carbonate dissolution is not the only driver of denudation in this setting, which appears to be significantly controlled by slope‐dependent processes.