Late Pleistocene glaciation of the Changbai Mountains in northeastern China

Abstract

The Changbai Mountains (2749 m a.s.l.) in northeastern China are one of the typical mountain regions with glaciation since late Pleistocene as evidenced by well-preserved erosive and accumulative landforms at elevations above 2000 m a.s.l. formed by glaciers around the crater lake, Tianchi Lake. Cirque glaciers developed on both the inner and outer sides of the volcanic cone. Well-preserved cirques, glacial trough valleys, glacial threholds, polished surfaces of the glacial erratics and the moraine ridges indicate that several glaciation processes took place during the last glacial period in this region. Results of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating on the moraine sediments, and the K/Ar, thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), electronic spinning resonance (ESR) dating on the volcanic rocks suggest two periods of glacier advances. One is named the Black Wind Mouth glacier advance taking place on the west and north slopes of the volcanic cone at an elevation of 2000–2100 m a.s.l., which is dated to about 20 ka, being the result of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The other is named the Meteorological Station glacier advance at the elevation of 2400–2600 m a.s.l., dated to 11 ka during the late glacial period, and is tentatively correlated to the Younger Dryas stage. The scope of the former glacier advance is larger than that of the latter. Regional comparisons showed that the glacial sequences in the Changbai Mountains are similar to other glaciated areas in eastern Asia during the later part of the last glacial cycle.