Tectonic geomorphology of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains (California): Evidence for uplift and basin formation

Abstract

Hypotheses regarding uplift of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (Sierra), California, USA, vary from a single slowly tilting block to rapid Pliocene and/or Quaternary uplift in the south exclusively. To test these hypotheses, we examined geomorphic indices of the western Sierra. We interpret longitudinal profiles of the larger westerly flowing rivers, mountain front sinuosity, valley floor-to-width to height ratio, and relief ratio to show that relative tectonic activity is greater in the southern Sierra near the Kern River Gorge fault. The Sierra range crest profile indicates that the increased tectonism is related to more recent uplift in the southern Sierra. Only westward migration of Basin and range extension is consistent with the locus of uplift in the southern Sierra. We hypothesize that the Sierra topography is the result of Pliocene delamination-related uplift in the central Sierra and post-Pliocene interaction of the San Andreas, Garlock, and Sierra Nevada Frontal fault zones.