Timing of early Quaternary gravel accumulation in the Swiss Alpine Foreland

Abstract

Deckenschotter (‘Cover Gravels’) are proximal glaciofluvial gravels located in the northern Alpine Foreland mainly beyond the extent of the Last Glacial Maximum. They cover Tertiary Molasse or Mesozoic bedrock with an erosional unconformity. In Switzerland, Deckenschotter are referred to as Höhere (Higher) and Tiefere (Lower) Deckenschotter based on their topographical positions with a significant phase of incision that separates these two units. For this study, we performed sedimentological analyses to identify the provenance, transport mechanisms and depositional environment of these gravels. In addition, we established the chronology of the Höhere Deckenschotter gravels at Stadlerberg using cosmogenic 10Be depth-profile dating technique. The inherited 10Be concentration then allowed estimation of a catchment-wide palaeo-denudation rate. The results from clast fabric investigations indicate that braided rivers within a glaciofluvial environment transported these sediments to the study site mainly as bedload. In addition, the petrographic composition of the deposits shows that a large portion of the gravels was derived through erosional recycling of Miocene Molasse conglomerates. Some material was additionally sourced in the northern Central Alps. We then conclude that gravel accumulation in the Swiss Alpine Foreland was completed at 1.9±0.2Ma. This age, however, represents a minimum age and the oldest 10Be depth-profile age ever obtained for a geological unit. Furthermore, a palaeo-denudation rate of c. 0.3–0.4mm/a was estimated for the catchment of Stadlerberg gravels. Finally, elevation differences between the bedrock underlying the Höhere Deckenschotter and the modern base level imply a long-term regional incision rate of c. 0.12mm/a.