Glacial conditioning as an erosional driving force in the Central Alps

Research Article| July 01, 2010 Glacial conditioning as an erosional driving force in the Central Alps Kevin P. Norton; Kevin P. Norton Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Luca M. Abbühl; Luca M. Abbühl Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Fritz Schlunegger Fritz Schlunegger Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Kevin P. Norton Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Luca M. Abbühl Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Fritz Schlunegger Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 05 Feb 2010 Revision Received: 23 Feb 2010 Accepted: 23 Feb 2010 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2010 Geological Society of America Geology (2010) 38 (7): 655–658. https://doi.org/10.1130/G31102.1 Article history Received: 05 Feb 2010 Revision Received: 23 Feb 2010 Accepted: 23 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 Kevin P. Norton, Luca M. Abbühl, Fritz Schlunegger; Glacial conditioning as an erosional driving force in the Central Alps. Geology 2010;; 38 (7): 655–658. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G31102.1 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 Unparalleled data availability in the European Alps has led to an ongoing debate about the driving mechanism behind the concurrent patterns of surface denudation and modern rock uplift. Analysis of stream channels reveals that oversteepened stream segments are primarily located in landscapes with strong glacial inheritance. This leads to a transient signal in the landscape, with the result that erosion is spatially focused by a combination of glacial conditioning and lithologic controls. We postulate that the effect of glacial forcing is a positive feedback cycle between erosion and rock uplift, driving rapid rates of both in the Alpine landscape. This mechanism may explain the observed increases in sediment flux since the late Pliocene. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.