Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T02:05:28.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Late Quaternary paleoclimatic and geomorphological evolution at the interface between the Menyuan basin and the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Xianyan Wang ,
Dimitri Vandenberghe ,
Shuangwen Yi ,
Jef Vandenberghe ,
Huayu Lu ,
Ronald Van Balen  and
Peter Van den Haute
Xianyan Wang*
Affiliation:
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China Institute of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dimitri Vandenberghe
Affiliation:
Department of Geology and Soil Science, Laboratory of Mineralogy and Petrology (Luminescence Research Group), Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Shuangwen Yi
Affiliation:
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Jef Vandenberghe
Affiliation:
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China Institute of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Huayu Lu
Affiliation:
School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Ronald Van Balen
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Peter Van den Haute
Affiliation:
Department of Geology and Soil Science, Laboratory of Mineralogy and Petrology (Luminescence Research Group), Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 (S8), B-9000 Gent, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author at: School of Geographic and Oceanographic Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Development, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. Fax: + 86 25 83686740. E-mail addresses:[email protected] (X. Wang), [email protected] (J. Vandenberghe).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau is regarded as an amplifier and driver of environmental change in adjacent regions because of its extent and high altitude. However, reliable age control for paleoenvironmental information on the plateau is limited. OSL appears to be a valid method to constrain the age of deposits of glacial and fluvial origin, soils and periglacial structures in the Menyuan basin on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Dating results show glaciers advanced extensively to the foot of the Qilian mountains at ~ 21 ka, in agreement with the timing of the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) recorded in Northern Hemisphere ice cores. Comparison with results from the eastern Tibetan Plateau suggests that the factor controlling glacial advance in both regions was decreased temperature, not monsoon-related precipitation increase. The areas of the Menyuan basin occupied by glacio-fluvial deposits experienced continuous permafrost during the LGM, indicated by large cryoturbation features, interpreted to indicate that the mean annual temperature was ≥ 7 °C lower than at present. Glacio-fluvial systems in the Menyuan basin aggraded and terraces formed during cold periods (penultimate glaciation, LGM, and possibly the Younger Dryas) as a response to increased glacial sediment production and meltwater runoff then.

Keywords

LGMCryoturbationPaleoclimateFluvial aggradationOSL datingNortheastern Tibetan Plateau
Type
Original Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 80 , Issue 3 , November 2013 , pp. 534 - 544
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adamiec, G., Aitken, M.J., (1998). Dose-rate conversion factors: new data. Ancient TL 16, 37–50.Google Scholar
Aitken, M.J., Alldred, J.C., (1972). The assessment of error limits in thermo-luminescence dating. Archaeometry 14, 257–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aitken, M.J., (1976). Thermoluminescent age evaluation and assessment of error limits: revised system. Archaeometry 18, 233–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benn, D.I., Owen, L.A., (1998). The role of the Indian summer monsoon and the mid-latitude westerlies in Himalayan glaciation: review and speculative discussion. Journal of the Geological Society 155, 353–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bridgland, D.R., Westaway, R., (2008). Preservation patterns of Late Cenozoic fluvial deposits and their implications: results from IGCP 449. Quaternary International 189, 5–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buylaert, J.-P., Vandenberghe, D., Murray, A.S., Huot, S., De Corte, F., Van den haute, P., (2007). Luminescence dating of old (> 70 ka) Chinese loess: a comparison of single-aliquot OSL and IRSL techniques. Quaternary Geochronology 2, 9–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buylaert, J.-P., Ghysels, G., Murray, A.S., Thomsen, K.J., Vandenberghe, D., De Corte, F., Heyse, I., Van den haute, P., (2009). Optical dating of relict sand wedges and composite-wedge pseudomorphs in Flanders, Belgium. Boreas 38, 160–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bøtter-Jensen, L., Andersen, C.E., Duller, G.A.T., Murray, A.S., (2003). Developments in radiation, stimulation and observation facilities in luminescence measurements. Radiation Measurements 37, 535–541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Derbyshire, E., (1987). A history of the glacial stratigraphy in China. Quaternary Science Reviews 6, 301–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Derese, C., Vandenberghe, D., Paulissen, E., Van den haute, P., (2009). Revisiting a type locality for Late Glacial aeolian sand deposition in NW Europe: optical dating of the dune complex at Opgrimbie (NE Belgium). Geomorphology 109, 27–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duller, G.A.T., (2003). Distinguishing quartz and feldspar in single grain luminescence measurements. Radiation Measurements 37, 161–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutta, S., Suresh, N., Kumar, R., (2012). Climatically controlled Late Quaternary terrace staircase development in the fold-and-thrust belt of the Sub Himalaya. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 356–357, 16–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibling, M.R., Tandon, S.K., Sinha, R., Jain, M., (2005). Discontinuity bounded alluvial sequences of the southern Gangetic plains, India: aggradation and degradation in response to monsoonal strength. Journal of Sedimentary Research 75, 369–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodbred jr., S.L., (2003). Response of Ganges dispersal system to climatic change: a source to sink view since the last interstade. Sedimentary Geology 162, 83–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, H., Chen, Y., Li, J., (1995). A preliminary study on the sequences of glaciers, loess records and terraces of the southern foothills of Lenlong Ling in Qilian Mountains. Journal of Lanzhou University (Natural Sciences) 31, 1 102–110.(in Chinese with English abstract).Google Scholar
