How rivers react to large earthquakes: Evidence from central Taiwan

Research Article| July 01, 2010 How rivers react to large earthquakes: Evidence from central Taiwan Brian J. Yanites; Brian J. Yanites * 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA *Current address: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA; E-mail: yanites@umich.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gregory E. Tucker; Gregory E. Tucker 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA2Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Karl J. Mueller; Karl J. Mueller 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Yue-Gau Chen Yue-Gau Chen 3Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2010) 38 (7): 639–642. https://doi.org/10.1130/G30883.1 Article history received: 21 Nov 2009 rev-recd: 10 Feb 2010 accepted: 15 Feb 2010 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Brian J. Yanites, Gregory E. Tucker, Karl J. Mueller, Yue-Gau Chen; How rivers react to large earthquakes: Evidence from central Taiwan. Geology 2010;; 38 (7): 639–642. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G30883.1 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 Earthquakes and bedrock river incision are fundamental processes in the evolution of tectonically active landscapes, yet little work has focused on understanding how a bedrock river responds to a single large earthquake. Data from the 1999 Mw = 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake in central Taiwan show dramatic differences in river response that depend on the proximity to the rupture zone. Near the fault scarp, vertical ground deformation intensifies river incision on a time scale of years to decades, while distal to the fault, landslides induced by the earthquake mantle bedrock on the river bed with sediment, impeding incision for decades to centuries as the material is evacuated. This surprising spatial and temporal variability in bedrock incision caused by earthquakes has implications for the paleoseismic interpretation of bedrock terraces and for the evolution of tectonically active landscapes. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.