Kuan Liang’s research while affiliated with China Earthquake Administration and other places

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Publications (11)


Tectonic setting and distribution map of the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau. (a) Tectonic location of the study area. Black rectangle shows the study area. ATF: Altyn Tagh fault, QHF: Qilian-Haiyuan fault, KF: Kunlunshan fault, XF: Xianshuihe fault, XJF: Xiaojiang fault, RRF: Red River fault, JLF: Jiali fault, CF: Karakorum fault, HFT: Himalayan Frontal Thrust. (b) Main active tectonics in the study area. The fault locations are modified from [41]. Colored circles represent historically and instrumentally documented earthquakes, which are modified from [34,36,42]. XF: Xianshuihe fault, ANHF: Aninghe fault, ZMHF: Zemuhe fault, DLSF: Daliangshan fault, LMSFZ: Longmenshan fault zone, LJ-XJHF: Lijiang-Xiaojinhe fault, XGDF: Xigeda fault, YMF: Yuanmou fault, CMSF: Caimashui fault, QJF: Qujiang fault, SJF: Shiping-Jianshui fault.
Geological features and fault distributions near the Caimashui fault. Lithological data are obtained from 1:200,000 geologic maps (https://www.ngac.org.cn).
Tectonic landforms caused by the Caimashui fault near Huoshi Town (see location in Figure 2). (a) Satellite image (from Google Earth) of the fault trace. (b) Tectonic landforms around the Sanjiaozhuang site. (c) Tectonic landforms around the Xiaochacun site. (d) Tectonic landforms around the Tangjiawan site. (e) Tectonic landforms around the Huoshi Town site. For locations, see Figure 3a. Red arrows and red lines indicate the location of the fault.
Tectonic landforms around the Xiaochacun trench; see location in Figure 3c. (a) Shaded relief map (from UAV-derived DEM) and interpreted map, showing the fault scarp, fault trough, and offset terrace. (b) Aerial image showing the tectonic landforms along the fault. (c) Field photo of the offset terrace. (d) Field photo of the ground fissures. (e) Aerial photo of the Xiaochacun trench, with broken white lines indicating fault scarps. (f) Field photo of the fault scarp.
(a) Photo mosaic and (b) interpreted map of the west wall of the Xiaochacun trench. (c) Photo mosaic and (d) interpreted map of the east wall of the Xiaochacun trench. Black lines indicate the stratigraphic contacts between units. Red lines indicate the fault planes. Black dots show the locations of the radiocarbon samples, labeled with their corresponding calibrated ages.

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Newly Discovered NE-Striking Dextral Strike-Slip Holocene Active Caimashui Fault in the Central Part of the Sichuan-Yunnan Block and Its Tectonic Significance
  • Article
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August 2024

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25 Reads

Xin Tan

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Kuan Liang

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The Sichuan-Yunnan block is a tectonically active region in China, with frequent large earthquakes occurring in and around it. Despite most earthquakes being concentrated along boundary faults, intraplate faults also have the potential to generate damaging earthquakes. Remote sensing makes it possible to identify these potential earthquake source faults. During an active fault investigation in the Liangshan area, a distinct lithological boundary named Caimashui fault was found. The geometric distribution and kinematic parameter of the fault is crucial for assessing seismic hazards and understanding the deformation pattern within the Sichuan-Yunnan block. The Caimashui fault is mapped with remote sensing interpretation, a field survey, and UAV measurement. Through trenching and Quaternary dating, the Late Quaternary active characteristics of the fault are studied. The fault is a Holocene active dextral strike-slip fault with a reverse component, exhibiting a dextral strike-slip rate of ~0.70 ± 0.11 mm/a. Paleoseismic investigation shows that the last surface rupture event of the Caimashui fault occurred later than 4150 ± 30a BP, with a magnitude of M ≥ 7.0. The fault may act as a secondary splitting fault, absorbing the deformation caused by various sinistral strike-slip rates of the boundary faults and the potential energy from the counterclockwise rotation of the Central Yunnan micro-block.

