At the invitation of Prof. Wu Duo from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, and Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, China, Associate Professor Su Qi from the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, visited our university for academic exchange and delivered a lecture.
Title: The Formation of the Broad Terraces in the Gonghe Basin and the Geomorphic Evolution History of the Upper Yellow River
Reporter: Su Qi, Associate Professor
Time: 9:00-10:30, October 16, 2025 (Thursday)
Venue: Meeting Room 502, Qilian Hall, Chengguan Campus, Lanzhou University
Moderator: Prof. Wu Duo
Reporter Profile:
Su Qi, Ph.D. in Science, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University. His research interests include tectonic geomorphology, fluvial landscape evolution, and the coupling of geomorphic processes over different timescales.
In recent years, he has been conducting research in the Qilian Mountains region on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, focusing on regional neotectonic activity, active tectonics, and tectonic geomorphology. His work primarily addresses key scientific questions concerning landform development along the northern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and geomorphic evolution in the upper reaches of the Yellow River.
He has published more than 50 papers, including 17 as first or corresponding author in journals such as Geological Society of America Bulletin (GSA Bulletin), Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Geomorphology, Earth Science, and Seismology and Geology. He has presided over projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), including both Young Scientists Fund and General Program, and has participated as a key researcher in major projects of the Guangdong Provincial Basic and Applied Basic Research Program. Currently, he serves as a (youth) editorial board member for Scientific Reports, Continent and Life Evolution, and Journal of Geological Hazards and Environment Preservation.
Report Abstract:
The report focuses on the geomorphic evolution and chronological constraints of the Gonghe Basin in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Using cosmogenic nuclide burial dating and the depth-profile method, the study systematically dated multiple geomorphic surfaces and gravel layers within the basin. The results show that the Third Tala surface formed at approximately 0.76 Ma, marking a key stage when the Yellow River incised through the paleo-Gonghe Lake and achieved hydrological integration of its upper reaches. The front and rear edges of the Second Tala surface were dated to approximately 0.13 Ma and 0.37 Ma, respectively, revealing a clear diachronous formation of the broad terrace surface.
These findings indicate that the long-term stability and phased abandonment of the wide geomorphic surfaces record a delayed fluvial response to climate-tectonic coupling. During the early to middle Pleistocene, the Yellow River underwent a transformation from a closed lacustrine basin to an integrated fluvial valley. The river incision was jointly controlled by enhanced precipitation associated with the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT) and accelerated regional tectonic uplift.
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, China
October 17, 2025
