Evolution of terraces I-III along the Anning River, western Sichuan, based on pollen records and terrace structure

• Published in: Science China. Earth sciences Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 127 - 135
• Main Author: Cheng, JianWu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg SP Science China Press 2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Climate change; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Paleoecology; Pollen; Research Paper; Rivers; Terraces; 四川西部; 安宁河; 河流阶地; 花粉记录; 青藏高原隆起; China; Sichuan China; Asia, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; Anning River in western Sichuan; terrace formation; pollen; paleoclimate
• ISSN: 1674-7313; 1869-1897
• DOI: 10.1007/s11430-010-4067-z

This study reconstructs the long-term evolution of river terraces over large spatial scales along the Anning River, western Sichuan, and identifies external factors controlling terrace formation. Pollen record analysis and terrace structure indicate that formation of the middle section of terraces I-III resulted from the interaction of changing climates and uplift of the margins of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The relative influence of climate and uplift in terrace formation changes in different periods. The terraces reveal multiple, gradual uplift events on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is of great significance for determining uplift mechanisms across the entire plateau.