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Classification and Semiquantitative Evaluation of Paleoearthquake Identification From Trenches on Normal Faults: A Case Study of Holocene Paleoearthquake Events From the Northern Margin of the Hetao Basin, China

December 2022

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198 Reads

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4 Citations

Long paleoearthquake series are crucial for understanding the recurrence patterns of active faults and evaluating the seismic hazards of faults. In this study, the first semiquantitative evaluation of paleoearthquake events from trenches was applied to normal faults, and classification criteria for identifying paleoearthquakes in trenches on normal faults are proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of semiquantitative evaluations of paleoearthquake events on normal faults. In this study, 72 paleoearthquake trench sites on normal faults around the world were analyzed, and the main indicators for identifying paleoearthquakes on normal faults include the presence of vertical offset (VO), collapse wedge (CW), fissure (FIS), buried paleosol (BP), angular unconformity (AU), upward termination (UT), and sand liquefaction (LF) features. To describe and apply this semiquantitative evaluation method for paleoearthquake events on normal faults, 33 trenches for paleoearthquakes on a fault system in the northern margin of the Hetao Basin were comprehensively analyzed to determine Holocene paleoearthquake events on the Sertengshan, Wulashan, and Daqingshan piedmont faults, and the reliability of paleoearthquake events is discussed. The integrity of the paleoearthquake events obtained was tested by the displacement limit method. The Holocene paleoearthquake recurrence on the three faults was quasiperiodic; the coefficients of variation (COVs) were 0.44, 0.58, and 0.4.


Vertical Slip Rates of Normal Faults Constrained by Both Fault Walls: A Case Study of the Hetao Fault System in Northern China

March 2022

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87 Reads

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5 Citations

The slip rate is a fundamental kinematic parameter of active faults. Traditional methods using fault scarps or trenches may produce inaccurate estimates of a fault’s vertical slip rate. A normal fault’s vertical slip rate requires constraints from the hanging wall and footwall. Here, the vertical slip rate at each measuring point along the fault was calculated by the joint constraints of terraces in the footwall and boreholes in the hanging wall. Nine measuring points were selected along the Sertengshan piedmont fault. The vertical slip rates of this fault since 65 and 12 ka were 0.74–1.81 and 0.86–2.28 mm/a, respectively. Four measuring points were selected along the Wulashan piedmont fault. The vertical slip rates of this fault since 60 and 12 ka were 2.14–3.11 and 1.84–2.91 mm/a, respectively. Seven measuring points were selected along the Daqingshan piedmont fault; the vertical slip rates were 2.5–3.88 and 1.78–2.83 mm/a since 58 and 11 ka, respectively. Analysis of the slip rates, the elapsed time since the last palaeoearthquake and the mean recurrence interval of palaeoearthquakes on each fault segment on the northern margin of the Hetao Basin suggests that the Langshankou and Hongqicun segments of the Sertengshan piedmont fault are at higher risk of earthquakes than the other segments. Among the fault segments of the Wulashan piedmont fault, the Baotou segment is at the highest seismic risk. The seismic risk of the Tuyouxi segment of the Daqingshan piedmont fault should not be ignored, and the Tuzuoxi, Bikeqi and Hohhot segments have high seismic risk. Based on the findings and a dynamic model of the formation and evolution of the Ordos block, it is concluded that the depositional centre of the Hetao Basin has tended to migrate from west to east. The vertical force generated by deep material movement is the dominant factor leading to a greater vertical slip rate in the eastern portion of the northern margin of the Hetao Basin. The modern stress field in the Hetao Basin results in an increase in the vertical slip rate of active faults from west to east along the northern margin of the basin.


