A river erosion estimate on the Loess Plateau: a case study from Luohe River, a second-order tributary of the Yellow River

Abstract

Based on fieldwork and terrace ages, which were determined using 14C, TL and paleosol stratigraphy, a general model was established for the development of the Yellow River terrace system. The ages for the terraces and valley flats of the Yellow River system are T 6—1.67–0.85 Ma BP, T 5—0.85–0.47 Ma BP, T 4—0.47–0.10 Ma BP, T 3—0.10–0.007 Ma BP, T 2—7.0–0.7 ka BP, T 1—0.7–0.3 ka BP, the higher valley flat—0.3–0.15 ka BP and the lower valley flat 0.15–0 ka BP, respectively. Each terrace or valley flat and corresponding paleo-valley represents a river erosion/deposition cycle. Using this model and selected geomorphic parameters of terraces and paleo-valleys from 10 typical cross sections of Luohe River, a tributary of the Yellow River, an attempt is made here to estimate paleo-river erosion since the Pleistocene on the Loess Plateau.