Middle to late Pleistocene uplift rate of the Hungarian Mountain Range at the Danube Bend, (Pannonian Basin) using in situ produced 3He

Here we use 3He, a terrestrial in situ produced cosmogenic nuclide (TCN), to date uplifted geomorphologic levels along in the Danube Bend gorge. This method, first applied in the Carpathian-Pannonian system in the framework of present study, proved to be suitable for the quantification of landscape evolution in this area. Our 3He exposure age data suggest a maximum incision rate of ∼2.7 ± 0.1 mm/y for the last ∼170 ky. Considering likely effect of erosion a more conservative value of ∼1.6 mm/y for the last ∼270 ky, was obtained. Both rates are significantly higher than the incision rate of 0.41 mm/y of the Danube derived from previous geologic and geomorphic data for the last 360 ky. The formation of the terrace levels in the Danube Bend probably occurred during the last two glacial cycles (OIS 1-8). According to the exposure age data, there is no direct relationship between the terrace formation and climate in the Danube Bend. Incision of the Danube appears to be connected to the uplift of the HMR, obtained incision rate values can be taken as valid approximations of the uplift rate in the Danube Bend area.