Rivers, faults and landscape change in Western Turkey
| Dates: | 31 October 2018 |
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| Times: | 13:00 - 14:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, Current University students |
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| Speaker: | Dr Sarah Boulton |
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Our speaker is Dr Sarah Boulton from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth.
Understanding the landscape response to external drivers such as climate or tectonics remains a key challenge in the Earth Sciences.
In this seminar, I shall discuss recent research that we have been undertaking in the Gediz Graben (Turkey), which aims to elucidate information
about the landscape response to tectonics. Much has been written about steady-state rivers but we have been studying rivers that are
exhibiting a transient (i.e., non-steady state) response to a change in base level through the development of an over-steepened reach or knickzone.
The Gediz Graben is located in the highly tectonically active and seismogenic region of Western Turkey. Here, the rivers upstream of the normal
fault-bounded graben each contain a non-lithologic knickpoint that scale with footwall relief and documented fault throw (vertical displacement).
By combining geomorphic and structural constraints we estimate that linkage took place between 0.6 Ma and 1 Ma. Calculated pre- and post- linkage
throw rates are 0.6 and 2 mm/yr respectively. Maximum knickpoint retreat rates upstream of the faults range from 4.5 to 28 mm/yr, implying a fluvial
landscape response time of 1.6 to 2.7 Myr. In this seminar, I will explore how we calculated these rates and the relative controls of slip rate, precipitation
and lithology on the regional landscape response showing that geomorphology now represents a powerful tool for active tectonic research.
Coffee and tea will be available after the seminar in the first floor foyer of the Williamson Building.
Speaker
Dr Sarah Boulton
Role: Associate Professor in Active Neotectonics
Organisation: University of Plymouth
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
G.03
Williamson Building
Manchester
