Quantitative determination of erosion rates in humid region using depth profiles of in situ-produced Be-10 and Al-26

Determination of erosion rates is important across a diverse range of disciplines in geology, geomorphology, and biogeochemistry (Granger and Riebe, 2007). Yet rates of long-term erosion have been difficult to quantify until recently. Measurements of in-situ produced terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) allow us to understand earth surface process quantitatively (Goss and Phillips, 2001) and has been successfully used to provide erosion rates of bedrock in arid regions where negligible or small erosion process is being taken place (e.g. Cockburn et al., 1999). Environmental parameters such as mean annual precipitation have been used to explain erosion rate variability on a global scale (Bierman and Cafee, 2002). However, the relationship between erosion rates and precipitation is still under debate due in part to scarcity of data from higher mean annual precipitation regions. In addition, erosion rates deduced from drainage basins, which is the only method to quantify erosion rates in humid regions, are strongly affected by steepness of basin slope (Riebe et al., 2000). Therefore, different approach to determine the erosion rates in humid regions is required to corroborate findings from arid regions. Here we present depth profiles of in situ-produced 10Be and 26Al on hilltop sites of Japan. The contribution from unique characteristics of individual basin slope should be minimized since all sites are limited on top of the hill, allowing a direct comparison to studies of bedrock erosion rates in arid regions. The aims of this study are (1) to develop a model of TCN depth profiles, based on actually measured density in granitic saprolite, and (2) to assess climate control on erosion rates. These data indicate close linkage between earth surface process and climate. A discrepancy in the theoretical value is also observed from the depth profiles in Saga prefecture, Japan, which may support the potential of obtaining non-steady erosion process through glacial-interglacial variation. Our record combined with global sea-level data suggests the possible linkage between erosion process and sea-level related climate conditions, which could be triggered by inflow of Tsushima Warm Current through Tsushima Strait.