Jain, M., Murray, A.S., Bøtter-Jensen, L., (2003). Optically stimulated luminescence dating: how significant is incomplete light exposure in fluvial environments?. Quaternaire 15, 143–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kang, J., Zhu, J., Chen, H., (1992). Late Quaternary glacial sequence on the south slope of the Lenglongling, Qilian Mountains. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 14, 4 352–359.(in Chinese with English abstract).Google Scholar
Kong, P., Fink, D., Na, C., Huan, F., (2009). Late Quaternary glaciation of the Tianshan, Central Asia, using cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating. Quaternary Research 72, 229–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lai, Z., Kaiser, K., Brückner, H., (2009). Luminescence-dated aeolian deposits of late Quaternary age in the southern Tibetan Plateau and their implications for landscape history. Quaternary Research 72, 421–430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehmkuhl, F., Haselein, F., (2000). Quaternary paleoenvironmental change on the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas (Western China and Western Mongolia). Quaternary International 65, 66 121–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehmkuhl, F., Owen, L.A., (2005). Late Quaternary glaciation of Tibet and the bordering mountains: a review. Boreas 34, 87–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, G., Zhang, X., Cui, Z., Wu, Y., Ju, Y., (2006). A review of glacial sequences of the Kunlun Pass, northern Tibetan Plateau. Quaternary International 154–155, 63–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, X.D., Chen, B.D., (2000). Climatic warming in the Tibetan Plateau during the recent decades. International Journal of Climatology 20, 1729–1742.3.0.CO;2-Y>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, X., Lai, Z., Fan, Q., Long, H., Sun, Y., (2010). Timing for high lake levels of Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau since the Last Interglaciation based on quartz OSL dating. Quaternary Geochronology 5, 218–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, X.J., Lai, Z.P., (2013). Optical dating of sand wedges and ice-wedge casts from Qinghai Lake area on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its palaeoenvironmental implications. Boreas 42, 333–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, H., Lai, Z., Wang, N., Zhang, J., (2011). A combined luminescence and radiocarbon dating study of Holocene lacustrine sediments from arid northern China. Quaternary Geochronology 6, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, H.Y., Wang, X.Y., An, Z., Miao, X., Zhu, R., Ma, H., Li, Z., Tan, H., Wang, X., (2004). Geomorphologic evidence of phased uplift of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since 14 million years ago. Science in China Series D 47, 9 822–833.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, H.Y., Zhao, C., Mason, J., Yi, S.W., Zhao, H., Zhou, Y., Ji, J., Swinehart, J., Wang, C., (2011). Holocene climatic changes revealed by aeolian deposits from the Qinghai Lake area (northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) and possible forcing mechanisms. The Holocene 21, 297–304.Google Scholar
Mejdahl, V., (1979). Thermoluminescence dating: beta attenuation in quartz grains. Archaeometry 21, 61–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miall, A., (1996). The Geology of Fluvial Deposits. Springer, Berlin.(582 pp.).Google Scholar
Mol, J., Vandenberghe, J., Kasse, C., Stel, H., (1993). Periglacial microjointing and faulting in Weichselian fluvi-aeolian deposits. Journal of Quaternary Science 8, 15–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, A.S., Funder, S., (2003). Optically stimulated luminescence dating of a Danish Eemian coastal marine deposit: a test of accuracy. Quaternary Science Reviews 22, 1177–1183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, A.S., Olley, J.M., (2002). Precision and accuracy in the optically stimulated luminescence dating of sedimentary quartz: a status review. Geochronometria 21, 1–16.Google Scholar
Murray, A.S., Wintle, A.G., (2000). Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol. Radiation Measurements 32, 57–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, A.S., Wintle, A.G., (2003). The single aliquot regenerative dose protocol: potential for improvements in reliability. Radiation Measurements 37, 377–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ou, X.J., Lai, Z.P., Zeng, L.H., Zhou, S.Z., (2012). OSL dating of glacial sediments from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its bordering mountains: a review and methodological suggestions. Journal of Earth Environment 3, 2 829–842.Google Scholar
Owen, L.A., (2009). Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Himalaya and Tibet. Quaternary Science Reviews 28, 2150–2164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owen, L.A., Caffee, M.W., Finkel, R.C., Seong, B.S., (2008). Quaternary glaciation of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen. Journal of Quaternary Science 23, 513–532.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, B.T., Li, J.J., Chen, F.H., (1995). The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: Driver and amplfier of the global climatic changes. I The characteristics of climatic changes in Cenozoic. Journal of Lanznhou University (Natural Science Edition) 31, 120–128.(in Chinese).Google Scholar
