The sedimentary record has long been used to invert for tectonics over a range of spatial scales and in all geologic settings. Growth strata, sediment provenance, and changing depositional environments have all provided first order constraints on quantifying crustal deformation through time. Separately, geomorphic studies have pointed to the potential influence of tectonics in governing the patterns and characteristics of sediment supply from catchments to basins. Nevertheless, until recently few studies had considered or quantified the temporal and spatial dynamics of the integrated system of catchment erosion, fluvial transport and sediment deposition as a means to better decode or read the tectono-sedimentary archive.


Fortunately, the development of new methods and analytical techniques to quantify the rates and magnitudes of sediment flux in the upstream erosion and transfer zones, as well as revived interest in the couplings between surface processes, tectonics and climate now makes it possible to renew our understanding of the interactions between sedimentation and tectonics within the framework of the whole integrated sediment routing system.

This session aims to address this important challenge. We hope to provide a high profile platform to display a wide range of studies that integrate both sedimentation and surface processes to understand tectonic deformation, and for new work that explores the interactions between basin or upland tectonics and the sedimentary system of erosion, transport and deposition over a range of timescales. The session is deliberately broad in scope as we encourage studies that include coupled catchment-basin studies integrating surface processes, new numerical/physical modeling methods, geochemical tools for quantifying rates of surface processes such as TCN, A-ZFT, OSL and high resolution digital topographic and subsurface data. We also warmly welcome classical field or subsurface sedimentological and structural studies of growth relationships, sedimentary patterns and provenance in deformed settings.