SpringerLink
Log in

Holocene millennial-scale erosion and deposition processes in the middle reaches of inland drainage basins, arid China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In inland drainage basins, many studies have been conducted regarding the geomorphologic evolution processes in the upper and lower reaches, few of them have been done on the middle reaches, which are the pivotal areas connecting the erosion effects of the upper reaches and the deposition processes in terminal areas. In this study, we presented a millennial-scale study from middle reaches of the Shiyang River and the Shule River drainage basins during the Holocene. Several sedimentary sections are selected to calculate millennial-scale erosion and deposition rates. Results show that the middle reaches of the Shiyang River and the Shule River are characterized by deposition processes in the early and middle Holocene, but erosion processes prevailed during the late Holocene. At the same time, the sedimentary facies, grain size, geochemical proxies and pollen proxies of the sediments from middle reaches of the two drainages were used to complement the erosion and deposition rates, which are good for understanding the environment background during the geomorphologic evolution processes. Besides, the main factor affecting the basin-wide geomorphologic evolution is millennial-scale climate change, and the responses of the middle reaches to climate change are different from those of the upper and lower reaches.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson RS, Anderson SP (2010) Geomorphology: the mechanics and chemistry of landscapes. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore P, Conly FM, DeBoer D, Martin Y, Petticrew E, Roy A (2000) Recent (1995–1998) Canadian research on contemporary processes of river erosion and sedimentation, and river mechanics. Hydrol Process 14(9):1687–1706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bridgland DR, Westaway R (2008) Climatically controlled river terrace staircases: a worldwide Quaternary phenomenon. Geomorphology 98:285–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brookfield ME (1998) The evolution of the great river systems of southern Asia during the Cenozoic India-Asia collision: Rivers draining southwards. Geomorphology 22(3):285–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bull WB (1991) Geomorphic responses to climatic change. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Bull WB, Schick AP (1979) Impact of climatic change on an arid watershed: Nahal Yael, southern Israel. Quat Res 11(2):153–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cant DJ (1977) Development of a facies model for sandy braided river sedimentation: comparison of the South Saskatchewan River and the Battery Point Formation Fluvial. Sedimentology 5:627–639

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao XS (1996) The quaternary paleogeographic environment of Gansu Province. Acta Geol Gansu 5(2):40–56 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen LH, Qu YG (1992) The exploitation and utilization of land and water resources in Hexi Corridor. Science Press, Bei**g (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen FH, Zhu Y, Li JJ, Shi Q, ** LY, Wünnemann B (2001) Abrupt Holocene changes of the Asian monsoon at millennial-and centennial-scales: evidence from lake sediment document in Minqin Basin, NW China. Chin Sci Bull 46(23):1414–1419 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen FH, Cheng B, Zhao Y, Zhu Y, Madsen DB (2006) Holocene environmental change inferred from a high-resolution pollen record, Lake Zhuyeze, arid China. Holocene 16:675–684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen FH, Yu ZC, Yang ML, Ito E, Wang SM, Madsen DB, Huang XZ, Zhao Y, Sato T, Birks HJB, Boomer I, Chen JH, An CB, Wünnemann B (2008) Holocene moisture evolution in arid central Asia and its out-of-phase relationship with Asian monsoon history. Quat Sci Rev 27:351–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman JM, Gagliano SM (1964) Cyclic sedimentation in the Mississippi River deltaic plain. Gulf Coast Assoc Geol Soc Trans 14:67–80

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Alessandro L, Miccadei E, Piacentini T (2008) Morphotectonic study of the lower Sangro river valley (Abruzzi, central Italy). Geomorphology 102(1):145–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denton GH, Anderson RF, Toggweiler JR, Edwards RL, Schaefer JM, Putnam AE (2010) The last glacial termination. Science 328:1652–1656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dykoski CA, Edwards RL, Cheng H, Yuan D, Cai Y, Zhang M, Lin Y, Qing J, An Z, Revenaugh J (2005) A high-resolution, absolute-dated Holocene and deglacial Asian monsoon record from Dongge Cave, China. Earth Planet Sci Lett 233:71–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng SW (1981) Evolution of Shule He River system. J Lanzhou Univ 4(1):138–143 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao HS, Pan BT, Li JJ, Wu GJ, Li BY, Ye YG (2005) Age and genesis of the stepped geomorphic surfaces in **ta River Basin of the Eastern Qilian Mountains. J Mt Sci 23(3):129–135 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hancock GS, Anderson RS (2002) Numerical modeling of fluvial strath-terrace formation in response to oscillating climate. Geol Soc Am Bull 114:1131–1142

