Pre-Cretaceous erosional surface of the Llano Uplift region, Central Texas

Abstract

Historical research reveals a repeating pattern of uplift, erosion, and deposition in the region of the Llano Uplift, central Texas. This report examines the topography of the pre-Cretaceous landscape. The data consist of points, in three dimensions, that are located on the erosional surface, as determined by three methods. Category I data lie upon the contact between Cretaceous strata and underlying Paleozoic sediments or Precambrian basement; Category II data are defined in the subsurface from well logs; and Category III data are topographic high points where the Cretaceous has eroded away, but the underlying unit has not eroded (an exhumed surface). Digital mapping procedures were used to create triangulated irregular networks, three dimensional scenery, and topographic profiles. The digitally reconstructed surface is compound, consisting of higher, older erosional surfaces, incised into by rejuvenated stream activity to create lower, younger surfaces. This valley/divide topography, which is regional in extent, could not have been visualized without modern GIS technology.