Basin-scale reconstruction of late Pleistocene-Holocene fluvial landform evolution and its mechanisms in transitional areas between Taihang Mountain and North China Plain

Abstract

The processes and mechanisms of fluvial landform evolution, especially in the transitional zones between mountains and plains, are of great significance for predicting future regional sustainability and ecosystem stability in the basin. As a region of significant cultural and ecological importance, the transitional area between Taihang Mountain and North China Plain still has a limited understanding of the fluvial landform evolution. With detailed field surveys and 39 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of 14 sections, we reconstruct fluvial landform evolution in the southern piedmont of the Taihang Mountain since the late Pleistocene. The results show that two major fluvial processes occurred during 18–10 ka BP and 9–3 ka BP. Meanwhile, the late Pleistocene-Holocene can be divided into 5 intervals in the alluvial fan and floodplain areas, with corresponding ages of 3 ka BP, 9–3 ka BP, 10–9 ka BP, 18–10 ka BP, and before 20 ka BP, respectively. The results also indicate that the regional fluvial processes primarily result from climate change and tectonic activities, and secondarily result from sea level fluctuation. Additionally, the prehistoric settlement pattern was also shaped by the evolution of regional rivers. Our research is significant for understanding the evolution and mechanisms of fluvial landforms in transitional zones.