Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The impacts of base level and lithology on fluvial geomorphic evolution at the tectonically active Laohu and Hasi Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Previous researches had emphasized tectonic impacts on the fluvial system at the tectonically active areas, while the effects of lithology and local base level change have received relatively rare attention. Here we investigated fluvial landforms at different spatial scales, focusing on knickpoints and channel network reorganization from an area affected by the Haiyuan Fault in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The geomorphic indices, i.e., drainage pattern and χ anomalies, were calculated and investigated. The results show that two regional radial drainages formed around the Laohu and Hasi Mountains. Within the interior of the radial drainage, tributaries from the southeast side of the Laohu Mountain experienced near 180° direction change. We interpret this as the gradual drainage capture originating from the height difference (~190 m) of the local base level between the two catchments. Some tributaries from the Hasi Mountain show alternating gorges and broad valleys controlled by lithology. Besides, tectonic uplift and the lowering of base level (from the incision of the Yellow River) triggered an autogenic positive-feedback transition from parallel to dendritic drainage patterns. These observations suggest that base level change and lithology play a crucial role in landscape evolution, even in a tectonically active region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen G H, Barnes J B, Pavelsky T M, Kirby E. 2013. Lithologic and tectonic controls on bedrock channel form at the northwest Himalayan front. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 118: 1806–1825

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumann S, Robl J, Prasicek G, Salcher B, Keil M. 2018. The effects of lithology and base level on topography in the northern alpine foreland. Geomorphology, 313: 13–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bender A M, Lease R O, Corbett L B, Bierman P, Caffee M W. 2018. Ongoing bedrock incision of the Fortymile River driven by Pliocene-Pleistocene Yukon River capture, eastern Alaska, USA, and Yukon, Canada. Geology, 46: 635–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boulton S J. 2020. Geomorphic response to differential uplift: River long profiles and knickpoints from Guadalcanal and Makira (Solomon Islands). Front Earth Sci, 8: 1–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bridgland D, Westaway R. 2008. Climatically controlled river terrace staircases: A worldwide Quaternary phenomenon. Geomorphology, 98: 285–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bull W B, McFadden L D. 1977. Tectonic geomorphology north and south of the Garlock Fault, California. In: Proceedings of the 8th Annual Geomorphology Symposium, Geomorphology in Arid Regions. Binghamton: State University of New York. 115–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Bursztyn N, Pederson J L, Tressler C, Mackley R D, Mitchell K J. 2015. Rock strength along a fluvial transect of the Colorado Plateau—Quantifying a fundamental control on geomorphology. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 429: 90–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalié O, Lasserre C, Doin M P, Peltzer G, Sun J, Xu X, Shen Z K. 2008. Measurement of interseismic strain across the Haiyuan fault (Gansu, China), by InSAR. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 275: 246–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cederbom C E, Sinclair H D, Schlunegger F, Rahn M K. 2004. Climate-induced rebound and exhumation of the European Alps. Geology, 32: 709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Champagnac J D, Molnar P, Sue C, Herman F. 2012. Tectonics, climate, and mountain topography. J Geophys Res, 117: B02403

