Geomorphic Analyses of Low-relief Landforms and Reconsideration of Uplifted Peneplain in the Abukuma Mountains, Northeast Japan

Abstract

An uplifted peneplain is a geomorphic stage of the classical model of the “cycle of erosion” proposed by W. M. Davis, although recent geomorphic studies suggest that low-relief mountains and hills in Japan should be reconsidered based on quantitative landform analyses. This study discusses the low-relief landforms considered to be uplifted peneplains of the Abukuma Mountains in northeast Japan. GIS analyses were undertaken using DEM10B data of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) in the Niida, Furumichi, and Natsui River basins located in the Abukuma Mountains. Longitudinal profiles indicate many knick-zones along the three rivers at the edges of the low-relief surfaces defined as boundaries between gentle- and steep-slope areas. These knick-zones range from 300 m to 420 m in elevation and are situated in various geological settings. GIS analyses show the various elevations of ridge lines within each basin and the edges of low-relief surfaces operating as the local base levels of erosion in the Niida and Natsui River basins, which suggest different geomorphic formations in the cycle of erosion including a stage of uplifted peneplain.