Abstract
[1] It is generally argued that Pleistocene glaciation results in increased sediment flux in mountain systems. An important, but not well constrained, aspect of Pleistocene glacial erosion is the geomorphic decoupling of cirque basins from main river systems. This study provides a quantitative link between glacier-induced basin morphology, postglacial erosion, and sediment delivery for mountain headwaters (with basin area 28%, respectively, and (ii) larger fan sizes at outlets of noncirque basins compared to cirques. Although small headwater basins represent the steepest part of mountain environments and erode significant postglacial sediment, the majority of sediment remains in storage under interglacial climatic conditions and does not affect large-scale mountain river systems.
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