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen S, Michaelides K, Grieve S W D, Singer M B. 2019. Aridity is expressed in river topography globally. Nature, 573: 573–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark M K, Schoenbohm L M, Royden L H, Whipple K X, Burchfiel B C, Zhang X, Tang W, Wang E, Chen L. 2004. Surface uplift, tectonics, and erosion of eastern Tibet from large-scale drainage patterns. Tectonics, 23: TC1006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuong N Q, Zuchiewicz W A. 2001. Morphotectonic properties of the Lo River Fault near Tam Dao in North Vietnam. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci, 1: 15–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis W M. 1903. The stream contest along the Blue Ridge. Geol Soc Phil Bull, 3: 213–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Deng Q, Zhang W, Zhang P, Jiao D, Song F. 1989. Haiyuan strike-slip fault zone and its compressional structures of the end (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 11: 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • DiBiase R A, Denn A R, Bierman P R, Kirby E, West N, Hidy A J. 2018a. Stratigraphic control of landscape response to base-level fall, Young Womans Creek, Pennsylvania, USA. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 504: 163–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiBiase R A, Rossi M W, Neely A B. 2018b. Fracture density and grain size controls on the relief structure of bedrock landscapes. Geology, 46: 399–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiBiase R A, Whipple K X, Heimsath A M, Ouimet W B. 2010. Landscape form and millennial erosion rates in the San Gabriel Mountains, CA. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 289: 134–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiBiase R A, Whipple K X, Lamb M P, Heimsath A M. 2015. The role of waterfalls and knickzones in controlling the style and pace of landscape adjustment in the western San Gabriel Mountains, California. Geol Soc Am Bull, 127: 539–559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egholm D L, Knudsen M F, Sandiford M. 2013. Lifespan of mountain ranges scaled by feedbacks between landsliding and erosion by rivers. Nature, 498: 475–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flint J J. 1974. Stream gradient as a function of order, magnitude, and discharge. Water Resour Res, 10: 969–973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forte A M, Whipple K X. 2018. Criteria and tools for determining drainage divide stability. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 493: 102–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forte A M, Yanites B J, Whipple K X. 2016. Complexities of landscape evolution during incision through layered stratigraphy with contrasts in rock strength. Earth Surf Process Landforms, 41: 1736–1757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu X, Li S, Li B, Fu B. 2017. A fluvial terrace record of late Quaternary folding rate of the Anjihai anticline in the northern piedmont of Tian Shan, China. Geomorphology, 278: 91–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallen, S F, Wegmann K W. 2017. ChiProfiler: ChiProfiler version 1.0.0. available at: https://github.com/sfgallen/ChiProfiler

  • Giachetta E, Willett S D. 2018. Effects of river capture and sediment flux on the evolution of plateaus: Insights from numerical modeling and river profile analysis in the upper blue Nile catchment. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 123: 1187–1217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook J, Schumm S A. 1999. Geomorphic and sedimentary response of rivers to tectonic deformation: A brief review and critique of a tool for recognizing subtle epeirogenic deformation in modern and ancient settings. Tectonophysics, 305: 287–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard A D, Kerby G. 1983. Channel changes in badlands. Geol Soc Am Bull, 94: 739–752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaiswara N K, Pandey P, Pandey A K. 2019. Mio-Pliocene piracy, relict landscape and drainage reorganization in the Namcha Barwa syntaxis zone of eastern Himalaya. Sci Rep, 9: 17585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansen J D, Codilean A T, Bishop P, Hoey T B. 2010. Scale dependence of lithological control on topography: Bedrock channel geometry and catchment morphometry in western Scotland. J Geol, 118: 223–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolivet R, Lasserre C, Doin M P, Guillaso S, Peltzer G, Dailu R, Sun J, Shen Z K, Xu X. 2012. Shallow creep on the Haiyuan Fault (Gansu, China) revealed by SAR interferometry. J Geophys Res, 117: B06401

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby E, Whipple K X. 2012. Expression of active tectonics in erosional landscapes. J Struct Geol, 44: 54–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirby E, Whipple K X. 2001. Quantifying differential rock-uplift rates via stream profile analysis. Geology, 29: 415–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liro M. 2017. Dam-induced base-level rise effects on the gravel-bed channel planform. Catena, 153: 143–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu-Zeng J, Shao Y, Klinger Y, Xie K, Yuan D, Lei Z. 2015. Variability in magnitude of paleoearthquakes revealed by trenching and historical records, along the Haiyuan Fault, China. J Geophys Res Solid Earth, 120: 8304–8333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malatesta L C, Avouac J. 2018. Contrasting river incision in north and south Tian Shan piedmonts due to variable glacial imprint in mountain valleys. Geology, 46: 659–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall J A, Roering J J. 2014. Diagenetic variation in the Oregon Coast Range: Implications for rock strength, soil production, hillslope form, and landscape evolution. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 119: 1395–1417

