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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions
Volume 6, Issue 3, June, 2014
Citation: Zheng BX, Shen YP, Jiao KQ, et al., 2014. New progress and problems of Quaternary moraine dating in the Tibetan Plateau. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 6(3): 0183–0189. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2014.00183. New progress and problems of Quaternary moraine dating
in the Tibetan Plateau
BenXing Zheng, YongPing Shen *, KeQin Jiao, XiuFeng Yin
Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu
730000, China
*Correspondence to: YongPing Shen, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, No. 320, West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. E-mail: shenyp@lzb.ac.cn
Received: October 20, 2013
Accepted: January 7, 2014
ABSTRACT
Since the 20th century, numerous Quaternary moraine dating methods have emerged, including lichenometric, moraine 14C,
quartz sand thermoluminescence (TL), electron spin resonance (ESR), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and 10Be, 26Al,
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Cl, 3H, 21Ne nuclide dating methods. These dating methods are widely applied to determine moraine ages and have provided
a large dataset. Unfortunately each method has its defects. In this paper, we will review these various dating methods and provide some comments.
Keywords: Quaternary; moraine dating; new progress; problems; Tibetan Plateau
1 Introduction
In the 19th century, stratigraphic and geomorphic analysis methods were used to correctly interpret moraine sequence stratigraphy, and were the most effective way to
reveal their chronology. Even though these various dating
methods have produced a large body of data, the correct
interpretation still depends on stratigraphy and geomorphology (Figure 1). For instance, the age of older boulders
may be underestimated for erosion and even have a large
magnitude of error. For example, in the Kunlun Pass area,
Qinghai of China (Figure 2), Cui et al. (1998) used the
electron spin resonance (ESR) method and obtained an age
of 710 ka for an old moraine; Chen et al. (2011) used the
10
Be method to date fresh surface samples of the moraine
exposed by weathering in the same area, and found the age
to be 40 ka. In contrast, the ages of some young moraines
were overestimated. For example, in the Qilian Mountains,
some modern glaciers are mixed with old bedrock blocks
on the slope, so sample’s dating results cannot represent
the real formation time (Shi, 2000; Shi et al., 2000, 2006).
In addition, the moraine age only represents the deposit
time of glacier retreat. An example would be that in the
Gongga Mountains, Wang et al. (1989) and Zheng and Ma
(1994) dated the last glaciation as 24–15 ka, while Owen
(2005) obtained the moraine ages of 9 ka for the
Hailuogou camp No. 1 and 6 ka for the south side of camp
No. 2. The age data obtained by Owen (2005) can only
represent the early stage of post glaciation and the warmest
period of the Holocene, and the glacier retreat cannot reflect the formation time of the Hailuogou Glaciers.
Another example of underestimation is that in the
Tanggula Mountains, where old moraines in the northern
slope of the Taoerjiu Pass were deposited during the
Tanggula Ice Age (Zheng and Jiao, 1991), and in this
place Owen et al. (2005) and Wang et al. (2007) obtained
dates of 181.30±15.70 ka and 105.71±4.39 ka, respectively. The terminal moraines of the outlet glacier on both
sides of the Tanggula Pass was originally identified to be
a penultimate glaciation (Li et al., 1986; Zheng and Jiao,
1991; Jiao and Shen, 2006), while Owen et al. (2005) and
Wang et al. (2007) obtained an age of 125–215 ka. Thus,
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only two Ice Ages occurred during the Pleistocene in the
Tanggula Mountains; this result is inconsistent with the
evolution history of three Ice Ages in this area. Shi et al.
(2011) pointed out that there are certain differences of
dating ages as compared with the results obtained by previous Chinese scholars. To address these discrepancies,
further studies for evolution of the Pleistocene Ice Ages
in the Tanggula Mountains are needed.
Figure 1 Quaternary moraines dating sites in this paper
Figure 2 Distribution of Quaternary glaciers in Kunlun Pass region.
1. Existing glaciers; 2. Little Ice Age moraine; 3. Neoglacial moraine; 4. Lower Limit of Xidatan Ice Age I;
5. Lower Limit of Xidatan Ice Age II; 6. Lower Limit of Angerzhaxi Ice Age; 7. Boulders of Wangkun Ice Age;
8. Fluvial sediments and lake beach deposits; 9. Lacustrine deposits; 10. Large pingo; 11. Bedrock; 12. Ridge
BenXing Zheng et al., 2014 / Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 6(3): 0183–0189
2 Stratigraphy and geomorphology methods
Before the 21th century, there were dating methods
such as 14C, thermolumninescence (TL), ESR and U series dating; the methods of stratigraphy, geomorphology
and geochemistry are to divide the Quaternary into numerous glacial-interglacial cycles (Zheng and Shi, 1976;
Zheng and Li, 1981; Li et al., 1986). Shi (2002) established a table of Chinese Quaternary glacial-interglacial
cycles in contrast with deep sea deposit oxygen isotope
stages. From the late 20th century to the beginning of the
21st century, new dating methods were used to prove the
accuracy of glaciation divisions.
