Dating and genesis of the upper Weihe River terraces in Longxi basin, China

Seven terraces along the Weihe River in Longxi basin have been investigated. These terraces all consist of archetypal duality in structure, namely the floodplain deposits and the layer of gravels overlaid by varying thickness of the loess. By resorting to various dating approaches such as palaeomagnetic, optically stimulated luminescenece (OSL), 14C and loess-paleosol sequence, we provide preliminary timing of these seven terraces along upper Weihe River. Analysis on sedimentation characteristics and dating of these terraces showed that seven terraces may be jointly generated by tectonic uplifts and climatic changes. Tectonic uplifts may accommodate initial river incision, and climatic change may be responsible for processes of subsequent channel widening and aggradation. Aggradation normally occurs during glacial periods, in contrast to down-cuttings during transitions from glacial to interglacial period. Moreover, on the basis of the timings and heights of these terraces, we infer that the long-term rate of river incision was determined to be 0.2 m/kyr during the last 870 kyr, which differs from other river incision rates. This discrepancy may reflect spatio-temporal differentiation of tectonic activities in the Qinling orogenic belt during the Pleistocene.