Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma: A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations?

J. Charreau; P. H. Blard; N. Puchol; J. P. Avouac; E. Lallier-Vergès; D. Bourlès; R. Braucher; A. Gallaud; R. Finkel; M. Jolivet; Y. Chen; P. Roy

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018

Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma: A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations?

J. Charreau
, P. H. Blard
, N. Puchol
, J. P. Avouac
, E. Lallier-Vergès
, D. Bourlès
, R. Braucher
, A. Gallaud
, R. Finkel
, M. Jolivet
, Y. Chen
, P. Roy

School of Geog & Environmental Scs

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

114 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Erosion is a fundamental player of the interactions existing between internal geodynamics and climate, in particular through its influence on the carbon dioxide budget. However, long term (>1Ma) erosion rates, estimated indirectly from sediment budget, remain poorly constrained. While some studies suggest that worldwide erosion rates increased at the Plio-Pleistocene climatic transition (~4-2Ma), the validity of this observation and its significance is a matter of debate due to potential biases of the sedimentary record and to the influence of sea level fall on the global sedimentary flux to marginal basins. In the present study, we estimate erosion rates over the last ~9Ma using in situ produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be concentrations measured in magnetostratigraphically dated continental sediments. We focus on an intracontinental endorheic watershed draining the northern Tianshan in Central Asia, a key region regarding the ongoing debate. While erosion rates between 0.1 and 1mm.yr^-1 are derived from most of our record, they reach values as high as ~2.5mm.yr^-1 from 2.5 to 1.7Ma. Then, after 1.7Ma, recent and modern erosion rates fell below 1mm.yr^-1. This temporary increase is correlated with the onset of Quaternary ice ages and suggests that global climate had a significant and transient impact on erosion.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	85-92
Number of pages	8
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	304
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 1 Apr 2011

Funding

This study was financed by the French INSU/CNRS programs SYSTER and ANR. We thank Peter Molnar and one anonymous reviewer for their very constructive comments that greatly improved the manuscript. Fruitful discussions with Jérôme Lavé and Raphaël Pik were useful for interpreting this record. Expert Jean-Pierre Valet and Yves Gallet are also thanked for their advice about the long term variations in the earth virtual magnetic moment. We are also grateful to Robert Joussemet (STEVAL mineral processing pilot plant, Lem, Nancy) for his help in separating quartz and to the ASTER team for the cosmogenic nuclide concentration measurements (M. Arnold, G. Aumaître, K. Keddadouche, L. Léanni and F. Chauvet). ASTER AMS national facility (CEREGE, Aix en Provence) is supported by the INSU/CNRS , the French Ministry of Research and Higher Education , IRD and CEA . This is CRPG contribution n° 2101 .

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 13 Climate Action

Keywords

Cosmogenic nuclide
Erosion rates
Magnetostratigraphy
Quaternary glaciation
Tianshan

Access to Document

10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018

Cite this

Charreau, J., Blard, P. H., Puchol, N., Avouac, J. P., Lallier-Vergès, E., Bourlès, D., Braucher, R., Gallaud, A., Finkel, R., Jolivet, M., Chen, Y., & Roy, P. (2011). Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma: A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations? Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 304(1-2), 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018

@article{8c990bec591c4e6abad1299edbe96441,

title = "Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma: A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations?",

abstract = "Erosion is a fundamental player of the interactions existing between internal geodynamics and climate, in particular through its influence on the carbon dioxide budget. However, long term (>1Ma) erosion rates, estimated indirectly from sediment budget, remain poorly constrained. While some studies suggest that worldwide erosion rates increased at the Plio-Pleistocene climatic transition (\textasciitilde{}4-2Ma), the validity of this observation and its significance is a matter of debate due to potential biases of the sedimentary record and to the influence of sea level fall on the global sedimentary flux to marginal basins. In the present study, we estimate erosion rates over the last \textasciitilde{}9Ma using in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be concentrations measured in magnetostratigraphically dated continental sediments. We focus on an intracontinental endorheic watershed draining the northern Tianshan in Central Asia, a key region regarding the ongoing debate. While erosion rates between 0.1 and 1mm.yr-1 are derived from most of our record, they reach values as high as \textasciitilde{}2.5mm.yr-1 from 2.5 to 1.7Ma. Then, after 1.7Ma, recent and modern erosion rates fell below 1mm.yr-1. This temporary increase is correlated with the onset of Quaternary ice ages and suggests that global climate had a significant and transient impact on erosion.",