In the eastern Nyainqentanglha Mountains of the upper Poduzangbu River, the end moraines near the Baiyu
village formed in the early or the late stage of the Baiyu
Glaciation in the Last Glaciation, while older moraines
near the Guxiang village belonged to the Penultimate
Glaciation. Recently, the TCN 10Be moraine dating
method confirmed the Baiyu Glaciation age in
(11.1±1.9)–(18.5±2.2) ka, and the Penultimate Glaciation
age in (112.9±16.7)–(136.5±15.8) ka (Zhou et al., 2007).
3 Glacial stages
At the northern slope of Mt. Qomolangma in the
Rongbu valley, Liu et al. (1962) classified the Rongbude
Temple end moraines into the last glaciation. Zheng et al.
(Zheng and Shi, 1976; Zheng and Li, 1981; Zheng, 1989;
Zheng and Shi, 2006) argued that the Rongbude Temple
end moraines (5,100 m) formed in the Neoglaciation of
the Holocene, and classified the Rongbu Temple (5,000
m) and Jilong Temple end moraines (4,780 m) into two
stages of the Qomolangma Ice Age in late Pleistocene. Li
et al. (1983) differentiated the Rongbu Valley end moraines into the Rongbude Neoglaciation of the Holocene,
the Rongbu Temple glacier age and the Jilong Temple
glacier age, respectively. Zheng and Shi (2006) contrasted the Jilong Temple end moraine with the Guxiang Glaciation and judged it into the late period of the middle
Pleistocene. This result is consistent with the results of Li
et al. (1986) and Burbank and Kang (1991). Recently, the
glacier deposits from the north slope of Mt. Qomolangma
have been dated by Owen et al. (2009), and the results
are as follows:
yLittle ice age moraines, 1.6±0.1 ka (CRN);
yNeoglaciation moraines (corresponding to Rongbude Temple end moraine), 2.4±0.2 ka (CRN);
(6.8–7.7)±0.1 ka (OSL);
yRongbu Temple end moraines, 16.6±4.1 ka (CRN);
(14.2±0.9)–(16.3±0.8) ka (OSL); the product of late
glacial;
yJilong Temple end moraines, 24.3±3.8 ka (CRN),
26.5±1.6 ka (OSL); the product of the last glaciation,
the equilibrium altitude fall line of 150 m;
yDzakar moraines, 34.6±6.6 ka (CRN) or 39.4±4.1 ka
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(OSL), the product of MIS 3;
yTingri moraine beside high platform, 330±29 ka
(CRN); possible product in MIS 10, the relation to
Nieniexiongla Ice Age will be found.
4 Some discordant dating data to the history of geomorphic development and glaciation evolution
From the 1970s to the early 21st century, stratigraphy
and geomorphic methods were used to divide the Quaternary glaciation chronology of Mt. Tanggula. There are
possibly three glaciations from the middle Pleistocene to
the late Pleistocene, i.e., Tanggula, Zhajiazangbu and
Bashicuo (Xu, 1981; Zheng and Li, 1981; Li et al., 1986;
Xu and Li, 1986; Zheng and Jiao, 1991; Jiao and Shen,
2006) or four glaciations, i.e., Baiduo, Buqu, Zhajiazangbu
and Bashicuo (Pu et al., 1982). These authors noted that
the glaciers before penultimate glaciation were huge ice
caps or piedmont glaciers, but the glaciers of the
Zhajiazangbu glaciation and the Bashicuo glaciation (last
glaciation) were valley glaciers. Recent data from new
dating methods show that the outlet valley glacier, rising
from the south slope of the Tanggula Pass, flowed out of
the valley at an elevation of 4,950–5,100 m, forming a
paleoglacier of about 20 km long. The valley glacier rising
from the northern slope passed Bashicuo to the north and
flowed into the Buqu River. On both northern and southern
slopes of the Tanggula Pass, the moraine dating data of the
outlet valley glacier or the compound valley glacier are
different to those of the boulders of the Tanggula Ice Age
huge ice cap glacier (3,000 km2) near the Taoerjiu Pass
(Figures 3, 4). These boulders belong to the Tanggula glaciation, but they are dated as 105.71 ka, 175.62 ka, and
105.71–181.03 ka, which seems to be too young (Owen et
al., 2005; Wang et al., 2007). The results are contradictory
to the history of glaciation evolution, i.e., when the huge
ice-cap glacier extend to over 100 km wide, about 3,000
km2 near the Tanggula pass, there was no valley glacier in
the centre of the ice-cap; when the southern slope of the
pass was an outlet valley glacier during the penultimate––Zhajiazangbu glaciation, the ice-cap glacier grew to
over 3,000 km2 and 100 km wide (Figure 5). Recent research on the evolutionary processes of glaciers show a
strong tectonic uplifting of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau before 0.2–0.3 Ma, called the Bayiquan Movement (Zheng et
al., 2012). The Altun Mountains presented a strong uplift
during this period even after 0.25 Ma, consequently the
Tarim Basin thoroughly separated from the Qaidam Basin (Dong et al., 2011). After the Bayiquan tectonic
movement, the climate in north of the Himalayas became
colder and drier (Figure 6). This area includes the east of
the Nyainqentanglha Mountains (Jiali County, east) in the
Tibet Plateau, the southeastern Tibet and the Hengduan
Mountains. The climate of forming a well-developed
monsoon marine type of glacier in this region was the result of the northward movement of the Indian Ocean
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moisture passing through the Yalung Zangbu River gorge.