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzschuh U (2006) Palaeo-moisture evolution in monsoonal central Asia during the last 50000 years. Quat Sci Rev 25:163–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hetzel R, Niedermann S, Tao MX, Kubik PW, Ivy-Ochs S, Gao B, Kubik MR (2002) Low slip rates and long-term preservation of geomorphic features in Central Asian. Nature 417:428–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hetzel R, Tao MX, Stokes S, Niedermann S, Ivy-Ochs S, Gao B, Strecker MR, Kubik PW (2004) Late Pleistocene/Holocene slip rate of the Zhangye thrust (Qilian Shan, China) and implications for the active growth of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Tectonics 23:1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hetzel R, Niedermann S, Tao M, Kubik PW, Strecker MR (2006) Climatic versus tectonic control on river incision at the margin of NE Tibet: 10Be exposure dating of river terraces at the mountain front of the Qilian Shan. J Geophys Res Earth Surf (2003–2012) 111(F3):1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu XF (2010) The Research on temporal and spatial distributions of erosion rates and tectonic deformation in the Northern Qilian Shan. Ph. D. Thesis, Lanzhou University, China (in Chinese)

  • Hu SX, Wang K (2000) Development and tendency of modern geomorphology. Earth Sci Front 7:67–78 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang ES, Cheng GD, Dong ZC (2002) Glacial-snowmelt water resources and their runoff in arid region, NW China. Science Press, Bei**g (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavee H, Imeson AC, Sarah P (1998) The impact of climate change on geomorphology and desertification along a Mediterranean-arid transect. Land Degrad Dev 9(5):407–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lea DW, Pak DK, Peterson LC, Hughen KA (2003) Synchroneity of tropical and high-latitude Atlantic temperatures over the last glacial termination. Science 301:1361–1364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JJ (1983) Morphological framework and genetie mechanism of the Qinghai-**zang Plateau. Mt Res 1(1):7–15 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li JJ (1990) The patterns of environmental changes since late Pleistocene in northwestern China. Quat Sci 3:197–204 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li JJ (1991) The enviornmental effects of the uplift of the Qinghai-**zang Plateau. Quat Sci Rev 10:479–483

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JJ (1995) Uplift of Qinghai-**zang (Tibet) Plateau and global change: a contribution to 14 INQUA congress, Berlin. Lanzhou University Press, Lanzhou

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Y (2009) The pollen records from lake sediments and climateandlake model in the marginal area of the Asian monsoon. Ph.D Thesis, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou

  • Li JJ, Fang XM (1999) Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and environmental changes. Chin Sci Bull 44(23):2117–2124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JJ, Zhang QS, Li BY (1994) Main progress in the of geomorphology in china past fifteen years. Acta Geogr Sin 49:641–649 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li JJ, Fang XM, Pan BT, Zhao ZJ, Song YG (2001) Late Cenozoic intensive uplift of Qinghai-**zang plateau and its impacts on environments in surrounding area. Quat Sci 21(5):381–391 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li WL, Wang KL, Fu SM, Jiang H (2008) The interrelationship between regional westerly index and the water vapor budget in northwest China. J Glaciol Geocryol 30:34–38 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang NA, Morrill C, Cheng HY, Long H, Zhao Q (2009a) Environmental change implied by the relationship between pollen assemblages and grain-size in NW Chinese lake sediments since the Late Glacial. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 154(1):54–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang NA, Cheng HY, Long H, Zhao Q (2009b) Holocene environmental change in the marginal area of the Asian monsoon: a record from Zhuye Lake, NW China. Boreas 38(2):349–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang NA, Li ZL, Zhang HA (2011) Holocene palynological records and their responses to the controversies of climate system in the Shiyang River drainage basin. Chin Sci Bull 56(6):535–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang NA, Li ZL, Zhang CQ, Zhou XH (2012a) Reworking effects in the Holocene Zhuye Lake sediments: a case study by pollen concentrates AMS 14C dating. Sci China Ser D Earth Sci 42(9):1429–1440 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang NA, Morrill C, Anderson DM, Li ZL, Zhang CQ, Zhou XH (2012b) Millennial-scale erosion rates in three inland drainage basins and their controlling factors since the Last Deglaciation, arid China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 365–366(1):263–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Wang NA, Li ZL, Zhou XH, Zhang CQ (2013) Climatic and environmental change in Yanchi Lake, Northwest China since the Late Glacial: a comprehensive analysis of lake sediments. J Geogr Sci 23(5):932–946