Joint‐Rupture Pattern and Newly Generated Structure of Fault Intersections on the Northern Margin of the Linhe Basin, Northwestern Ordos Block, China

December 2021

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107 Reads

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10 Citations

The activity of major active faults around the Ordos Block is of great interest to seismologists, as at least four M ≥ 8 earthquakes have been recorded. However, the Linhe Basin, which has the thickest Cenozoic sediments, has no record of large earthquakes. Does this basin have the structural conditions required for large earthquakes? The northern boundary fault of the Linhe Basin is composed of the NE‐striking Langshan piedmont fault (LPF), E‐W‐striking western section of the Seertengshan piedmont fault (WSPF), and NW‐striking eastern section of the Seertengshan piedmont fault (ESPF). Based on large‐scale active fault mapping, this article analyzes data from 23 trenches, using an unmanned aerial vehicle to measure the faulted landform, and combines these data with Quaternary dating methods to acquire the paleoearthquake sequences of the LPF, WSPF, and ESPF. Furthermore, this article explores their rupture modes and discusses the structural evolution of two intersection points. Through paleoseismic comparison, seven trenches revealed historical earthquakes from 7 BC, with a common magnitude of M 8.1. The trenches also revealed seven paleoseismic events since the Holocene, which conformed to the periodic model with a period of 1.37 ± 0.11 ka. The elapsed time since the latest event (2.0 ka) has exceeded the earthquake recurrence period; thus, the area is currently at risk of an M 7.4–8.0 earthquake. The NE‐striking LPF and E‐W‐striking WSPF are connected by two left‐stepping small fault segments. The E‐W‐striking WSPF and NW‐striking ESPF are connected by a large triangular relay ramp.


Quaternary activity of the Zhuozishan West Piedmont Fault provides insight into the structural development of the Wuhai Basin and Northwestern Ordos Block, China

February 2019

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134 Reads

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13 Citations

Tectonophysics

The Wuhai Basin is located in the northwestern corner of the Ordos Block. Analyzing the geometry, along with the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the boundary fault, the Zhuozishan West Piedmont Fault (ZWPF), will elucidate the regional tectonic environment and guide earthquake prevention and disaster reduction projects. Six representative sites were selected for topographic measurements, from the northern, middle and southern parts. Displacements of the ZWPF were calculated by measuring the top surface elevation of a widely distributed lacustrine layer in the footwall from outcrops at each site, and from boreholes in the hanging wall. The vertical slip rate of the ZWPF was then calculated based on the displacement and age of the lacustrine layer. Three to four normal fault-controlled terraces have developed on the footwall of the ZWPF, and the top surface of the lacustrine layer is at 1092–1132 m elevation. Data from boreholes showed that the top surface of the lacustrine layer is at an elevation of 1042–1063 m in the hanging wall. Vertical slip rates since 70 ka were estimated as 0.5 ± 0.2 to 1.0 ± 0.2 mm/a. The highest rate of vertical slip was observed at Fenghuang Ridge, in the central part of the fault system, and decreased to the south. In the northern Wuhai Basin, normal faulting still controls the piedmont landscape. However, NW-SE trending reverse faults and secondary folding have resulted from dextral strike-slip movement of the fault. The Wuhai Basin developed as a dextral-tensional negative flower structure. This study indicates that stress conditions of the northwestern margin of the Ordos Block include NE–SW compression and NW–SE extension, and an S-shaped rift zone has dominated the scale, structure, and evolution of the Yinchuan, Wuhai, and Hetao Basins, along with the active mode of faulting in these basins.


