Coarse sediment supply sets the slope of bedrock channels in rapidly uplifting terrain: Field and topographic evidence from eastern Taiwan

Abstract

AbstractThe incision rate and steepness of bedrock channels depend on water discharge, uplift rate, substrate lithology, sediment flux, and bedload size. However, the relative role of these factors and the sensitivity of channel steepness to rapid (>1 mm yr−1) uplift rates remain unclear. We conducted field and topographic analyses of fluvial bedrock channels with varying channel bed lithology and sediment source rock along the Coastal Range in eastern Taiwan, where uplift rates vary from 1.8 to 11.8 mm yr−1 and precipitation is relatively consistent (1.5–2.7 m yr−1), to evaluate the controls on bedrock channel steepness. We find that channel steepness is independent of rock uplift rate and annual precipitation but increases monotonically with sediment size and substrate strength. Furthermore, in reaches with uniform substrate lithology (mudstone and flysch), channel steepness systematically varies with sediment source rock but not with channel width. When applied to our data, a mechanistic incision model (saltation‐abrasion model) suggests that the steepness of Coastal Range channels is set primarily by coarse‐sediment supply. We also observe that larger particles are mainly composed of resistant lithologies derived from volcanic rocks and conglomerates. This result implies that hillslope bedrock properties in the source area exert a dominant control on the steepness of proximal channels through coarse‐sediment production in this setting. We propose that channel steepness may be insensitive to uplift rate and flow discharge in fast‐uplifting landscapes where incision processes are set by coarse sediment size and supply. Models assuming a proportionality between incision rate and basal shear stress (stream power) may not fully capture controls on fluvial channel profiles in landslide‐dominated landscapes. Processes other than channel steepening, such as enhanced bedload impacts and debris‐flow scour, may be required to balance rock uplift and incision in these transport‐limited systems.