Pan, B., Su, H., Hu, Z., Hu, X., Gao, H., Guan, Q., Li, J.J., Kirby, E., (2009). Evaluating the role of climate and tectonics during non-steady incision of the Yellow river: evidence from a 1.24 Ma terrace record near Lanzhou, China. Quaternary Science Reviews 28, 3281–3290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Porter, S.C., Singhvi, A., An, Z.S., Lai, Z.P., (2001). Luminescence age and palaeoenvironmental implications of a Late-Pleistocene ground wedge on the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 12, 203–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prescott, J.R., Hutton, J.T., (1994). Cosmic ray contributions to dose rates for luminescence and ESR dating: large depths and long-term time variations. Radiation Measurements 23, 497–500.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ray, Y., Srivastava, P., (2010). Widespread aggradation in the mountainous catchment of the Alaknanda-Ganga River System: timescales and implications to Hinterland–foreland relationships. Quaternary Science Reviews 29, 2238–2260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shen, J., Liu, X., Wang, S., (2005). Palaeoclimatic changes in the Qinghai Lake area during the last 18,000 years. Quaternary International 136, 131–140.Google Scholar
Shi, Y., (2002). Characteristics of late Quaternary monsoonal glaciations on the Tibetan Plateau and in East Asia. Quaternary International 97, 98 79–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Srivastava, P., Tripathi, J.K., Islam, R., Jaiswal, M.K., (2008). Fashion and phases of Late Pleistocene aggradation and incision in Alaknanda River, western Himalaya, India. Quaternary Research 70, 68–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thiede, R.C., Bookhagen, B., Arrowsmith, J.R., Sobel, E.R., Strecker, M.R., (2004). Climatic control on rapid exhumation along the southern Himalayan Front. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 222, 791–806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, D., De Corte, F., Buylaert, J.-P., Kučera, J., Van den haute, P., (2008). On the internal radioactivity in quartz. Radiation Measurements 43, 771–775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, D., Vanneste, K., Verbeeck, K., Paulissen, E., Buylaert, J.-P., De Corte, F., Van den haute, P., (2009). Lat Weichselian and Holocene earthquake events along the Geleen fault in NE Belgium: OSL age constraints. Quaternary International 199, 56–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., (1988). Cryoturbations. Clark, M.J. Advances in Periglacial Geomorphology. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.179–198.Google Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., (1992). Cryoturbations: a sediment structural analysis. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 3, 343–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., Cui, Z., Zhao, L., Zhang, W., (2004). Thermal-contraction-crack networks as evidence for Late-Pleistocene. Permafrost in Inner Mongolia, China. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 15, 21–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., (1995). Timescales, climate and river development. Quaternary Science Reviews 14, 631–638.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., (2002). The relation between climate and river processes, landforms and deposits during the Quaternary. Quaternary International 91, 17–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., (2003). Climate forcing of fluvial system development: an evolution of ideas. Quaternary Science Reviews 22, 2053–2060.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., (2008). The fluvial cycle at cold-warm-cold transitions in lowland regions: a refinement of theory. Geomorphology 98, 275–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberghe, J., Wang, X.Y., Lu, H.Y., (2011). The impact of differential tectonic movement on fluvial morphology and sedimentology along the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Geomorphology 134, 171–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, N., Zhao, Q., Li, J., Hu, G., Cheng, H., (2003). The sand wedges of the last ice age in the Hexi Corridor, China: paleoclimatic interpretation. Geomorphology 51, 213–320.Google Scholar
Wang, X.Y., Lu, H.Y., Vandenberghe, J., Zheng, S., Van Balen, R.T., (2012). Late Miocene uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau inferred from basin filling, planation and fluvial terraces in the Huang Shui catchment. Global and Planetary Change 88–89, 10–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, X., Scuderi, L., (2010). Hydrological and climatic changes in deserts of China since the late Pleistocene. Quaternary Research 73, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yi, C., Chen, H., Yang, J., Liu, B., Fu, P., Liu, K., Li, S., (2008). Review of Holocene glacial chronologies based on radiocarbon dating in Tibet and its surrounding mountains. Journal of Quaternary Science 23, 533–543.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, J., Zhou, S., Shi, Z., Ye, Y., Zhang, S., Cui, J., Xu, L., (2001). ESR dating of glacial tills of Baishuihe River on the southern slope of Lenglongling in the eastern part of Qilian Mountain. Journal of Lanzhou University (Natural Sciences) 37, 4 110–117.(in Chinese with English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhou, S., Li, J., Zhang, S., (2002). Quaternary glaciation of the Bailang River Valley, Qilian Shan. Quaternary International 97, 98 103–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhou, S., Wang, J., Xu, L., Wang, X., Patrick, M., David, Glacial advances in south-eastern Tibet during late Quaternary and their implications for climatic changes. Quaternary International 218, 58–66.Google Scholar
Zhou, W., Head, M., An, Z., Deckker, P., Liu, Z., Liu, X., Lu, X., Donahue, D., Jull, A., Beck, J., (2001). Terrestrial evidence for a spatial structure of tropical–polar interconnections during the Younger Dryas episode. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 191, 231–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar