Glacial geomorphology and chronology of the Gongba Mountain area, Daocheng, southeast Tibetan Plateau

This study presents the glacial geomorphology and chronology of the Gongba Mountain area in Daocheng (28°58'N, 100°23'E), located in the southeastern sector of the Tibetan Plateau, an important region influenced by significant climatic oscillations during the Quaternary. Utilizing advanced remote sensing technologies, we generate a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with the aid of an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to map the glacial geomorphology of this sector. We supplement our DEM mapping with satellite imagery (SPOT, ArcGIS Basemap), Google Earth Pro and field surveys to reveal a range of landforms reflecting the area's glacial history. Meanwhile, within this region, we also collected and statistically analysed the ¹⁰Be exposure ages of 13 boulders from 4 moraine ridges. These data are of great significance for understanding the timing of glacier advance and retreat in the Gongba Mountain area during the Quaternary.

This is the first map of such high resolution for the Daocheng area. Within a 32 square kilometer region, we have meticulously mapped 270 moraine ridges at the meter scale. Additionally, we precisely identified and delineated glaciolacustrine, glaciofluvial and post-glacial landforms (e.g., outwash plains, glaciofluvial deposits, shorelines, kettle holes and deltas) and bedrock features influenced by subglacial and periglacial processes (ice-scoured bedrock and weathered bedrock). We integrated the geomorphological characteristics of the moraine ridges in the study area with the ¹⁰Be results. The exposure-ages of the four sampled moraine ridges from south to north are 14.8 ± 1.0 ka, 19.3 ± 1.2 ka, 30.4 ± 1.9 ka, and 83.5 ± 5.1ka, respectively. These data reveal the existence of large-scale glacier advances during MIS 5 and MIS 3 in the study area, provide evidence of glacier advance during the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and indicate small-scale glacial fluctuations with a lack of significant moraine deposits during the lateglacial period.

By establishing a foundational dataset for glacial geomorphology in this region and providing corresponding chronological data with good consistency, our work serves as a critical resource for future research on paleoclimate and environmental changes, providing a longer-term context for ongoing and future impacts of climate change on glacial dynamics in high-altitude environments.