Geomorphology of the Urümqi River Valley and the uplift of the Tianshan Mountains in Quaternary

The Shaerqiaoke Gravel, more than 400 m in thickness, on the north piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains, is located at the exit of the Urumqi River Valley and belongs to the Molasse construction of the Tianshan Mountains. Another uplift event with the tectonic boundary expansion ended the deposition of the Shaerqiaoke Gravel, and resulted in folding, faulting and down-erosion in the frontier of the deposit. The ESR dating indicates that the top of the Shaerqiaoke Gravel accumulated before 1148 kaBP, probably responding to the Kunlun-Huanghe movement of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. After that time, erosion-deposition cycle occurred and 9 terraces developed. The TL and ESR dating techniques were employed to date these terraces, and the results indicate that Terrace 3 was formed at MIS 6. Terrace 2 at Houxia also developed simultaneously. Terraces 5 and 6 were accumulated in 338 kaBP and 562-591 kaBP, respectively. The oldest glaciation, named Gao Wangfeng, correlates to MIS 12.