Change of Stream Incision Rate by Formation of Lava Plateau

This study tried to reveal incision rate and its change by formation of lava plateau in the Cheorwon-Jeongok area. Incision rates of 0.421 m/ka and 0.101 m/ka in the upper and lower reaches of Hantan-gang, respectively, were calculated from sites before formation of lava plateau. These incision rates indicate that the upper and lower reaches of Hantan-gang have much higher and slightly lower incision rates than streams with similar distances from the Taebaek Mountains. However, sites after formation of lava plateau mostly showed incision rates ranging from 0.5 m/ka to 0.9 m/ka. Streams flowed on the lava plateau revealed 2-3 times higher incision rates than unrelated-streams or paleo-streams to formation of lava plateau did. These results suggest that incision rate in the study area was greatly influenced by formation of lava plateau and resultant geomorphic avulsion with rearrangements of stream.