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu XQ, Shen J, Wang SM, Wang YB, Liu WG (2007) Southwest monsoon changes indicated by oxygen isotope of ostracode shells from sediments in Qinghai Lake since the late Glacial. Chin Sci Bull 52:539–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long H, Lai ZP, Wang NA, Li Y (2010) Holocene climate variations from Zhuyeze terminal lake records in East Asian monsoon margin in arid northern. China Quat Res 74:46–56 (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mao HL, Zhao H, Lu YC, Wang CM, Zhang KQ, Yang ZJ, Liang JJ (2007) Pollen assemblages and environment evolution in Shule River alluvial fan oasis in Gnasu. Acta Geosci Sin 28(6):528–534 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Miall AD (1996) The geology of fluvial deposits. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Moon S, Chamberlain CP, Blisniuk K, Levine N, Rood DH, Hilley GE (2011) Climatic control of denudation in the deglaciated landscape of the Washington Cascades. Nat Geosci 4:469–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore ID, Grayson RB, Ladson AR (1991) Digital terrain modelling: a review of hydrological, geomorphological, and biological applications. Hydrol Process 5(1):3–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newson MD, Newson CL (2000) Geomorphology, ecology and river channel habitat: mesoscale approaches to basin-scale challenges. Prog Phys Geogr 24(2):195–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oppo DW, Sun Y (2005) Amplitude and timing of sea-surface temperature change in the northern South China Sea: dynamic link to the East Asian monsoon. Geology 33:785–788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Wu GJ, Wang YX, Liu ZG, Guan QY (2000) Age and genesis of the Shagou River terraces in eastern Qilian Mountains. Chin Sci Bull 45(24):2669–2675 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Douglas B, Wang YX, Wu GJ, Li JJ, Guan QY (2003) A 900 ky record of strath terrace formation during glacial-interglacial transitions in northwest, China. Geology 31(11):957–960

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Gao HS, Wu GJ, Li JJ, Li BY, Ye YG (2007) Dating of erosion surface and terraces in the eastern Qilian Shan, northwest China. Earth Surf Process Landf 32(1):143–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Su H, Hu ZB, Hu XF, Gao HS, Li JJ, Eric K (2009) Evaluating the role of climate and tectonics during non-steady incision of the Yellow River: evidence from a 124 Ma terrace record near Lanzhou, China. Quat Sci Rev 28(1):3281–3290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Geng HP, Hu XF, Sun R, Wang C (2010) The topographic controls on the decadal-scale erosion rates in Qilian Shan Mountains, NW China. Earth Planet Sci Lett 292(1):148–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Li QY, Hu XF, Geng HP, Liu ZB, Jiang SF, Yuan WM (2013a) Cretaceous and Cenozoic cooling history of the eastern Qilian Shan, north-eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau: evidence from apatite fission-track analysis. Terra Nova 25(6):431–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan BT, Hu XF, Gao HS, Hu ZB, Cao B, Geng HP, Li QY (2013b) Late Quaternary river incision rates and rock uplift pattern of the eastern Qilian Shan Mountain, China. Geomorphology 184:84–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton PC, Baker VR, Kochel RC (1979) Slack-water deposits: a geomorphic technique for the interpretation of fluvial paleohydrology. Adjust Fluv Syst 1:225–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen SO, Andersen KK, Svensson AM, Steffensen JP, Vinther BM, Clausen HB, Siggaard-Andersen ML, Johnsen SJ, Larsen LB, Dahl-Jensen D, Bigler M, Röthlisberger R, Fischer H, Goto-Azuma K, Hansson ME, Ruth U (2006) A new Greenland ice core chronology for the last glacial termination. J Geophys Res 111(D6):1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosgen DL, Silvey HL (1996) Applied river morphology Pagosa Springs. Wildland Hydrology, Colorado

