Geomorphic Constraints on the Evolution of the Kern Gorge, Southern Sierra Nevada
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Geomorphic constraints on the evolution of the Kern Gorge, southern Sierra Nevada, California By Blake C. Foreshee A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Geological Sciences, California State University Bakersfield In Partial Fulfillment for the Degree of Masters of Geology Summer 2017 Copyright By Blake C. Foreshee 2017 Geom(Jrpbh; Con:!tlrainls on lb t- E,·ulut1oo or4.1 1¢ F<c1·n Go•·ge, Southern Sien-a Nevada, Caljfornia By Blake Foreshee Thi10 thesis has bt!eo a&<:ept.ed uo behalf or UlC Dcp;:u·tmcnl of Geological Sciences by their supervisor}' t:OII'imi u;ee: ~v~---- Dr. W1lh<~m C. Krugh A sst~ Ian t. Prn rr.s ~or of Gr.ology, Cfl lit"orn [a St>lt e lJ n i \' er~ity, Haker;;fie:u Commi:tcc Chclir' Pmfc.<Sod :~.:' Univmity, lli<ke,ftdd Ur. Acl<~m ~ u :\ s ~ i st<mt l'rofessor of Geology, Cal ifumla SWt.tl Un iVCl'Si t~r. Ra l<ersfi el d ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to thank, first and foremost, my advisor and committee chair Dr. William C. Krugh for guiding and mentoring me through this thesis project. Thank you for leading me through an intriguing investigation of the Sierra Nevada and for expressing passion and enthusiasm throughout the duration of this work. I am grateful for my committee members Dr. Adam Guo and Dr. Anthony Rathburnfor providing constructive support and feedback during this project. Thank you Dr. Greg Wilkerson for taking time out of your schedule to go into the field and show me around the lower Kern River. Your insight helped guide the beginning stages of my research. Thank you Elizabeth Powers and Sue Holt for technical and logistical support throughout my time at California State University Bakersfield; Andrea Medina for attentive logistical support; Kristin Koehler for guiding me through the process of stream profile analysis; Jordan Martin for constructive inquiries; and Abigail Martens for encouragement and motivational support. This work would not have been possible without the funding support from NSF CSUB CREST, the CSUB Student Research Scholar Program and Geological Society of America’s Student Research Grant. Lastly, I would like to thank my parents and sister for their continual support and encouragement throughout my graduate career. I would like to acknowledge my brother, Blaine Foreshee who is no longer with us, for playing such an integral role in my development towards an aspiring geoscientist. i ABSTRACT The southern Sierra Nevada Region, California is currently responding to a delaminating lithospheric root remnant. Stream profile analysis of the Kern River and feeding tributaries was used to investigate the nature and timing of the dynamic topographic response of the region. Two relict topographic domains were identified and suggest that 1) The Kern Plateau once extended into the southernmost Sierra Nevada and; 2) that recent incision within the lower Kern River drainage basin is signature of increased uplift rates within the area of recent slab delamination. Erosion rates of the relict Kern Plateau surface were estimated using ksn values, as well as incision measurements with previously established time constraints and yield 0.04 – 0.08 mm/yr. Moreover, increasing ksn values within the Kern drainage basin toward the Kern Arch suggest that the two are linked to mantle delamination beneath the region. Estimated erosion rates using ksn values and incision measurements suggest ~0.31 – 1.31 mm/yr. These erosion rates are less than previously constrained uplift rates. We propose that the difference between uplift and erosion rates along the mountain front are attributed to either uplift and incision initiation beginning much later than the previously constrained 1 Ma; a missing sediment record that has been stripped off the Sierran mountain front; or that uplift rates are simply greater than erosion rates, resulting in surface uplift. In either case, it is evident that the evolution of the lower Kern River drainage basin and southern Sierra Nevada is currently responding to slab delamination beneath the region. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. i ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................. vi 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1 2. GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA .............................................................. 2 2.1 The Sierra Nevada Microplate ....................................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Lithospheric Root Delamination ................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Southern Sierra Nevada Fault System ........................................................................................................ 5 2.4 Geomorphology of the Southern Sierra Nevada..................................................................................... 5 3. STREAM PROFILES AND LANDSCAPE EVOLUTION ......................................................... 6 4. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 9 4.1 Data Collection and Preparation................................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Stream Profile Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 10 4.3 Channel Reconstruction .................................................................................................................................. 11 5. RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 5.1 Kern River Trunk Channel ........................................................................................................................... 12 5.2 Kern Gorge Tributary Channels................................................................................................................. 12 iii 5.3 Channel Reconstructions ................................................................................................................................ 13 6. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................................ 14 6.1 Identification of Relict Topography ........................................................................................................... 14 6.2 Relict Topography of the Kern Plateau ................................................................................................... 14 6.3 Kern Gorge Relict Topography ................................................................................................................... 16 6.4 Unresolved Erosion Rate Differences within the Kern Gorge ........................................................ 17 6.5 The interpretive story of the Kern Gorge................................................................................................ 19 7. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................. 21 REFRENCES .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 ................................................................................................................................................... 25 Regional map of the Sierra Nevada region, California Figure 2 ................................................................................................................................................... 26 Mantle structure beneath the Sierra Nevada region Figure 3 ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Structure map and schematic cross section of the southern Sierra Nevada Figure 4 ................................................................................................................................................... 29 Photo of the Kern River Gorge entering the San Joaquin Basin Figure 5 ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Example of a transient stream longitudinal profile Figure 6 ................................................................................................................................................... 31 Map and stream profile of the Kern River identifying