This type of glacier belongs to a large scale penultimate
glaciation. To the east of the Tanggula Mountain Pass there
were subcontinental type glaciers, whereas to the west of
the Tanggula Pass there were ultracontinental type glaciers,
where the conditions did not favor glacier development
(Figure 7). Therefore, the dating results are contradictory to
the glaciation evolution history in this region.
Figure 3 Glacial geology in the area around Tanggula Pass. (a) Simplified geomorphic map of the Tanggula Pass showing the sites
where we have obtained CRN dates on moraines (modified from Zheng and Jiao, 1991). The dates in parenthesis were undertaken
by Schäfer et al. (2002). (b) View of end moraines of the Bashico Glacial Stage south of the Tanggula Pass.
(c, d) Typical glacial boulders on surface of moraines deposited during the Zhajiazangbu (c: boulder PR76
and Tanggula Glaciations; d: boulder PR77). The above map is from Owen et al. (2005)
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Figure 4 Study of Quaternary glacial sediments around Tanggula Pass (modified from Wang et al., 2007). O, S, D and Z stand for
dating by Owen et al. (2005), Schäfer et al. (2002), Duan et al. (2005) and Zhao et al. (2002), respectively
Figure 5 The cryosphere of the Tibetan Plateau and its impact on the monsoon and environment during 0.8–0.6 Ma B.P. (from Shi, 1988).
(1) Plateau boundary; (2) Climatic boundary; (3) Westerly jet stream;
(4) Enhanced winter monsoon; (5) Weak summer monsoon
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Figure 6 The cryosphere of the Tibetan Plateau and its impact on the monsoon and environment during the period after
the Baiyiquan movement (0.3–0.2 Ma B.P.). 1: Plateau boundary; 2: Climatic boundary; 3: Westerly jet stream;
4: Enhanced winter monsoon; 5: Weak summer monsoon
Figure 7 Quaternary uplift and glacial-interglacial cycles in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Also, the age of dated moraines can only represent
the deposition age when glacier retreated, and it can’t
represent the glacier forming time before the period of
the glacial maximum. For example, the 14C dating of organism from moraines yielded an age ranging from 24 ka
to 15 ka (i.e., the last glacial maximum, LGM) in Mt.
Gongga (Wang et al., 1989; Zheng and Ma, 1994). Later,
Owen (2005) dated the No.1 camp moraine of Hailuogou
by 10Be method at about nine thousand years ago
[(7.59±0.73)–(9.15±0.50) ka], belonging to the early
stage of the Holocene; dated the moraines at the southern
side of the No.2 camp at (3.27±0.43)–(6.27±0.47) ka,
being the glacier violent retreat in the warmest period of
the Holocene. These ages only represent the post glacia-
tion times, that is, the early stage of the Holocene and the
warmest period in the Holocene, can’t reflect the formation period of the Hailuogou Glacier.
5 Conclusions
The development and application of various dating
methods give opportunities to us to learn the evolutionary
sequence of the Quaternary glaciers, but there are huge
challenges in the application of the dating data. We must
identify glacier landform before sampling, and understand the process how glacier sediment being transported.
To better understand the glacial deposit process in
stratigraphy and geomorphology, ideal study site and
BenXing Zheng et al., 2014 / Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 6(3): 0183–0189
dating samples are essential, besides, advanced testing
and analyzing methods are helpful to reduce dating error.
At present, there are numerous dating methods, so it is
imperative to collect enough samples to confirm each of
those methods. Moraine dating is a powerful tool and will
play a more important role in the future.
Acknowledgments:
This study was supported by The State Key Science Research Programme for Global Change Research of China
(Grant No. 2010CB951404) and the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41071043, 41271083).
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