Abstract:Lacustrine, alluvial terraces and sediments record at least one Holocene glacially dammed lake in Songzong Basin immediately upstream of the Purlung TsangpoRiver, a main tributary of the downstream of Yarlung Tsangpo River, at the northeastern syntaxis of the Himalaya. The lacustrine deposit is more than 88 meters thick at the SongzongLandslide. There is an 18.33 meters thick layer of lacustrine silt within the lacustrine terrace. The Optical Simulated Luminescence (OSL) ages at the bottom and top of the lacustrine silt layerare 22.5±3.3ka B.P., and 16.1±1.7ka B.P., respectively, which indicates that the lacustrine deposits were formed during the Last Glacial Maximum ranging from 25kaB.P. to 15kaB.P.The ancient shorelines and the lake erosion zone confirm the preexistence of Songzong Lake. There are also terraces formed by moraines in the Songzong Basin. The high and large moraineterrace seen near the mouth of the Dongqu Valley is very prominent. The special characteristics of thelacustrine sediment and the ancient lake line in the Songzong Basin indicate that the lacustrinesediments are related to the blocking of the Purlung Tsangpo River by a glacier from DongquValley during Last Glacial Maximum. |
