Formation and evolution of the Holocene massive landslide-dammed lakes in the Jishixia Gorges along the upper Yellow River: No relation to China's Great Flood and the Xia Dynasty

Abstract

The massive Holocene landslide-damming in the Jishixia Gorges along the upper Yellow River was previously suggested to be related to China's Great Flood at 4.20–4.00 ka BP and the initiation of the first dynasty in China: the Xia Dynasty. Here, we present seven sedimentary profiles in the Xunhua Basin and Jishixia Gorges. The lithological, sedimentary and chronological results, including optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and AMS 14C ages, indicate that there were two separate landslide-dammed lakes rather than one during the Holocene in the Jishixia Gorges. The first lake relates to the Maerpo landslide that occurred at ca. 8.30 ka BP. This lake gradually shallowed and then disappeared by ca. 6.30 ka BP as the landslide dam was slowly incised by the Yellow River. The second Gelongbu landslide occurred at ca. 6.10 ka BP. The consequent lake also gradually shallowed and then disappeared at ca. 5.60 ka BP as the landslide dam was cut through by the Yellow River. Both landslides and their associated lakes preceded The Great Flood in the middle-lower Yellow River by at least 1400 years and preceded the beginning of Xia Dynasty by at least 1600 years. The geomorphic events and therefore unrelated to these historical events.