Quaternary evolution of the Klondike Canyon alluvial fan: implications to climatic, tectonic, and base level controls on alluvial fan development

Abstract

Climate change, tectonic activity, and base level alterations are considered controls on alluvial fan evolution, but varying conclusions exist on their relative importance. The purpose of this study is to define the roles of these parameters on the development of the Klondike Canyon alluvial fan, Buena Vista valley, north-central Nevada. Major conclusions of this study are based in large part on the delineation of alluvial and lacustrine deposits defined on the fan complex. Four alluvial fan units ranging in age from mid Pleistocene to Holocene were delineated and mapped. Major episodes of fan building appear to be related to changes in climate, perhaps a shift from wetter to drier conditions. Interestingly, stratigraphic relations between fan and lacustrine units indicate that significant fan deposition was not associated with the rise of Pluvial Lake Lahontan suggesting that Buena Vista valley filled by overflow from the Carson Sink via Chocolate Butte sill.