A review of glacial sequences of the Kunlun Pass, northern Tibetan Plateau

In the Kunlun Pass area of northern Tibet, glacial landforms and sediments provide evidence for three major Quaternary glaciations. ESR and TL dating suggest that they date to 600–700 ka (Wangkun Glaciation), ∼260 ka (Yakou Glaciation) and 61–13 ka (Yuzhufeng Glaciation/ the Last Glacial). Each glaciation is less extensive than its predecessor. The Wangkun Glaciation is the largest Quaternary Glaciation. The extent of the glaciers during the Wangkun Glaciation was 3–5 times larger than that of the present glaciers. During the Last Glacial, glaciers advanced several times. The moraines near the modern glaciers are probably the products of Neoglaciation and Little Ice Age.