¹⁰Be dating of river terraces of Santo Domingo river, on Southeastern flank of the Mérida Andes, Venezuela: Tectonic and climatic implications

In this study, we discuss the first cosmogenic ¹⁰Be dating of river terraces located in the lower reaches of the Santo Domingo river (Southeastern flank of the Mérida Andes, Western Venezuela). The geomorphic observations and dating allowed the restoration of the temporal evolution of incision rate, which was analysed in terms of tectonic, climatic and geomorphic processes. The long-term incision rate in the area has been constantly around 1.1 mm/a over the last 70 ka. Taking into account the geologic and geomorphologic setting, this value can be converted into the Late Pleistocene uplift rate of the Southeastern flank of the Mérida Andes. Our results show that the process of terraces formation in the lower reaches of the Santo Domingo river occurred at a higher frequency (10³-10⁴ years) than a glacial/interglacial cycle (10⁴-10⁵years). According to the global and local climate curve, these terraces were abandoned during warm to cold transitions.