Chronology of colluvial apron deposition within Canada del Buey, Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico

Abstract

This investigation uses optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to examine the chronology of colluvial apron development and to help constrain long-term process rates within the mesa and canyon systems of the Pajarito Plateau in north-central New Mexico. In addition to ages, the OSL data provide insight into the dynamic interactions of surface processes within the mesa and canyon systems. Our results can be interpreted to suggest that foot-slope deposits within Canada del Buey represent a complex interplay of depositional processes in which eolian inputs from outside of the Pajarito Plateau play a role. Depositional ages, both on the mesa top and in foot slopes, record episodic inputs to the system in the late Pleistocene, middle Holocene, and late Holocene. These periods correlate well to eolian activity and significant climatic events in the Southern Plains and desert Southwest.