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Calibrated, late Quaternary age indices using clast rubification and soil development on alluvial surfaces in Pilot Knob Valley, Mojave Desert, southeastern California

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

John G. Helms ,
Sally F. McGill  and
Thomas K. Rockwell
John G. Helms
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA William Lettis and Associates, Inc., 28470 Avenue Stanford, Suite 120, Valencia, CA 91355, USA
Sally F. McGill*
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407, USA
Thomas K. Rockwell
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, San Bernardino, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA 92407-2397. Fax: +1-909-880-7005.E-mail address:[email protected] (S.F. McGill).
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Abstract

The orange coating (varnish) that forms on the undersides (ventral sides) of clasts in desert pavements constitutes a potential relative-age indicator. Using Munsell color notation, we semiquantified the color of the orange, ventral varnish on the undersides of clasts from 15 different alluvial fan and terrace surfaces of various ages ranging from less than 500 to about 25,000 yr. All of the surfaces studied are located along the central portion of the left-lateral Garlock fault, in the Mojave Desert of southern California. The amount of left-lateral offset may be used to determine the relative ages of the surfaces. The previously published slip rate of the fault may also be used to estimate the absolute age of each surface. The color of the ventral varnish is strongly correlated with surface age and appears to be a more reliable age-indicator than the percentage coverage of dorsal varnish. Soil development indices also were not as strongly correlated with age, as were the colors of the ventral varnish. In particular, rubification appears to be more useful than soils for distinguishing relative ages among Holocene surfaces. Humidity sensors indicated that the undersides of clasts condensed moisture nightly for a period of several days to over a week after each rain. These frequent wet-dry cycles may be responsible for the rapid development of clast rubification on Holocene surfaces.

Keywords

RubificationDesert varnishRock varnishDesert pavementSoil developmentSurface exposure ageQuaternary dating techniquesDesert processesMojave DesertGarlock fault
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 60 , Issue 3 , November 2003 , pp. 377 - 393
Copyright
University of Washington

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