Uplift rates from river profiles: methodology and case study, Oriente, Cuba

The thrusting of the Cuban Oriente block onto the Bahamas platform and the transform movement between the Caribbean and North American plate cause oscillating uplift in the east of Cuba, manifesting itself in tilted blocks, coral reef terraces and rivers cutting deep into the bedrock. Objectives of this work are to identify active tectonic boundaries and derive relative uplift rates in Oriente using power-law scaling relation between channel slope and contributing drainage area to obtain a more detailed picture of the tectonic processes of the study area. Geomorphological interpretation and analysis of river profiles shows an inhomogeneous distribution of relative uplift rates within the Cuban Oriente block. This method allows for the estimation of deformation over large areas, the localization and the quantification of vertical displacements.