Catastrophic rock avalanches in a glaciated valley of the High Atlas, Morocco: 10Be exposure ages reveal a 4.5 ka seismic event

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorHughes, PDen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFink, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorFletcher, WJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHannah, Gen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-26T06:28:35Zen_AU
dc.date.available2016-08-26T06:28:35Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2014-02-03en_AU
dc.date.statistics2016-08-26en_AU
dc.description.abstractSurface modification processes leading to large debris accumulations in high-relief mountain areas are important for understanding landscape evolution, especially in some of Earth’s most active orogens. The Arroumd rock avalanche at the foot of the NW face of Mount Aksoual (3912 m above sea level [masl]) in the Jebel Toubkal area of the High Atlas, Morocco, represents one of the largest mass movement landforms in North Africa. The age and origin of this extensive feature have been contested for over a century. Late Pleistocene moraines are also present in the same valley, adjacent to the avalanche debris. The mean of six 10Be cosmogenic exposure ages shows that a series of catastrophic rock slope failures occurred at 4.5 ± 0.5 ka, while a set of eight exposure ages from two of the three mapped moraines has a far larger spread from 1.5 to 7.5 ka. This suggests that the avalanche events were effective agents in modifying the true surface exposure age of the Pleistocene moraines in the Arroumd valley. This has resulted in similar mean 10Be apparent exposure ages for the preexisting Late Pleistocene moraine surfaces and Holocene catastrophic rock slope failures. Similar rock avalanche deposits are present in other glaciated valleys in the High Atlas. We conclude that the trigger for collapse was seismic activity related to proximity of the major Tizi n’Test fault. These findings have important implications for interpreting and dating glacial landforms in tectonically active settings. © 2020 Geological Society of Americaen_AU
dc.identifier.citationHughes, P. D., Fink, D., Fletcher, W. J., & Hannah, G. (2014). Catastrophic rock avalanches in a glaciated valley of the High Atlas, Morocco: 10Be exposure ages reveal a 4.5 ka seismic event. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 126(7-8), 1093-1104. doi:10.1130/b30894.1en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc7028en_AU
dc.identifier.issn1943-2674en_AU
dc.identifier.issue7-8en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleGeological Society of America Bulletinen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination1093-1104en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1130/b30894.1en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/7385en_AU
dc.identifier.volume126en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherThe Geological Society of Americaen_AU
dc.subjectOrogenesisen_AU
dc.subjectAvalanche quenchingen_AU
dc.subjectGeomorphologyen_AU
dc.subjectGlaciersen_AU
dc.subjectPleistocene epochen_AU
dc.subjectQuaternary perioden_AU
dc.titleCatastrophic rock avalanches in a glaciated valley of the High Atlas, Morocco: 10Be exposure ages reveal a 4.5 ka seismic eventen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
Files
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Journal Articles