Late Pleistocene glaciation of the Hulifang Massif of Gongwang mountains in Yunnan Province

Abstract

Late Pleistocene glaciation was restricted to only a few high mountains in eastern China. The Gongwang mountains constitute one of the typical places once glaciated. Geomorphic mapping of the area and the TL dating provides evidence for at least four distinct glaciations. YJT-I glacial advance occurred about 100 ka BP and two TL absolute ages (101,100 ± 7780 a BP; 104,000 ± 8300 a BP) indicate this advance happened during the Penultimate Glaciation. The early stage glacial advance (YJT-II advance) during the last glaciation occurred about 40,920 ± 3400 a BP. The last glacial maximum advance (YJT-III advance) about 18–25 ka BP, which sustained by two TL ages (18,230 ±1420 a BP; 25,420 ± 2110 a BP). The Penultimate and the early stage glaciations were more extensive and the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the late-glacial period (YJT-IV advance, 10 ka BP) were progressively less extensive. Correlated with the other mountains in eastern China, these glacial advances in the Gongwang mountains just like the advances in the western part such as Diancang mountains, Yulong mountains of Yunnan Province and the glacier series are more complete than the adjacent mid-latitude regions such as Taibai mountain and Taiwan mountains and are roughly representative of climate changes during the last glacial cycle in Yunnan Province.