Heavy mineral assemblages and U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology of sediments from the Weihe and Sanmen Basins: New insights into the Pliocene-Pleistocene evolution of the Yellow River

Knowledge of the establishment of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River is essential for understanding the origin of the Yellow River and the interplay between tectonic deformation and climate change in the region. However, the timing of the integration of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River is debated, ranging from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene. Here we present detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra and heavy mineral assemblages of sediments of Pliocene through Pleistocene age from the Weihe Basin and Sanmen Basin in the middle reach of the Yellow River. The post 1.8 Ma sediments of the Weihe Basin have similar detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra and heavy mineral assemblages to those of the modern Weihe River, and the post similar to 5 Ma sediments of the Sanmen Basin have similar U-Pb age spectra to those of the modern middle Yellow River. Our results reveal that a fluvial system similar to that of the modern upper-middle Yellow River was established by similar to 5 Ma. We propose that this was most likely the result of tectonic deformation in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River.

Automated summary

This study reveals that a fluvial system similar to the modern upper-middle Yellow River was established around 5 million years ago, likely as a result of tectonic deformation in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River. The timing of integration of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, previously debated, sheds light on the interplay between tectonic deformation and climate change in the region.