Sedimentary characteristics of the pleistocene outwash accumulation and their implications for paleoclimate change in the midstream of Dadu River, Southwestern China

Abstract

Ancient outwash accumulations, deposited in Pleistocene with complicated sedimentary characteristics, are discovered in the midstream valley of Dadu River, Southwestern China. Their sedimentation characteristics are investigated for gaining a deep insight into the dependency of Paleoclimate changes in this area. This is achieved by means of detailed site investigation, sampling and laboratory tests (grain size distribution and Electron Spin Resonance dating tests) for two representative outwash accumulations. Based on the present study, several main conclusions are drown out as follows: 1) The accumulations are composed mainly of coarse soils (coarse fraction is over 50%) and very coarse soils (coarse fraction is about 20%–35%, and very coarse fraction is over 55%); 2) The coarse soils are sub-rounded well-sorted and sub-stratified to well-stratified, while the very coarse soils exhibit sub-rounded to sub-angular and poorly-sorted; 3) The accumulations are postulated to have been intermittently deposited in three time periods. This is evidenced by two layers of weathered/residual clay, purple to brick red in color; and 4) It is inferred that the temperature in the study area increased over three time periods, i.e., 280 ka B.P. to 120 ka B.P., 110 ka B.P. to 80 ka B.P. and 70 ka B.P. to 25 ka B.P., and declined twice at 120 ka B.P. and 77 ka B.P. respectively.