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miao X, Lu H, Li Z, Cao G. 2008. Paleocurrent and fabric analyses of the imbricated fluvial gravel deposits in Huangshui Valley, the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, China. Geomorphology, 99: 433–442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery D R. 2001. Slope distributions, threshold hillslopes, and steady-state topography. Am J Sci, 301: 432–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery D R, Brandon M T. 2002. Topographic controls on erosion rates in tectonically active mountain ranges. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 201: 481–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan B, Su H, Hu Z, Hu X, Gao H, Li J, Kirby E. 2009. Evaluating the role of climate and tectonics during non-steady incision of the Yellow River: Evidence from a 1.24 Ma terrace record near Lanzhou, China. Quat Sci Rev, 28: 3281–3290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perron J T, Royden L. 2013. An integral approach to bedrock river profile analysis. Earth Surf Proc Landforms, 38: 570–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters G, Van Balen R T. 2007. Tectonic geomorphology of the northern Upper Rhine Graben, Germany. Glob Planet Change, 58: 310–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robl J, Heberer B, Prasicek G, Neubauer F, Hergarten S. 2017. The topography of a continental indenter: The interplay between crustal deformation, erosion, and base level changes in the eastern Southern Alps. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 122: 310–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royden L, Perron J T. 2013. Solutions of the stream power equation and application to the evolution of river longitudinal profiles. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 118: 497–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schanz S A, Montgomery D R. 2016. Lithologic controls on valley width and strath terrace formation. Geomorphology, 258: 58–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenbohm L M, Whipple K X, Burchfiel B C, Chen L. 2004. Geomorphic constraints on surface uplift, exhumation, and plateau growth in the Red River region, Yunnan Province, China. Geol Soc Am Bull, 116: 895–909

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwanghart W, Scherler D. 2014. TopoToolbox 2-MATLAB-based software for topographic analysis and modeling in Earth surface sciences. Earth Surf Dynam, 2: 1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seagren E G, Schoenbohm L M. 2019. Base level and lithologic control of drainage reorganization in the Sierra de las Planchadas, NW Argentina. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 124: 1516–1539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder N P, Whipple K X, Tucker G E, Merritts D J. 2000. Landscape response to tectonic forcing: Digital elevation model analysis of stream profiles in the Mendocino triple junction region, northern California. Geol Soc Am Bull, 112: 1250–1263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song F, Zhu S, Wang Y, Deng Q, Zhang W. 1983. The maximum horizontal displacement in the haiyuan earthquake of 1920 and the estimation of the earthquake recurrence along the nothern marginal fault of the xihuashan (in Chinese). Seismol Geol, 5: 29–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Su Q, Ren Z, Zhang H, Zhang P, Manopkawee P. 2019. The role of the Haiyuan Fault in accelerating incision rate of the Yellow River at the Mijia Shan Area, northeastern Tibetan Plateau, as revealed by in-situ10Be dating. J Asian Earth Sci, 179: 276–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tapponnier P, Xu Z Q, Roger F, Meyer B, Arnaud N, Wittlinger G, Yang J S. 2001. Oblique stepwise rise and growth of the Tibet Plateau. Science, 294: 1671–1677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberghe J. 1995. Timescales, climate and river development. Quat Sci Rev, 14: 631–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberghe J. 2015. River terraces as a response to climatic forcing: Formation processes, sedimentary characteristics and sites for human occupation. Quat Int, 370: 3–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberghe J, Wang X, Lu H. 2011. Differential impact of small-scaled tectonic movements on fluvial morphology and sedimentology (the Huang Shui catchment, NE Tibet Plateau). Geomorphology, 134: 171–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang P, Scherler D, Liu-Zeng J, Mey J, Avouac J P, Zhang Y, Shi D. 2014. Tectonic control of Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge revealed by a buried canyon in Southern Tibet. Science, 346: 978–981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Van Balen R, Yi S, Vandenberghe J, Lu H. 2014. Differential tectonic movements in the confluence area of the Huang Shui and Huang He rivers (Yellow River), NE Tibetan Plateau, as inferred from fluvial terrace positions. Boreas, 43: 469–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Vandenberghe D, Yi S, Vandenberghe J, Lu H, Van Balen R, Van den Haute P. 2013. Late Quaternary paleoclimatic and geomorphological evolution at the interface between the Menyuan Basin and the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Quat Res, 80: 534–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Vandenberghe J, Lu H, Van Balen R. 2017. Climatic and tectonic controls on the fluvial morphology of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau (China). J Geogr Sci, 27: 1325–1340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Vandenberghe J, Yi S, Van Balen R, Lu H. 2015. Climate-dependent fluvial architecture and processes on a suborbital timescale in areas of rapid tectonic uplift: An example from the NE Tibetan Plateau. Glob Planet Change, 133: 318–329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whipple K X. 2004. Bedrock rivers and the geomorphology of active orogens. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci, 32: 151–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whipple K X, Tucker G E. 1999. Dynamics of the stream-power river incision model: Implications for height limits of mountain ranges, landscape response timescales, and research needs. J Geophys Res, 104: 17661–17674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whipple K X, Forte A M, DiBiase R A, Gasparini N M, Ouimet W B. 2017. Timescales of landscape response to divide migration and drainage capture: Implications for the role of divide mobility in landscape evolution. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 122: 248–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker A C. 2012. How do landscapes record tectonics and climate? Lithosphere, 4: 160–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willett S D, Brandon M T. 2002. On steady states in mountain belts. Geology, 30: 175–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willett S D, McCoy S W, Perron J T, Goren L, Chen C Y. 2014. Dynamic reorganization of River Basins. Science, 343: 1248765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wobus C, Whipple K X, Kirby E. 2006. Tectonics from topography: Procedures, promise, and pitfalls. Geol Soc Am Bull, 55–74

