Quaternary Geologist & Geomorphologist Newsletter of the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division http://rock.geosociety.org/qgg Spring 2007 Vol. 48, No. 1 Photo of the Lake Manix Basin, Mojave Desert - Site of the Friends of the Pleistocene – Pacific Cell, field trip: Quaternary Stratigraphy, Drainage-Basin Development, and Geomorphology of the Lake Manix Basin, October 4-7, 2007. Principal trip leaders: Marith Reheis, Dave Miller, Joanna Redwine, Stephanie Dudash (Photo provided by Marith Reheis). 1 Quaternary Geology & Newsletter Editor and Webmaster: Geomorphology Division Officers Dennis E. Dahms and Panel Members – 2007 Dept of Geography ITTC #215 Officers – 6 Members, three of whom serve one-year terms: University of Northern Iowa Chair, First Vice-Chair, and Second Vice-Chair; and three of Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0406 whom serve two-year terms: Secretary, Treasurer, and [email protected] Newsletter Editor/Webmaster. Management Board – 8 Members: Division officers and the Past Chair: Chair of the preceding year; also includes the Historian as John E. Costa an ex officio member. U.S. Geological Survey 1300 SE Cardinal Court CHAIR: Building 10, Suite 100 John (Jack) F. Shroder, Jr. Vancouver, WA 98683 Dept of Geology and Geography [email protected] Univ of Nebraska-Omaha Omaha, NE 68182 [email protected] Historian: (Appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Management Board) 1st VICE-CHAIR: P. Thompson Davis Lisa L. Ely Professor, Geology & Climatology Dept of Geological Sciences Dept of Natural Sciences Central Washington Univ. Bentley College Ellensburg, WA 98926 Waltham, MA 02452-4705 [email protected] [email protected] Panel Members 2005-2007 Panel 2nd VICE-CHAIR: L. Allan James, [email protected] Marith Reheis Sara Rathburn, [email protected] U.S. Geological Survey Steve Wolfe, [email protected] MS 980 Federal Center, Box 25046 2006-2008 Panel Denver, CO 80225 Kenneth Adams, [email protected] [email protected] Steven Forman, [email protected] Scott Lundstrom, [email protected] SECRETARY: 2007 JTPC Representatives: Jon J. Major U.S. Geological Survey Lisa L. Ely 1300 SE Cardinal Court Dept of Geological Sciences Building 10, Suite 100 Central Washington Univ. Vancouver, WA 98683 Ellensburg, WA 98926 [email protected] John (Jack) F. Shroder, Jr. Dept of Geology and Geography Univ of Nebraska-Omaha Omaha, NE 68182 Treasurer: Scott F. Burns GSA Councilor/QG&G Division Liaison: Department of Geology (Appointed by the GSA President) Portland State University PO Box 751 Carolyn G. Olson Portland, OR 97207-0751 Reston, VA 20191 [email protected] [email protected] 2 activity and surficial processes. The burgeoning literature in this area demonstrates both rapidly QG&G DIVISION AWARDS - 2006 advancing knowledge and a need for detailed The following awards were given by the QG&G analysis of Earth surface processes at a variety of Division of GSA at the Philadelphia Convention scales. Montgomery and Brandon utilize recently Center, Philadelphia, PA, October 24, 2006. available topographic data and analytical tools, coupled with published data on rock uplift, to fill ── Kirk Bryan Award ── the need for this analysis at a relevant scale. Thirdly, this paper reflects a movement of The Kirk Bryan Award for Research Excellence geomorphology back to the broader scale of was established in 1951. The award is given for a landscapes. Landscape-scale geomorphology publication of distinction (within the past 5 years) was moved to the back shelf decades ago, in favor advancing the science of geomorphology or of greater focus on understanding and Quaternary geology, or a related field. The 2006 quantification of surficial processes at much award was presented to David R. Montgomery smaller temporal and spatial scales. While that (University of Washington) and Mark T. Brandon shift has made geomorphology a much stronger (Yale University) for their 2002 paper, Topographic field in many ways, it is exciting to see efforts once Controls on erosion rates in tectonically active again aimed at the “big picture.” There remains mountain ranges, Earth & Planetary Science much exciting debate about interrelationships of Letters, v. 201, p. 481-489). erosion and tectonism. Through this and other papers David Montgomery and Mark Brandon – Citation by Glen Thackray have helped advance this area of inquiry, and their David Montgomery and Mark Brandon have been efforts are richly deserving of this year’s Kirk awarded the 2006 Kirk Bryan Award for their 2002 Bryan Award. paper entitled “Topographic controls on erosion rates in tectonically active mountain ranges” (Earth – Response by David R. Montgomery and Planetary Science Letters, v. 201, p. 481- Thank you Glenn, for such kind words. I was 489). This is an elegant paper that tests long-held taken very much by surprise when I learned that ideas regarding topographic controls on erosion we had won an award for a