Climate and tectonic influences on continental erosion of tropical South America, 0–13 Ma

Research Article| May 01, 2002 Climate and tectonic influences on continental erosion of tropical South America, 0–13 Ma Sara E. Harris; Sara E. Harris 1Sea Education Association, P.O. Box 6, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alan C. Mix Alan C. Mix 2College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Sara E. Harris 1Sea Education Association, P.O. Box 6, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA Alan C. Mix 2College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 21 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 23 Jan 2002 Accepted: 29 Jan 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (5): 447–450. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0447:CATIOC>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 21 Aug 2001 Revision Received: 23 Jan 2002 Accepted: 29 Jan 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Sara E. Harris, Alan C. Mix; Climate and tectonic influences on continental erosion of tropical South America, 0–13 Ma. Geology 2002;; 30 (5): 447–450. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0447:CATIOC>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Is tectonic uplift or climate change the primary driving force behind continent-scale erosion? Here we examine these two hypotheses for tropical South America by comparing a high-resolution record of terrigenous sediment accumulation rates from the western tropical Atlantic Ocean with continental tectonic reconstructions and both low-latitude and high-latitude climate indices that span the past 13 m.y. Over the full record, terrigenous sedimentation rates most closely follow lowland aridity (as recorded by abundance ratios of terrigenous oxide minerals), an indication that basin-integrated climate is an important control of erosion. Step-like transitions in the flux and composition of terrigenous material near 8 and 4.5 Ma, however, follow dated tectonic events, which suggests progressive expansion of the drainage basin into less humid or less vegetated regions that were more prone to erosion. On long time scales, high-latitude climate variability and sea level (as recorded by δ18O) do not closely track terrigenous sedimentation. We conclude that regional climate change provides a mechanism for long-term erosion of tropical South America; tectonics plays a significant, but secondary, role in this area, perhaps by shaping the drainage basin to include regions in which the climate is more favorable to erosion. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.