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

摘要

Late Pleistocene glaciation was restricted to only a few high mountains in eastern China. The Gongwang mountainsconstitute one ofthe typicalplacesonce glaciated.Geomorphic mapping of the area and the TL dating provides evidence for at least four distinct glaciations. YJT-I glacial advance occurred about100 ka BP and two TL absolute ages(101,100 ±7780 a BP;104,000±8300 a BP)indicate thisadvance happened during the Penultimale Glaciation.The early stage glacialadvance (YJT-II advance) during the last glaciation occurred about 40,920±3400 a BP. The last glacial maximum advance (YJT-IIIadvance)about18-25 ka BP,which sustained by two TL ages(18,230 ± 1420 a BP;25,420 ±2110 a BP).The Penultimale and the early stage glaciationswere more extensive and the lastglacialmaximum (LGM )and the late-glacialperiod (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 justlike the advances in the western partsuch as Diancang mountains,Yulong mountains ofYunnan Province and the glacierseries are more complete than the adjacent mid-latitude regions such as Taibai mountain and Taiwan mountains and are roughly representativeofclimatechangesduring thelastglacialcyclein Yunnan Province.