  • Yang R, Willett S D, Goren L. 2015. In situ low-relief landscape formation as a result of river network disruption. Nature, 520: 526–529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Kirby E, Pitlick J, Anderson R S, Zhang P. 2017. Characterizing the transient geomorphic response to base-level fall in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. J Geophys Res Earth Surf, 122: 546–572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang K, Ma Z, Grapes R, Peng Z. 2014. Asymmetrical river valleys in response to tectonic tilting and strike-slip faulting, northeast margin of Tibetan Plateau. Earth Surf Process Landforms, 39: 1642–1650

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang P, Min W, Deng Q, Mao F. 2003. Recurrence of paleoearthquakes and strong earthquakes in the Haiyuan active fault zone (in Chinese). Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 33: 705–713

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng W, Zhang P, He W, Yuan D, Shao Y, Zheng D, Ge W, Min W. 2013. Transformation of displacement between strike-slip and crustal shortening in the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau: Evidence from decadal GPS measurements and late Quaternary slip rates on faults. Tectonophysics, 584: 267–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowldgements

We thank Jef Vandenberghe and Ronald Van Balen for their encouragement. We thank Dongxu CAI, Xiaolu DONG, Wanting XIE and Qi YU for their help in the field, and special thanks to Xun YANG for constructive suggestions in mapping. We extend our appreciation to two anonymous reviewers for providing thoughtful insights and constructive suggestions. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41971005, 41522101), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition Program (Grant No. 2019QZKK0205), and the National Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2016YFA0600500).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Zhengchen Li, Xianyan Wang, Yang Yu, Qi Su & Huayu Lu

  2. Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100029, China

    Huiping Zhang

  3. School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000, China

    Xiaodong Miao

Authors
  1. Zhengchen Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xianyan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yang Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Huiping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Qi Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Xiaodong Miao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Huayu Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xianyan Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Z., Wang, X., Yu, Y. et al. The impacts of base level and lithology on fluvial geomorphic evolution at the tectonically active Laohu and Hasi Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Sci. China Earth Sci. 64, 906–919 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9743-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9743-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation