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Quantitative morphometric analysis of the Jama River profile in a tectonically active margin (Northwestern Ecuador)

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Abstract

The longitudinal profile of a river channel can be described in function of mathematical expressions. The logarithmic fit is the most used method to describe the relative equilibrium of a channel elevation profile. Rivers showing zones of high channel gradient and convex-upward profiles can be evaluated in function of the offset distance with respect to the logarithmic curve. The Jama River profile has been constructed using differential GPS data for the downstream reach and 4-m-grid DEM data base for the remaining headward profile. The resulting longitudinal profile shows a prominent knickpoint of about 80 m in elevation characterized by sharp local convexity. The offset distance in vertical direction from the logarithmic plot is interpreted as the successive accumulation of multiple uplift episodes associated with the Jama Fault System activity. The horizontal offset is suggested to represent the remaining retreated distance for the upstream propagation of the Jama knickpoint. The highly resistant Cretaceous rocks outcropping along the Jama knickpoint reach acts as an inflection point between two subprofiles that show well-fitted logarithmic curves, thereby representing a temporary partitioned equilibrium along the Jama River profile.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Escuela Politécnica Nacional in the Project PIS-14-32. We thank to the support of the French Agence National pour la Recherche through the ANR-REMAKE project (grant ANR-15-CE04-0004), the Institut de Recherche pour le Developement (IRD, France) for additional financial supporting in the early stages to this work and the Instituto Geofísico for providing the GPS equipment. We especially want to thank Minard Hall for its detailed review before submission. We thank V. Regard and other anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments by which the original manuscript was greatly improved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ladrón de Guevara, E11-253, PO.Box 17-01-2759, Quito, Ecuador

    Pedro S. B. Reyes, Mauricio E. Valarezo & Camilo Zapata

  2. Geostrat S.A., Jorge Drom N39-188 y Gaspar de Villaroel, Quito, Ecuador

    Mauricio E. Valarezo

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ladrón de Guevara, E11-253, PO.Box 17-01-2759, Quito, Ecuador

    Jenry Córdova

  4. Sorbonne Université, Université Côte d’Azur, IRD, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Geoazur, 250 rue A. Einstein, Sophia Antipolis, 06560, Valbonne, France

    François A. Michaud

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  1. Pedro S. B. Reyes
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Correspondence to Pedro S. B. Reyes.

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Reyes, P.S.B., Valarezo, M.E., Córdova, J. et al. Quantitative morphometric analysis of the Jama River profile in a tectonically active margin (Northwestern Ecuador). J. Mt. Sci. 15, 966–975 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4751-y

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