Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems
Uranium-series analyses of water-table-type speleothems from Glenwood Cavern and “cavelets” near the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA, yield incision rates of the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon for the last ~1.4 My. The incision rates, calculated from dating cave mammillary and cave folia...
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| Language: | English |
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University of South Florida Libraries
2013-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Speleology |
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| Online Access: | http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1754&context=ijs |
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| author | Victor J. Polyak Harvey R. DuChene Donald G. Davis Arthur N. Palmer Margaret V. Palmer Yemane Asmerom |
| author_facet | Victor J. Polyak Harvey R. DuChene Donald G. Davis Arthur N. Palmer Margaret V. Palmer Yemane Asmerom |
| author_sort | Victor J. Polyak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Uranium-series analyses of water-table-type speleothems from Glenwood Cavern and “cavelets” near the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA, yield incision rates of the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon for the last ~1.4 My. The incision rates, calculated from dating cave mammillary and cave folia calcite situated 65 and 90 m above the Colorado River, are 174 ± 30 m/My for the last 0.46 My and 144 ± 30 m/My for the last 0.62 My, respectively. These are consistent with incision rates determined from nearby volcanic deposits. In contrast, δ234U model ages (1.39 ± 0.25 My; 1.36 ± 0.25 My; and 1.72 ± 0.25 My) from three different samples of mammillary-like subaqueous crust collected from Glenwood Cavern, 375 m above the Colorado River, yield incision rates of 271 +58/-41 m/My, 277 +61/-42 m/ My, and 218 +36/-27 m/My. These data suggest a relatively fast incision rate between roughly 3 and 1 Ma. The onset of Pleistocene glaciation may have influenced this rate by increasing precipitation on the Colorado Plateau starting at 2.5 Ma. Slowing of incision just before 0.6 Ma could be related to the change in frequency of glacial cycles from 40 to 100 kyr in the middle Pleistocene. This interpretation would suggest that the cutting power of the Colorado River prior to 3 Ma was smaller. An alternative interpretation involving tectonic activity would invoke an episode of fast uplift in the Glenwood Canyon region from 3 to 1 Ma. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc0517f18484440f99e7b3a8ab2c7150 |
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| issn | 0392-6672 1827-806X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:04:04Z |
| publishDate | 2013-09-01 |
| publisher | University of South Florida Libraries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Speleology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc0517f18484440f99e7b3a8ab2c71502022-12-21T21:29:20ZengUniversity of South Florida LibrariesInternational Journal of Speleology0392-66721827-806X2013-09-01423193202http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.42.3.3Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothemsVictor J. PolyakHarvey R. DuCheneDonald G. DavisArthur N. PalmerMargaret V. PalmerYemane AsmeromUranium-series analyses of water-table-type speleothems from Glenwood Cavern and “cavelets” near the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA, yield incision rates of the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon for the last ~1.4 My. The incision rates, calculated from dating cave mammillary and cave folia calcite situated 65 and 90 m above the Colorado River, are 174 ± 30 m/My for the last 0.46 My and 144 ± 30 m/My for the last 0.62 My, respectively. These are consistent with incision rates determined from nearby volcanic deposits. In contrast, δ234U model ages (1.39 ± 0.25 My; 1.36 ± 0.25 My; and 1.72 ± 0.25 My) from three different samples of mammillary-like subaqueous crust collected from Glenwood Cavern, 375 m above the Colorado River, yield incision rates of 271 +58/-41 m/My, 277 +61/-42 m/ My, and 218 +36/-27 m/My. These data suggest a relatively fast incision rate between roughly 3 and 1 Ma. The onset of Pleistocene glaciation may have influenced this rate by increasing precipitation on the Colorado Plateau starting at 2.5 Ma. Slowing of incision just before 0.6 Ma could be related to the change in frequency of glacial cycles from 40 to 100 kyr in the middle Pleistocene. This interpretation would suggest that the cutting power of the Colorado River prior to 3 Ma was smaller. An alternative interpretation involving tectonic activity would invoke an episode of fast uplift in the Glenwood Canyon region from 3 to 1 Ma.http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1754&context=ijsincision rateColorado Rivermammillaryuranium-seriesspeleothemfolia |
| spellingShingle | Victor J. Polyak Harvey R. DuChene Donald G. Davis Arthur N. Palmer Margaret V. Palmer Yemane Asmerom Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems International Journal of Speleology incision rate Colorado River mammillary uranium-series speleothem folia |
| title | Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems |
| title_full | Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems |
| title_fullStr | Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems |
| title_short | Incision history of Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, USA, from the uranium-series analyses of water-table speleothems |
| title_sort | incision history of glenwood canyon colorado usa from the uranium series analyses of water table speleothems |
| topic | incision rate Colorado River mammillary uranium-series speleothem folia |
| url | http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1754&context=ijs |
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