Late Pleistocene glaciation of the Diancang and Gongwang Mountains, southeast margin of the Tibetan plateau

Late Pleistocene glaciations on Mt. Diancang and Mt. Gongwang were investigated and the chronostratigraphy of the glacial advances were developed based on the geomorphic features and numerical ages of thermoluminescence (TL) and AMS radiocarbon dating. Glaciers disappeared ∼1300 years ago on Mt. Diancang and several earlier glacial advances, occurred at 3–5, 10, 15–22 ka and one during MIS 3. The glacial relics on Mt. Gongwang record glaciations at 100, 40, 18–25 ka and during the Lateglacial. On both mountains, the glaciation during MIS 3 was the most extensive and that during MIS 2 was restricted in extent. Glaciation during the early part of the last glacial cycle was more extensive on Mt. Gongwang than on Mt. Diancang. In contrast, glaciation on Mt. Diancang was more extensive during the late Glacial-Holocene. This pattern of glaciation may be due to the differences in the atmosphere circulation in the two regions that are controlled by South Asian monsoon and East Asian Monsoon, respectively.