An intensive erosion event in last glaciation in the west of China

Yunsheng Wang; Runqin Huang; Yonghong Luo; Ou Su

doi:10.1117/12.836323

9 October 2009 An intensive erosion event in last glaciation in the west of China

Yunsheng Wang, Runqin Huang, Yonghong Luo, Ou Su

Proceedings Volume 7471, Second International Conference on Earth Observation for Global Changes; 747119 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.836323
Event: Second International Conference on Earth Observation for Global Changes, 2009, Chengdu, China

Abstract

The traditional opinion is that "the bottom of the river valley was formed after the terrace I". In recent years, many site investigations have shown that thick layers of drift are well developed along the rivers, which are related to the last glaciation in Western China. The thickness of this drift is generally 40-70m. Time dating shows that the age of the lower parts of this drift is 20-25 thousand years. This means that the boundary between the bedrock and the drift was formed 25 thousand years ago, which can be related to the last inter-glacial period (45-25 thousand years ago). Paleoclimate studies show that the last glaciation can be divided into three sub-periods: a sub-glacial period 70-45 thousand years ago, a subinterglacial period 45-25 thousand years ago, and a sub-glacial period 25-15 thousand years ago. River erosion is related to interglacial periods or sub-interglacial periods and river accumulation is related to glacial or sub-glacial periods. The rapid uplift of the crust and the fast ablation of glaciers in the last inter-glacial period, gave the rivers huge erosive power, which caused intensive river valley erosion in the late Pleistocene in Western China. This erosive event happened after the formation of the highest level of terrace in the valley. The river cut down quickly to the bedrock, and consequently the valleys were backfilled in different accumulation phases during the Last Glacial Maximum. After that, the river resumed undercutting and formed the terraces II, I and the present river bed deposit.

Citation Download Citation

Yunsheng Wang, Runqin Huang, Yonghong Luo, and Ou Su "An intensive erosion event in last glaciation in the west of China", Proc. SPIE 7471, Second International Conference on Earth Observation for Global Changes, 747119 (9 October 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.836323

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