Preliminary Investigation of the Remnants of Low-Latitude Glacial Activity on the Southeastern Margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Yiwen Pan, Shitao Zhang (), Jianping Chen, Cheng Zhang and Shuangshuang Wu
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Yiwen Pan: School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Shitao Zhang: Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Jianping Chen: School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Cheng Zhang: School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Shuangshuang Wu: School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: The formation of Quaternary glaciers represented a pivotal event in the climatic and geological history of the Tibetan Plateau. However, due to the scarcity of direct evidence for low-latitude glaciation, the timing and extent of late Quaternary glaciation on the Tibetan Plateau remain controversial. This study focuses on the Liangwang Mountains, which are located in the southeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau and has a maximum elevation of 2820 m, as the subject of investigation. Through a comprehensive application of glacial landform analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based micromorphology analysis of quartz sand, and spore-pollen data analysis, we uncovered evident signs of glacial activity in this region during the Quaternary period. Our research identified typical glacial landforms such as cirques, U-shaped valleys, fluted moraines, and terminal moraines. Additionally, spore-pollen analysis revealed a high frequency of fir pollen, indicating cold climatic conditions during that time. Furthermore, the micromorphology analysis of quartz sand further corroborated the glacial origin of these deposits. Based on these combined findings, our study confirms that the Liangwang Mountains experienced glaciation during the Quaternary period, making them glacial relics at the lowest latitude currently known in mainland China. This discovery provides a valuable reference for understanding the paleoclimate and glacial history of the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding regions.

Keywords: glacial geomorphology; penultimate glaciation; glacial sequences; Liangwang Mountains (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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