Quaternary glacial history of the Kanas Valley, Chinese Altai, NW China, constrained by electron spin resonance and optically stimulated luminescence datings

The Chinese Altai is located on the northern edge of Central Asia. Rich geological records of Quaternary glaciations are preserved in this area. However, the glacial history in the Chinese Altai has hardly been investigated. This study aims to rebuild the regional glacial history in the Kanas Valley...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Asian Earth Sciences
Main Authors: Yang, Jianqiang, Chen, Yixin, Xu, Xiangke, Cui, Zhijiu, Xiong, Heigang
Other Authors: Chen, YX (reprint author), Peking Univ, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Tibetan Plateau Res, Beijing 100085, Peoples R China., Peking Univ, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Beijing Union Univ, Coll Art & Sci, Beijing 100191, Peoples R China.
Format: Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: JOURNAL OF ASIAN EARTH SCIENCES 2017
Subjects:
Quaternary glaciation
Glacial chronology
Chinese Altai
Westerlies
OSL dating
ESR dating
BE-10 SURFACE EXPOSURE
LATE PLEISTOCENE GLACIATIONS
EASTERN TIAN-SHAN
COSMOGENIC BE-10
CENTRAL-ASIA
RIVER VALLEY
URUMQI RIVER
TIEN-SHAN
ICE CORE
SOUTHERN SIBERIA
ice core
Siberia
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/484810
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.07.011
Description
Summary:The Chinese Altai is located on the northern edge of Central Asia. Rich geological records of Quaternary glaciations are preserved in this area. However, the glacial history in the Chinese Altai has hardly been investigated. This study aims to rebuild the regional glacial history in the Kanas Valley of the Chinese Altai. We present 14 electron spin resonance (ESR) ages and 3 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from glacial landforms. By integrating with ages from previous studies, five major glacial, advances are identified during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages (MIS) 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2, with ages of 167.0 +/- 16.0-123.0 +/- 18.0 ka, 97.0 +/- 19.0-78.0 +/- 7.0 ka, 76.0 +/- 16.0-73.1 +/- 6.6 ka, 52.1 +/- 7.8-34.4 +/- 4.2 ka, and 28.0 +/- 3.3-16.1 +/- 1.5 ka respectively. The glacial advance during MIS 5 is the local Last Glacial Maximum, and glaciers became successively more restricted from MIS 5 to MIS 2. In addition, the extensive MIS 3 glacial advance in the Chinese Altai contrasts with the absence of MIS 3 glacial advance in the Mongolia Altai. These glacial patterns reflect that precipitation brought by the westerlies might play a primary role on driving glacial advances during the Last Glacial in the Chinese Altai. This glacial chronology is in reasonable agreement with existing glacial chronologies from other parts of the Altai, Tian Shan and Pamir, indicating similar climate controls on the patterns of Quaternary glaciation across Central Asia Highlands. National Natural Science Foundation of China [40701017, 40801006, 41101003, 41230743] SCI(E) ARTICLE 164-177 147

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