Evidence for and against landscape transience in the Northern Qinling Mountains, China

The Northern Qinling Mountains, China, have experienced large earthquakes over the last millennium, including 1556 Shaanxi earthquake, thought to be deadliest earthquake in recorded history. Past studies suggest rapid Holocene fault throw rates, but exhumation and basin wide erosion rates are an order of magnitude slower. We explored channel profiles normalized steepness index (ksn) values evaluate evidence for landscape transience potential acceleration incision triggered by changing tectonic activity. find that precipitation lithological differences cannot explain area. integrate drainage area along plot a transformed coordinate, χ, against elevation, technique can identify signatures rates. If there is crossing outlet multiple basins, one would expect convexities located at similar χ locations as well clustering knickpoints elevations. Instead, we remarkably straight χ-elevation space basins drain across Piedmont Fault (QNF) Huashan (HPF). does contain number these do not cluster elevation. Some reappear adjacent basins. These lines if accelerated regionally QNF HPF, they had time substantially perturb profiles. Simple calculation adjustment timescales steady state channels suggests least containing convexities, been stable on million years.