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Correlation and age of Quaternary alluvial-fan sequences, Basin and Range Province, Southwestern United States

Gary E. Christenson and Charles (Rus) Purcell
Correlation and age of Quaternary alluvial-fan sequences, Basin and Range Province, Southwestern United States (in Soils and Quaternary geology of the Southwestern United States, David L. Weide (editor) and Marianne L. Faber (editor))
Special Paper - Geological Society of America (1985) 203: 115-122

Abstract

Alluvial-fan deposits in the Basin and Range province in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah may be correlated by relative-age criteria. Diagnostic criteria include (1) drainage pattern, (2) incision depth, (3) surface morphology, (4) desert pavement and varnish development, (5) soil-profile development, and (6) morphostratigraphic relations. These criteria allow us to group alluvial-fan deposits into three age classes: young, intermediate, and old. Young fans have a distributary drainage pattern (bar and channel topography), stream incision typically less than 1 m, and an undeveloped to weak soil profile. In contrast, intermediate-age fans have a dendritic to parallel drainage pattern, major channel incision of about 1 to 10 m with undissected interfluves, and weak to strong soil profiles. Old fans retain little of their original surface morphology, have stream incision greater than about 10 m, and typically are cut off from their original source areas by modern drainages. Soils are strongly developed on remnant drainage divides but elsewhere are generally removed by erosion. Similar sequences of alluvial fans throughout the Basin and Range suggest a regional control over deposition probably related to Quaternary climatic changes. Local variations in sequences may result from other factors which influence deposition, such as lithology and tectonic or other base-level controls. However, fans attributable to these factors are generally not of significance in regional correlation. Relative soil-profile development, morphostratigraphic relations, and absolute dates from numerous Basin and Range localities indicate that most young fans are less than 15,000 years old; intermediate-age fans range from 10,000 to 700,000 years old; and old fans generally exceed 500,000 years in age.


ISSN: 0072-1077
EISSN: 2331-219X
Coden: GSAPAZ
Serial Title: Special Paper - Geological Society of America
Serial Volume: 203
Title: Correlation and age of Quaternary alluvial-fan sequences, Basin and Range Province, Southwestern United States
Title: Soils and Quaternary geology of the Southwestern United States
Author(s): Christenson, Gary E.Purcell, Charles (Rus)
Author(s): Weide, David L.editor
Author(s): Faber, Marianne L.editor
Affiliation: Utah Geol. and Miner. Surv., Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Affiliation: Univ. Nev., Dep. Geosci., Las Vegas, NV, United States
Pages: 115-122
Published: 1985
Text Language: English
Publisher: Geological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO, United States
ISBN: 0-8137-2203-9
Meeting name: Cordilleran Section of the Geological Society of America meeting ; Soils and Quaternary geology of the Southwestern United States
Meeting location: Anaheim, CA, USA, United States
Meeting date: 19821982
References: 45
Accession Number: 1986-008010
Categories: Quaternary geology
Document Type: Serial Conference document
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. 2 tables, sketch maps
N31°15'00" - N37°00'00", W115°00'00" - W109°00'00"
N29°00'00" - N43°30'00", W122°00'00" - W102°30'00"
N32°30'00" - N42°00'00", W124°30'00" - W114°15'00"
N35°00'00" - N42°00'00", W120°00'00" - W114°04'60"
N26°00'00" - N37°00'00", W114°45'00" - W93°30'00"
N37°00'00" - N42°00'00", W114°04'60" - W109°04'60"
Secondary Affiliation: Lockhead Eng. and Manage. Serv. Comp., USA, United States
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute.
Update Code: 1986
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