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 precipitation has no noticeable effect upon the denudation rate. Without any uplift, the relief is reduced to 10 percent of its initial value in 11 m.y.; with isostatic compensation 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. Oscillating rates of uplift cause corresponding oscillations of relief. The quantitative relationship between uplift, relief, and denudation may permit order-of-magnitude estimates of current rates of uplift.