Late Cenozoic channel migration of the proto-Yangtze River in the delta region: Insights from cosmogenic nuclide burial dating of onshore boreholes

Liu, Y., Liu, X., Wang, S., Xu, S., Ellam, R. M. , Fabel, D. and Chen, J. (2022) Late Cenozoic channel migration of the proto-Yangtze River in the delta region: Insights from cosmogenic nuclide burial dating of onshore boreholes. Geomorphology, 407, 108228. (doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108228)

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Abstract

A thorough magnetostratigraphic chronology of the Yangtze River Delta is problematic due to coarse-grained (i.e., poorly magnetized) deposits and sedimentary discontinuity. This study presents cosmogenic nuclide data which facilitate 26Al/10Be burial dating to determine the absolute age of horizons from four previously reported long onshore boreholes in the Yangtze Delta region that record sediment provenance change to the Yangtze River. Dates obtained close to the provenance change horizons in boreholes RGK15 and ZKJ39 from the northern delta were 4.99 (+1.26/−0.81) Ma and 4.74 (+0.94/−0.70) Ma, the oldest radiometric ages of borehole sediments yet to date. The provenance change horizon in boreholes LQ19 and LQ11 in the southern delta were dated to 0.94 (+0.17/−0.16) Ma and 0.57 ± 0.17 Ma, respectively. These new ages combined with previous lithofacies and provenance studies imply that the proto-Yangtze River first entered the northern delta prior to ~5 Ma, then migrated gradually southward to the present estuary location after 0.94 Ma and moved even further south at 0.57 Ma. The southward migration history of the proto-Yangtze River channel sheds lights not only on the tectonic subsidence widely occurring on the east China coast during the Quaternary, but also on the somewhat controversial connection history of the Yangtze River to the East China Sea.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This research was funded by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB40020300) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 41473055, 41771226, 41401009 and 41620104004).
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Fabel, Dr Derek and Ellam, Professor Rob
Authors: Liu, Y., Liu, X., Wang, S., Xu, S., Ellam, R. M., Fabel, D., and Chen, J.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Journal Name:Geomorphology
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0169-555X
ISSN (Online):0094-8659
Published Online:01 April 2022
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
First Published:First published in Geomorphology 407:108228
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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