River terrace formation in response to climate, regional uplift and local normal faulting: The Danube terrace staircase in Vienna

• DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu24-10609
• Publication Date: 2024-03-08T20:55:33Z
• Authors: Bernhard Salcher; Stephanie Neuhuber; Jan-Christoph Otto; Tom Payer; Christopher Lüthgens; Sebastian Fuchs; Adrian Flores-Orozco; Zsofia Ruszkiczay...; Sabine Grupe; Markus Fiebig
• Keywords: Terrace (agriculture); River terraces

The formation of impressive Quaternary terrace sequences along many mid to high latitudinal rivers is the consequence surface uplift and a strong climate related impact on fluvial system. Glacial periglacial processes may amplify events aggradation thereby providing clear stratigraphic markers in record. Terrace are essential landforms continental basins even though local subsidence counteract regional trend. We explore these opposing lithospheric forces, vs. normal faulting perialpine section Danube River that supposedly strongly affected by 100-kyr depositional cyclicity during Quaternary. Within city Vienna, forms an staircase which impacted scale fault at transition Alps – Vienna Basin crossing right its central parts. Hydrocarbon exploration indicate vertical offset up c. 4 km accumulated Miocene, but recent activity remined so far ambiguous. Anthropogenic overprint led obliteration morphology solifluction resulted thick soil bearing colluvial deposits slopes. To constrain activity, kinematics information from elevation, we used electrical resistivity tomography analyzed data numerous drill logs outcrops. applied terrestrial cosmogenic burial luminescence dating derive rates velocities support morphostratigraphic age modelling. show how long-wavelength concomitant controls landscape evolution under periods incision. Our study provides largest set derived ages sediments Eastern unambiguous evidence active within Vienna.