Sedimentary evolution of the Dawan travertines and their geological environmental significance, Huanglong, China

Travertine deposition in the Dawan Valley, adjacent to China's Huanglong World Heritage Site, began around 13,000 years ago and declined by 7,000 years ago. This timing coincides with large-scale travertine deposition in the nearby Huanglong Valley, suggesting a hydrological transition event linked to tectonic activity, earthquakes, or glacial retreat due to climate warming. Using U-series dating via multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, researchers established a time series for travertine formation, providing critical age data for late Cenozoic geological and environmental events on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The study offers new insights into glaciation, tectonic activity, and seismicity but highlights the need for further exploration of depositional breaks and forcing factors.

Qiu, S., Wang, F., Dong, F., Tian, F., Zhao, X., Dai, Q., Li, Q., Zhu, Y., & Wang, Y. (2021). Sedimentary evolution of the Dawan travertines and their geological environmental significance, Huanglong, China. The Depositional Record, 8(1), 251–265. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.165