Functional relationships between denudation, relief, and uplift in large, mid-latitude drainage basins

Abstract

The mean denudation rate in mid-latitude river basins is directly proportional to mean basin relief. Mean annual perciptation has no notcerable effect upon the denudation rate. Without any uplift, the relief is reduced to 10 percent of its initial value in 11 m.y.; withisostatic comensation, this time increases to at least 18.5 m.y. Establishment of a steady state relief (Hack, 1960) would require a constant rate of uplift for more than 20 m.y. and thus is unlikely to occur. Oscillationg rates of uplift cause corrsponding ocsillations of relief. The quantitivite relatioship between uplift, relief, anddenudaton ay permit oder-of-magnitude estimates of current rates of uplift.