Investigation of the Yellow River buried Fault in the Wuhai basin, northwestern Ordos Block, China, using deep/shallow seismic reflection and drilling techniques

May 2018

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92 Reads

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17 Citations

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

Studying the faults in Wuhai Basin, which is located in the northwestern corner of the Ordos Block in China, can not only guide earthquake-safe construction in the region, but also provide a greater understanding of the structure of the Wuhai Basin and the dynamic environment of Northwestern Ordos Block. In this study, we effectively detected the Yellow River buried Fault (YRF), which we believe currently presents a risk to human life in the area. First, we laid out a deep seismic reflection profile (DSRP) in the north of the Wuhai Basin and found that the YRF is composed of two subparallel faults, the east branch of the Yellow River buried Fault (EYF) and the west branch of the Yellow River buried Fault (WYF), which formed a Y-type graben in the section. We then used 25 shallow seismic exploration profiles to find out how the faults are distributed. Finally, we used drillings and Quaternary dating methods to certify their existence and obtain their activity parameters. We used the sequence stratigraphy method to compare sediment strata and identified paleo-earthquake events by finding the unequal thickness layers (UTLs) on both sides of the fault. The drillings revealed that four earthquakes occurred on the YRF around 25.6 ± 0.11 ka BP, 39.5 ± 0.45–41.7 ± 0.57 ka BP, 58.25 ± 7.13 ka BP, and 111 ± 1.21 ka BP. Since the last activity on the YRF occurred much longer ago than its estimated recurrence cycle, we believe that the fault YRF currently presents a dangerous risk. Our study confirms that the YRF is a normal fault graben and that the Wuhai Bain is an extensional basin formed by the relative movement of the Tibetan Plateau, the Alashan Block, and the Ordos Block.


Recent ground fissures in the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia, China

July 2017

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118 Reads

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31 Citations

Geomorphology

Ground fissures are a geological hazard with complex formation mechanisms. Increasing amounts of human activity have created more ground fissures, which can destroy buildings and threaten human security. Some ground fissures indicate potentially devastating earthquakes, so we must pay attention to these hazards. This paper documents recently discovered ground fissures in the Hetao basin. These ground fissures are located along the frontal margins of the terraces of the Sertengshan piedmont fault. These fissures are 600–1600 m long, 5–50 cm wide, and at most 1 m deep. These ground fissures emerged after 2010 and ruptured newly constructed roads and field ridges. The deep geodynamic mechanisms within this extensional environment, which is dominated by NE-SW principal compressive shear, involve N-S tensile stress, which has produced continuous subsidence in the Hetao basin and continuous activity along the Sertengshan piedmont fault since the late Quaternary. Trenches across the ground fissures reveal that the fissures are the latest manifestation of the activity of preexisting faults and are the result of creep-slip movement along the faults. The groundwater level in the Hetao basin has been dropping since the 1960s because of overexploitation, resulting in subsidence. When the tensile stress exceeds the ultimate tensile strength of the strata, the strata rupture along preexisting faults, producing ground fissures. Thus, the Sertengshan piedmont fault planes are the structural foundation of the ground fissures, and groundwater extraction induces the development of ground fissures.


The vertical slip rate of the Sertengshan piedmont fault, Inner Mongolia, China

April 2017

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109 Reads

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23 Citations

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

The vertical slip rate of a normal fault is one of the most important parameters for evaluating its level of activity. The Sertengshan piedmont fault has been studied since the 1980s, but its absolute vertical slip rate has not been determined. In this paper, we calculate the displacements of the fault by measuring the heights of piedmont terraces on the footwall and the stratigraphic depths of marker strata in the hanging wall. We then calculate the vertical slip rate of the fault based on the displacements and ages of the marker strata. We selected nine sites uniformly along the fault to study the vertical slip rates of the fault. The results show that the elevations of terraces T3 and T1 are approximately 1060 m and 1043 m, respectively. The geological boreholes in the basin adjacent to the nine study sites reveal that the elevation of the bottom of the Holocene series is between 1017 and 1035 m and that the elevation of the top of the lacustrine strata is between 925 and 1009 m. The data from the terraces and boreholes also show that the top of the lacustrine strata is approximately 65 ka old. The vertical slip rates are calculated at 0.74-1.81 mm/a since 65 ka and 0.86-2.28 mm/a since the Holocene. The slip rate is the highest along the Wujiahe segment and is lower to the west and east. Based on the findings of a previous study on the fault system along the northern margin of the Hetao graben basin, the vertical slip rates of the Daqingshan and Langshan faults are higher than those of the Sertengshan and Wulashan faults, and the strike-slip rates of these four northern Hetao graben basin faults are low. These results agree with the vertical slip components of the principal stress field on the faults. The results of our analysis indicate that the Langshankou, Wujiahe, and Wubulangkou areas and the eastern end of the Sertengshan fault are at high risk of experiencing earthquakes in the future.


