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Geological Society, London, Special Publications

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Slope failure and mass transport processes along the Queen Charlotte Fault, southeastern Alaska

View ORCID ProfileDaniel S. Brothers, View ORCID ProfileBrian D. Andrews, View ORCID ProfileMaureen A. L. Walton, View ORCID ProfileH. Gary Greene, J. Vaughn Barrie, View ORCID ProfileNathan C. Miller, View ORCID ProfileUri ten Brink, View ORCID ProfileAmy E. East, View ORCID ProfilePeter J. Haeussler, View ORCID ProfileJared W. Kluesner and View ORCID ProfileJames E. Conrad
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 477, 69-83, 21 May 2018, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP477.30
Daniel S. Brothers
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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  • ORCID record for Daniel S. Brothers
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Brian D. Andrews
2Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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  • ORCID record for Brian D. Andrews
Maureen A. L. Walton
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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  • ORCID record for Maureen A. L. Walton
H. Gary Greene
3Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039-0450, USA
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  • ORCID record for H. Gary Greene
J. Vaughn Barrie
4Geological Survey of Canada–Pacific, Natural Resources Canada, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
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Nathan C. Miller
2Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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  • ORCID record for Nathan C. Miller
Uri ten Brink
2Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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  • ORCID record for Uri ten Brink
Amy E. East
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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  • ORCID record for Amy E. East
Peter J. Haeussler
5Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
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  • ORCID record for Peter J. Haeussler
Jared W. Kluesner
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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James E. Conrad
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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Abstract

The Queen Charlotte Fault defines the Pacific–North America transform plate boundary in western Canada and southeastern Alaska for c. 900 km. The entire length of the fault is submerged along a continental margin dominated by Quaternary glacial processes, yet the geomorphology along the margin has never been systematically examined due to the absence of high-resolution seafloor mapping data. Hence the geological processes that influence the distribution, character and timing of mass transport events and their associated hazards remain poorly understood. Here we develop a classification of the first-order shape of the continental shelf, slope and rise to examine potential relationships between form and process dominance. We found that the margin can be split into six geomorphic groups that vary smoothly from north to south between two basic end-members. The northernmost group (west of Chichagof Island, Alaska) is characterized by concave-upwards slope profiles, gentle slope gradients (<6°) and relatively low along-strike variance, all features characteristic of sediment-dominated siliciclastic margins. Dendritic submarine canyon/channel networks and retrogressive failure complexes along relatively gentle slope gradients are observed throughout the region, suggesting that high rates of Quaternary sediment delivery and accumulation played a fundamental part in mass transport processes. Individual failures range in area from 0.02 to 70 km2 and display scarp heights between 10 and 250 m. Transpression along the Queen Charlotte Fault increases southwards and the slope physiography is thus progressively more influenced by regional-scale tectonic deformation. The southernmost group (west of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia) defines the tectonically dominated end-member: the continental slope is characterized by steep gradients (>20°) along the flanks of broad, margin-parallel ridges and valleys. Mass transport features in the tectonically dominated areas are mostly observed along steep escarpments and the larger slides (up to 10 km2) appear to be failures of consolidated material along the flanks of tectonic features. Overall, these observations highlight the role of first-order margin physiography on the distribution and type of submarine landslides expected to occur in particular morphological settings. The sediment-dominated end-member allows for the accumulation of under-consolidated Quaternary sediments and shows larger, more frequent slides; the rugged physiography of the tectonically dominated end-member leads to sediment bypass and the collapse of uplifted tectonic features. The maximum and average dimensions of slides are an order of magnitude smaller than those of slides observed along other (passive) glaciated margins. We propose that the general patterns observed in slide distribution are caused by the interplay between tectonic activity (long- and short-term) and sediment delivery. The recurrence (<100 years) of M > 7 earthquakes along the Queen Charlotte Fault may generate small, but frequent, failures of under-consolidated Quaternary sediments within the sediment-dominated regions. By contrast, the tectonically dominated regions are characterized by the bypass of Quaternary sediments to the continental rise and the less frequent collapse of steep, uplifted and consolidated sediments.

  • © 2018 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London. All rights reserved
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Geological Society, London, Special Publications: 477 (1)
Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Volume 477
2019
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Slope failure and mass transport processes along the Queen Charlotte Fault, southeastern Alaska

Daniel S. Brothers, Brian D. Andrews, Maureen A. L. Walton, H. Gary Greene, J. Vaughn Barrie, Nathan C. Miller, Uri ten Brink, Amy E. East, Peter J. Haeussler, Jared W. Kluesner and James E. Conrad
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 477, 69-83, 21 May 2018, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP477.30
Daniel S. Brothers
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Daniel S. Brothers
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Brian D. Andrews
2Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Brian D. Andrews
Maureen A. L. Walton
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Maureen A. L. Walton
H. Gary Greene
3Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039-0450, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for H. Gary Greene
J. Vaughn Barrie
4Geological Survey of Canada–Pacific, Natural Resources Canada, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Nathan C. Miller
2Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Nathan C. Miller
Uri ten Brink
2Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Uri ten Brink
Amy E. East
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Amy E. East
Peter J. Haeussler
5Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Peter J. Haeussler
Jared W. Kluesner
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Jared W. Kluesner
James E. Conrad
1Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, 2885 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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  • ORCID record for James E. Conrad

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Slope failure and mass transport processes along the Queen Charlotte Fault, southeastern Alaska

Daniel S. Brothers, Brian D. Andrews, Maureen A. L. Walton, H. Gary Greene, J. Vaughn Barrie, Nathan C. Miller, Uri ten Brink, Amy E. East, Peter J. Haeussler, Jared W. Kluesner and James E. Conrad
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 477, 69-83, 21 May 2018, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP477.30
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