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Charreau, J, Blard, PH, Puchol, N, Avouac, JP, Lallier-Vergès, E, Bourlès, D, Braucher, R, Gallaud, A, Finkel, R, Jolivet, M, Chen, Y & Roy, P 2011, 'Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma: A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations?', Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 304, no. 1-2, pp. 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018

TY - JOUR

T1 - Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma

T2 - A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations?

AU - Charreau, J.

AU - Blard, P. H.

AU - Puchol, N.

AU - Avouac, J. P.

AU - Lallier-Vergès, E.

AU - Bourlès, D.

AU - Braucher, R.

AU - Gallaud, A.

AU - Finkel, R.

AU - Jolivet, M.

AU - Chen, Y.

AU - Roy, P.

PY - 2011/4/1

Y1 - 2011/4/1

N2 - Erosion is a fundamental player of the interactions existing between internal geodynamics and climate, in particular through its influence on the carbon dioxide budget. However, long term (>1Ma) erosion rates, estimated indirectly from sediment budget, remain poorly constrained. While some studies suggest that worldwide erosion rates increased at the Plio-Pleistocene climatic transition (~4-2Ma), the validity of this observation and its significance is a matter of debate due to potential biases of the sedimentary record and to the influence of sea level fall on the global sedimentary flux to marginal basins. In the present study, we estimate erosion rates over the last ~9Ma using in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be concentrations measured in magnetostratigraphically dated continental sediments. We focus on an intracontinental endorheic watershed draining the northern Tianshan in Central Asia, a key region regarding the ongoing debate. While erosion rates between 0.1 and 1mm.yr-1 are derived from most of our record, they reach values as high as ~2.5mm.yr-1 from 2.5 to 1.7Ma. Then, after 1.7Ma, recent and modern erosion rates fell below 1mm.yr-1. This temporary increase is correlated with the onset of Quaternary ice ages and suggests that global climate had a significant and transient impact on erosion.

AB - Erosion is a fundamental player of the interactions existing between internal geodynamics and climate, in particular through its influence on the carbon dioxide budget. However, long term (>1Ma) erosion rates, estimated indirectly from sediment budget, remain poorly constrained. While some studies suggest that worldwide erosion rates increased at the Plio-Pleistocene climatic transition (~4-2Ma), the validity of this observation and its significance is a matter of debate due to potential biases of the sedimentary record and to the influence of sea level fall on the global sedimentary flux to marginal basins. In the present study, we estimate erosion rates over the last ~9Ma using in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be concentrations measured in magnetostratigraphically dated continental sediments. We focus on an intracontinental endorheic watershed draining the northern Tianshan in Central Asia, a key region regarding the ongoing debate. While erosion rates between 0.1 and 1mm.yr-1 are derived from most of our record, they reach values as high as ~2.5mm.yr-1 from 2.5 to 1.7Ma. Then, after 1.7Ma, recent and modern erosion rates fell below 1mm.yr-1. This temporary increase is correlated with the onset of Quaternary ice ages and suggests that global climate had a significant and transient impact on erosion.

KW - Cosmogenic nuclide

KW - Erosion rates

KW - Magnetostratigraphy

KW - Quaternary glaciation

KW - Tianshan

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/79952631341

U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018

DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2011.01.018

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:79952631341

SN - 0012-821X

VL - 304

SP - 85

EP - 92

JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

IS - 1-2

ER -

Paleo-erosion rates in Central Asia since 9Ma: A transient increase at the onset of Quaternary glaciations?

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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