paper that grew out of rates and advances our understanding of the pursuing a point that came up in some now evolution of mountain ranges. forgotten argument. It is a singular pleasure to be honored with the 2006 Kirk Bryan Award by so Montgomery and Brandon explored the many good friends and great colleagues. So it is relationship between local relief and erosion rates. with sincere appreciation to the Division and the In considering several tectonically active ranges Society that I accept, along with my friend Mark from across the globe, they found a non-linear Brandon, an award given previously to many relationship between mean local relief and erosion people whom I hold in high regard. rates, challenging long-held assumptions about the linearity of that relationship. They concluded Despite the rapid growth in geomorphology over that mountain landscapes adjust to high rates of my career, I continue to be amazed at how small rock uplift through increased incidence of our community can seem. As I was looking at the landsliding, itself governed by rock strength. list of previous Kirk Bryan Award winners I noticed that many have influenced my career. Dick Why is this eight-page paper without original data Iverson (2001) taught the first geomorphology deserving of this prestigious award? First, the class I took at Stanford in 1982. I shared an office paper reveals important relationships between with Clyde Wahrhaftig (1967) at Berkeley when as topography (namely local relief) and erosion rates an emeritus faculty member he was relegated to a that are important for understanding the evolution graduate student office. Steve Porter (2003) and of mountain ranges. Secondly, this seemingly Link Washburn (1971) were my predecessors as simple, yet elegant paper advances knowledge in Director's of UW's Quaternary Research Center. one of the most exciting areas of geomorphology, And I remember the first words that Luna Leopold, namely the interrelationship between tectonic 3 the first Kirk Bryan Award winner (1958), spoke to local scale. That said, perhaps they will help guide me at a UC Berkeley departmental holiday party: future work on resolving how local surface "What kind of amp is that you're playing through?" processes interact with tectonics and climate at the regional scale. Like a nice vintage guitar, great collaborators are hard to find, and I thank my co-author Mark As some of you know, my research career began Brandon for challenging and engaging discussions with my graduate work in structural geology and along the way in writing our paper. I also want to tectonics at University of Washington. So you thank Frank Ahnert for the initial inspiration to might wonder why a structural geologist would be think about the relationship between relief and interested in erosion. One reason is that the erosion rates in his classic paper on the subject, competition between uplift and erosion determines and Josh Roering, Bill Dietrich, and Jim Kirchner how a mountain range is exhumed. The other is for their groundbreaking work on non-linear that spatial gradients in erosion will cause rocks to hillslope diffusion that directly informed the shear. In other words, erosion may be responsible, approach Mark and I took in our paper. Finally, at least in part, for some of the deformation fabrics I can think of nothing more fitting to say than a that we see in the exhumed cores of mountain simple, heartfelt thank you for honoring us with belts. Of course, these ideas and many others this distinguished award. have been spawned by a renaissance in tectonics and geomorphology over the last 15 years, for – Response by Mark T. Brandon which the broad goal is to understand the Like Dave, I am surprised and honored by this interactions between tectonics, climate, and award. I am grateful to Glenn Thackray for the crustal geodynamics. I have enjoyed watching nomination and a thoughtful citation. I thank my over the many years the important role that co-author and friend Dave Montgomery for University of Washington has had in the initiating this project and doing the heavy lifting development of integrative research in surface that comes with being the first author. There were processes, geomorphology and tectonics. Dave several different threads that led to the ideas in Montgomery and his colleagues continued to our paper. Frank Ahnert was first to show a strong maintain a high profile in this area. correlation between local relief and basin-scale In closing, I would like to acknowledge Frank erosion rates in his 1970 paper in American Pazzaglia for his early work with me on Ahnert’s Journal of Science, but that correlation was limited relationship. I am also indebted to those who I to tectonically quiet landscapes. While working in have collaborated with over the years on tectonics the Olympic Mountains in the 1990’s, Frank and geomorphology research in the Olympics Pazzaglia and I spent much time puzzling as to Mountains.