Citations (9)


... The western boundary of the Xigeda-Yuanmou fault has a smaller sinistral strike-slip rate (1-2 mm/a) compared to the eastern boundary Xiaojiang fault zone (>10 mm/a); thus, the CYMB also needs to rotate counterclockwise (Figure 7a) [8]. However, given its slender shape, it is difficult for the CYMB to rotate as a whole, and it is more likely to be split by secondary faults into multiple blocks for self-rotation, a deformation pattern similar to that of the North China Plate [91,92]. The Caimashui fault, located in the middle of the CYMB, is an NE-striking reverse-dextral strike-slip fault with a slip rate of approximately 0.70 ± 0.11 mm/a. ...

Reference:

Newly Discovered NE-Striking Dextral Strike-Slip Holocene Active Caimashui Fault in the Central Part of the Sichuan-Yunnan Block and Its Tectonic Significance
A catastrophic, buried fault-generating earthquake: The 1937 M7.0 Heze earthquake in the south-central North China Plain
  • Citing Article
  • October 2023

Journal of Structural Geology

... A comprehensive analysis of paleoearthquake markers on both trench walls provided robust and abundant evidence for identifying paleoearthquakes. Additionally, to objectively assess the confidence in each event, we use the scheme of Scharer et al. (2007), D. Y. Yuan et al. (2018), and D. Xu et al. (2023) to rank indicators per event by confidence with a scale of 1-4. ...

Classification and Semiquantitative Evaluation of Paleoearthquake Identification From Trenches on Normal Faults: A Case Study of Holocene Paleoearthquake Events From the Northern Margin of the Hetao Basin, China

... mm/a (Liang et al., 2019); 3) the vertical slip rates of the Daqingshan Piedmont Fault were 2.5-3.88 mm/a and 1.78-2.83 mm/a since 58 and 11 ka (Xu et al., 2022); 4) the vertical slip rate of Wulashan Piedmont Fault were 2.20-2.28 mm/a and 1.12-1.34 ...

Vertical Slip Rates of Normal Faults Constrained by Both Fault Walls: A Case Study of the Hetao Fault System in Northern China

... Over the last 40 years, scholars have extensively studied the characteristics of the Late Quaternary activity, vigorous earthquake activity, and seismic risk of those northern boundary faults, which provide insights into active structures and recurrence patterns of local strong earthquakes along active faults (Ma et al., 1998;Ma et al., 2000;Deng et al., 1999;Jiang et al., 2001;Ran et al., 2002Ran et al., , 2003bYang et al., 2002;Yang et al., 2003;Nie et al., 2011;Rao et al., 2016;Rao et al., 2019;Liang et al., 2019;He et al., 2020). More recent results showed that the LPF-SPF experienced seven paleoearthquakes during the Holocene, with a recurrence period of 1.37 ± 0.11 ka and an earthquake risk of M > 8.0 (Dong, 2016;Dong, 2016;Liang et al., 2021;Ma and Dong, 2024). The fourteen paleoearthquake events occurred during the Holocene in the DPF, including the 849 A.D. earthquake Yuan et al., 2023). ...

