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Dating of multiple debris flow stages in the Sandaoqiao gully, Kangding, Eastern Tibetan Plateau: implications for regional tectonic and climate changes

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Abstract

Chronology of debris flow deposits (DFD) is crucially important in understanding fan evolution and assessing the risks of future extreme disaster events. To establish the debris flow history in a long-term temporal framework, multiple debris flow and flash flood events were examined from the Sandaoqiao (SDQ) gully near the large-scale active Xianshuihe faults, eastern Tibetan Plateau. The rough and discontinuous structures indicate DFD are characterized by “linear stone structure” and boulders enclosed by clayey silts in the SDQ gully. On the basis of debris flow sedimentary characteristics, we develop a valid sampling strategy involving 14C and OSL dating methods (13 radiocarbon and 3 OSL ages) on the debris flow fan. The major stages of debris flow aggradation were identified at ~ 35 kyr B.P., 23‒22 kyr B.P., ~ 13 kyr B.P. and 3.9‒1.4 kyr B.P. since the Last Glacial (last ~ 35 kyr B.P.). And gully-fill deposits were more abundant during the latest Pleistocene (35‒13 ka) than current phase. Late Holocene debris flow and flash flood events recur in the mid-channel from 3.9‒3.8 to 1.9‒1.4 kyr B.P., which was probably triggered by palaeo-earthquake events associated with active faults. The current phase is dominated by debris flood events and the maximum discharge is estimated as ~ 290 m3/s. This study provides key chronology for understanding multiple debris flow stages associated with regional tectonic activity and climatic change in the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the editor Dr. Marta Jurchescu and two reviewers (Dr. Malgorzata Pisarska-Jamrozy and another anonymous reviewer) for their valuable comments and constructive suggestions. We also thank Pro. Yong You, Pro. Jinfeng Liu, Zhewei Wang, and Zhaohua Wu, postgraduate students Meiqiang Zhan, Yuchen, Du, Haipeng Wang, Dan Ding, Yanling Liu, Xiaohui Ma, Xiaoxiao Yue for the fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Thanks also given to Sara J. Mason, MSc, from Liwen Bianji, Edanz Editing China (http://www.liwenbianji.cn/ac), for basic language editing of a draft of this manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (22NSFSC1131), National Natural Science Foundation of China (U19A2049; 41801012), Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (2022378), and the Science and Technology Research Program of Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS (IMHE-ZYTS-02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Yongqiang Guo & Yonggang Ge

  2. School of Geography and Resources Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610101, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Peini Mao

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  1. Yongqiang Guo
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YG and Pro. YG wrote the main manuscript text and Dr. PM prepared Figs. 5, 6, 9. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yonggang Ge.

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Guo, Y., Ge, Y. & Mao, P. Dating of multiple debris flow stages in the Sandaoqiao gully, Kangding, Eastern Tibetan Plateau: implications for regional tectonic and climate changes. Environ Earth Sci 83, 108 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11400-5

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