GEOMORPHICALLY DRIVEN LATE CENOZOIC ROCK UPLIFT IN THE SIERRA-NEVADA,CALIFORNIA

Geologists have long accepted that the Sierra Nevada, California, expe rienced significant late Cenozoic tectonically induced uplift. A flexu ral-isostatic model presented here shows, however, that a large fracti on of the primary evidence for uplift could be generated by the lithos pheric response to coupled erosion of the Sierra Nevada and deposition in the adjacent Central Valley and therefore requires less tectonic f orcing than previously believed. The sum of range-wide erosion and the resultant isostatic rock uplift would have lowered Sierra mean elevat ion by 200 to 1000 meters since 10 million years ago and could also ha ve increased summit elevations during the current period of relief pro duction.