Joint‐Rupture Pattern and Newly Generated Structure of Fault Intersections on the Northern Margin of the Linhe Basin, Northwestern Ordos Block, China

... The primary NNE-striking right-lateral strike-slip fault zones in North China include the Yinchuan Graben, the SGS, and the Tancheng-Lujiang Fault Zone from west to east (Figure 11; Xu & Ma, 1992;Xu et al., 1993). The past decades have seen more and more geomorphologic and geologic evidence of dextral strike-slip in Yinchuan Graben (e.g., Liang et al., 2019;Middleton, Walker, Rood, et al., 2016) and Tancheng-Lujiang Fault Zon (e.g., Ji et al., 2021;Jiang et al., 2017), however, no further convincing evidence was documented in the SGS. Therefore, our new observations from the NLSF demonstrate the dextral strike-slip in the SGS and provide further constraints for the "bookshelf" deformation model of North China. ...

Quaternary activity of the Zhuozishan West Piedmont Fault provides insight into the structural development of the Wuhai Basin and Northwestern Ordos Block, China
  • Citing Article
  • February 2019

Tectonophysics

... The Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas have undergone extensive deformation during the Cenozoic, owing to the collisions between the Indian and Eurasian plates (Tapponnier et al., 1990;Métivier et al., 1998;Meyer et al., 1998;Tapponnier et al., 2001;Yin et al., 2002;Zhang et al., 2004;Fang et al., 2005;Bovet et al., 2009;Yuan et al., 2013;Zheng et al., 2013a;Jiang et al., 2016;Wang et al., 2016;Liang et al., 2018). Similarly, the Qilian Shan Fault and Hexi Corridor (Fig. 1) located at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and responsible majorly for the plateau development, have also experienced intense tectonic deformation since the Cenozoic (Hetzel et al., 2002; the deformation in the Tibetan Plateau region (Burchfiel et al., 1989;Tapponnier et al., 1990;Meyer et al., 1998;Cowgill et al., 2003;Zheng et al., 2017;Zhang et al., 2021). ...

Investigation of the Yellow River buried Fault in the Wuhai basin, northwestern Ordos Block, China, using deep/shallow seismic reflection and drilling techniques
  • Citing Article
  • May 2018

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

... The Liquan-Pucheng-Heyang Fault is a normal fault with an overall NE-SE trend and a dip angle of 40 • to 60 • , with a total length of 170 km. provides a structural environment for the formation of the ground fissures in the basin, including the Weihe Basin and the surrounding fault basins [25]. ...

Recent ground fissures in the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Citing Article
  • July 2017

Geomorphology

... It has been active since the Late Quaternary and controls the Linhe Depression [1]. Previous studies have mainly focused on the fault segments [2][3][4] and palaeo-earthquakes [5][6][7] of the Sertengshan Piedmont Fault through geological methods such as trenching, Quaternary dating, and sedimentary stratigraphy. Based on the characteristics of the geometrical construction, Late Quaternary active tectonics, palaeoseismic activity, and segmentation boundary along the Sertengshan Piedmont Fault, Chen et al. [2] proposed a segmentation model for the Sertengshan Piedmont Fault, in which three segmentation points at Dahoudian, Wubulangkou, and Xiaoshetai cut the Sertengshan Piedmont Fault into four segments (Figure 1b). ...

The vertical slip rate of the Sertengshan piedmont fault, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Citing Article
  • April 2017

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

... Usually, they are connected to long-term changes in rock resistance, erosion, or faulting, among other geological processes. Understanding the formation and evolution of knickpoints and knickzones in river systems is crucial because they are features that affect base level variation, tectonic upliftment, lithological differences, volcanic activity, and glacier retreat, among other factors (Lewis 1945;Mueller 1968;Zaprowski et al. 2001;García et al. 2004;Hayakawa and Oguchi 2006;Sun et al. 2016;Kudnar et al. 2022). In contrast to the downstream segment of river, the upstream section exhibits a succession of fractures and knickzones that show active erosion and significant lithological influence on the channel. ...

Knickpoint series of gullies along the Luoyunshan Piedmont and its relation with fault activity since late Pleistocene
  • Citing Article
  • September 2016

Geomorphology