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumm SA (1973) Geomorphic thresholds and complex response of drainage systems. Fluv Geomorphol 6(1):69–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumm SA, Mosley MP, Weaver W (1987) Experimental fluvial geomorphology. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen YC, Cai GQ (1985) On attempt to Study the Progress of River Geomorphology in the Foreign Countries. Geogr Res 4(2):79–88 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi YF, Li JJ, Li BY, Yao TD, Wang SM, Li SJ, Cui ZJ, Wang FB, Pan BT, Fang XM, Zhang QS (1999) Uplift of the Qinghai-**zang(Tibet) Plateau and east Asia environmental change during late Cenozoic. Acta Geogr Sin 54(1):10–21 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang QC, Qu YG, Zhou LC (1992) Hydrology and water resources utilization in Chinese arid regions. Science Press, Bei**g (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor MP, Macklin MG, Hudson-Edwards K (2000) River sedimentation and fluvial response to Holocene environmental change in the Yorkshire Ouse Basin, northern England. The Holocene 10(2):201–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberghe J (2008) The fluvial cycle at cold-warm-cold transitions in lowland regions: a refinement of theory. Geomorphology 98:275–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Virdi NS, Philip G, Bhattacharya S (2006) Neotectonic activity in the Markanda and Bata river basins, Himachal Pradesh, NW Himalaya: a morphotectonic approach. Int J Remote Sens 27(10):2093–2099

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang KL, Jiang H, Zhao HY (2005) Atmospheric water vapor transport from westerly and monsoon over the Northwest China. Adv Water Sci 16:432–438 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Cheng H, Edwards RL, Kong X, Shao X, Chen S, Wu J, Jiang X, Wang X, An Z (2008) Millennial- and orbital-scale changes in the East Asian monsoon over the past 224,000 years. Nature 451:1090–1093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whipple KX (2004) Bedrock rivers and the geomorphology of active orogens. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 32(1):151–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolman MG, Gerson R (1978) Relative scales of time and effectiveness of climate in watershed geomorphology. Earth Surf Process Landf 3(2):189–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu GJ, Pan BT, Guan QY (1998) Climatic changes in the north piedmont of eastern Qilian Mountains since 10 ka BP. J Desert Res 18(3):193–200 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu J (2002) River sedimentation and channel adjustment of the lower Yellow River as influenced by low discharges and seasonal channel dry-ups. Geomorphology 43(1):151–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yancheva G, Nowaczyk NR, Mingram J, Dulski P, Schettler G, Negendank JFW, Liu J, Sigman DM, Peterson LC, Haug GH (2007) Influence of the intertropical convergence zone on the East Asian monsoon. Nature 445:74–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang YC (1990) Formation and evolution on Keliya river. Landf Arid Land Geogr 13(1):37–45 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang JC, Tan LH, Li YL, Duan FJ (1998) River terraces and neotectonic evolution at north margin of the Qilianshan Mountains. Quat Sci 3(1):229–237 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang HC, Ma YZ, Wünnemann B, Pachur HJ (2000) A Holocene climatic record from arid northwestern China. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 162(3):389–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao SQ (1983) A new plan for China’s physical geographic regionalization. Acta Geogr Sin 38:1–10 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Q (2005) The Holocene lake sediments and environmental changes in the Shiyang river drainage, NW China. Ph.D. Thesis, Lanzhou University, China (in Chinese)

  • Zhao H, Lu YC, Wang CM, Mao HL, Zhang KQ (2007) Optical Dating of Holocene Water-laid sediments recorded hydrological environmental changes in the Oasis of Shulehe River Alluvial Fan in Gansu Province. Nucl Tech 30(11):893–898 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Yu ZC, Chen FH, Li JJ (2008) Holocene vegetation and climate change from a lake sediment record in the Tengger Sandy Desert, northwest China. J Arid Environ 72:2054–2064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng GZ, Yue LP, He JF, Wang JX, Zhang YL (2006) Grain-size characteristics of the sediments at paleoswamp in Anxi County in downstream of Shulehe River during Holocene and its paleoclimatic significance. Acta Sedimentol Sin 24(5):733–739 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41571178 and 41371009) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. lzujbky-2015-143). We thank the editor and reviewers for their constructive suggestions and comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Center for Hydrologic Cycle and Water Resources in Arid Region, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Yue Wang, Yu Li & Chengqi Zhang

Authors
  1. Yue Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yu Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chengqi Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, Y., Li, Y. & Zhang, C. Holocene millennial-scale erosion and deposition processes in the middle reaches of inland drainage basins, arid China. Environ Earth Sci 75, 454 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5338-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5338-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation