Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
The southern Appalachians maintain rugged topography with substantial relief despite the their long period of orogenic quiescence. Recent conclusions from research is been seemingly contradictory: the landscape is either in a state of dynamic equilibrium, with high topography maintained by isostatic adjustment to uniform erosion, or it is in disequilibrium driven by uplift of mantle forcing, base-level change, or climate change, or a combination of all. Here we use river longitudinal profile analyses from the Blue Ridge in west-central Virginia. We have extracted profiles from 10 m NED DEMs in 80 tributaries along approximately 100 km of the Blue Ridge between the James River and Shenandoah National Park. Profile convexities were located using slope-area plots, from which we determined the elevation, change in elevation, and slope for each identified profile convexity. The lithology underlying each convexity and the proximity to lithological contacts were determined from georeferenced geologic maps. We eliminated from our data set convexities that were less than 15 m in total height and/or less than 0.03 in slope. Using this criterion, we identified 42 distinct convexities on 80 tributaries. Of these, 36 are not directly related to lithology. In one portion of the study area with an apparent high-elevation,surface, channels draining this surface have knickpoints that cluster around an elevation of 500-600 meters. We conclude that, at least in a portion of our study area, there is evidence for migratory knickpoints that are increasing valley relief and producing a high relief topography
Date Awarded
2015
Department
Geology
Advisor 1
Gregory S. Hancock
Recommended Citation
Stoeckle, Elizabeth, "An Investigation of Landscape Disequilibrium Using Channel Profile Analysis in the Blue Ridge of Shenandoah National Park, Virginia" (2015). Geology Senior Theses. William & Mary. Paper 347.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/geologyseniors/347
