Implications of the fault scaling law for the growth of topography: mountain ranges in the broken foreland of north-east Tibet |
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| Authors: | Ralf Hetzel Mingxin Tao Samuel Niedermann Manfred R Strecker Susan Ivy-Ochs Peter W Kubik Bo Gao |
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| Institution: | Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Potsdam, D-14415 Potsdam, Germany;;GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany;;The State Key Laboratory of Gas-geochemistry, Lanzhou Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Science, 324 Donggang West Avenue, Lanzhou 730000, China;;Institute of Particle Physics, ETH Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland;;Paul Scherrer Institut, c/o Institute of Particle Physics, ETH Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | A fault scaling law suggests that, over eight orders of magnitude, fault length L is linearly related to maximum displacement D. Individual faults may therefore retain a constant ratio of D/L as they grow. If erosion is minor compared with tectonic uplift, the length and along‐strike relief of young mountain ranges should thus reflect fault growth. Topographic profiles along the crests of mountain ranges in the actively deforming foreland of north‐east Tibet exhibit a characteristic shape with maximum height near their centre and decreasing elevation toward the tips. We interpret the along‐strike relief of these ranges to reflect the slip distribution on high‐angle reverse faults. A geometric model illustrates that the lateral propagation rate of such mountain ranges may be deciphered if their length‐to‐height ratio has remained constant. As an application of the model, we reconstruct the growth of the Heli Shan using a long‐term uplift rate of ～1.3 mm yr?1 derived from 21Ne and 10Be exposure dating. |
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