Patterson, AnnaBehm, MichaelChwatal, WernerFlores-Orozco, AdrianWang, YichuanSoreghan, Gerilyn S.2021-11-152021-11-152021-09-25Patterson, A., Behm, M., Chwatal, W., Flores-Orozco, A., Wang, Y., & Soreghan, G. S. (2021). Seismic reflection and electrical resistivity imaging support pre-Quaternary glaciation in the Rocky Mountains (Unaweep Canyon, Colorado). Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2021GL094706. https://doi. org/10.1029/2021GL094706https://hdl.handle.net/11244/331252Unaweep Canyon (Uncompahgre Plateau, Colorado) represents an enigmatic landscape with a complex evolution. Interpretations for its origin have ranged from ancestral fluvial erosion in the late Cenozoic to glacial erosion in the Paleozoic, or some combination thereof, with significant implications for global climatic and large-scale tectonic reconstructions. To address the conflicting interpretations, we acquired a high-resolution seismic reflection profile to investigate the depth, structure, and sedimentary infill in the canyon. The data set is further complemented with an electrical resistivity survey. Integrated with other geophysical and geological data, the results show an overdeepened Precambrian basement with transverse U shape and support the hypothesis of a pre-Quaternary glacial origin. Our data constitute the first detailed image of a buried pre-Quaternary glacial valley in North America; if substantiated with core studies, these results have far-reaching implications for our understanding of global ice houses as well as the tectonic conditions, enabling preservation of such systems.AGU allows authors to deposit their journal articles if the version is the final published citable version of record, the AGU copyright statement is clearly visible on the posting, and the posting is made 6 months after official publication by the AGU.Glacial geologyElectric conductivityErosionSeismic wavesSeismologyTectonicsComplex evolutionsElectrical resistivity imagingFluvial erosionGlacial erosionHigh resolution seismicLarge-scalesLate CenozoicPaleozoicRocky MountainsSeismic reflectionsArticle10.1029/2021GL094706