Holocene denudation rates from the superhumid southernmost Chilean Patagonian Andes (53°S) deduced from lake sediment budgets

Abstract Holocene denudation rates and their regional variations in the superhumid and temperate climate of the southernmost Patagonian Andes are poorly surveyed. Therefore we have investigated denudation in five small lake catchments (0.11–1.62 km 2 ) across a precipitation gradient from 600 to > 9000 mm yr − 1 in southernmost Chile at 53°S. Variations in denudation rates can be defined most precisely by using small catchments and short time spans (Holocene) thus can be related to variable bedrock types, vegetation cover, elevation, and climate. Minimum physical denudation rates were determined from sediment budgets based on sediment echosounder data and physical properties of sediment cores. The Holocene denudation rates vary from 0.08 mm kyr − 1 in the highly elevated, bare granitic rock catchments to 9.01 mm kyr − 1 in the low and vegetated catchments with a basement of sedimentary rocks. These values are comparable with those from similar areas in Norway, Sweden, and NW Iceland. The high annual precipitation in the study area has only a minor effect on denudation. Enhanced geomorphic activity during paraglacial conditions caused a faster denudation after the glacier retreat until either the clastic, glacial detritus was removed or the catchment was covered with vegetation. Chemical comparisons between basement rocks and lake sediments indicate a pronounced chemical denudation in catchments with peaty soils and low soil water pH values of 3 to 5. The Holocene surface lowering rates are on average 200 fold lower than Cenozoic surface lowering rates calculated from fission-track data for the southern Andes. This discrepancy can be explained by significantly higher erosion rates during glacial periods.