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Plio-Pleistocene drainage reorganization in the middle Yellow River of China, revealed by provenance and paleocurrent analysis of fluvial sediments

Li, Menghao; Hu, Zhenbo; Wang, Ping; Pan, Baotian; Bridgland, David; Mo, Qinhong; Li, Xiaohua; Dong, Zijuan; Zhong, Meiling; Pan, Renzhe; Li, Ningyi

Plio-Pleistocene drainage reorganization in the middle Yellow River of China, revealed by provenance and paleocurrent analysis of fluvial sediments Thumbnail


Authors

Menghao Li

Zhenbo Hu

Ping Wang

Baotian Pan

Qinhong Mo

Xiaohua Li

Zijuan Dong

Meiling Zhong

Renzhe Pan

Ningyi Li



Abstract

Continental-scale drainage reorganization is generally understood to result from landform evolution forced by the coupling between tectonic activity and climate change, attracting worldwide attention. Planation surfaces and river terraces constitute the most direct geomorphological archives for integrating the history of river systems and for reconstructing processes of drainage reorganization based on provenance analysis of the fluvial sediments. The Middle Yellow River has incised into the Ordos Block, which was previously levelled by a planation surface, creating the Jinshaan Gorge and linking the Hetao Basin to the north and the Fenwei Basin to the south. Multiple lines of evidence, from terraces correlation, sedimentary characteristics, and fluvial provenance, suggest that the Middle Yellow River catchment was occupied by fluvio-lacustrine systems before drainage integration, accumulating a sedimentary sequence derived from surrounding Red Clay and bedrocks during the period between 8.3 and 3.7 Ma. The planation surface was uplifted subsequently, forcing reorganization of the fluvio-lacustrine systems. Their integration resulted in the formation of the Jinshaan Gorge prior to 1.2 Ma. Numerous terraces were created during incision by the Middle Yellow River from north to south along the gorge. Our data, obtained from zircon Usingle bondPb dating and lithological composition of fluvial gravels, further points to a remarkable discrepancy in provenance between the fluvio-lacustrine systems overlying the planation surface and the terraces sequence formed by the integrated Middle Yellow River, confirming the drainage reorganization process constrained by the geomorphic records.

Citation

Li, M., Hu, Z., Wang, P., Pan, B., Bridgland, D., Mo, Q., Li, X., Dong, Z., Zhong, M., Pan, R., & Li, N. (2024). Plio-Pleistocene drainage reorganization in the middle Yellow River of China, revealed by provenance and paleocurrent analysis of fluvial sediments. Geomorphology, 454, Article 109177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109177

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 22, 2024
Online Publication Date Mar 23, 2024
Publication Date 2024-06
Deposit Date Oct 5, 2024
Publicly Available Date Oct 8, 2024
Journal Geomorphology
Print ISSN 0169-555X
Electronic ISSN 0094-8659
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 454
Article Number 109177
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109177
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2948983

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