Geological conditions and reservoir characteristics of various shales in major shalehosted regions of China

China is home to shales of three facies:Marine shale,continental shale,and marine-continental transitional shale.Different types of shale gas are associated with significantly different formation conditions and major controlling factors.This study compared the geological characteristics of various shales and analyzed the influences of different parameters on the formation and accumulation of shale gas.In general,shales in China’s several regions exhibit high total organic carbon(TOC)contents,which lays a sound material basis for shale gas generation.Marine strata generally show high degrees of thermal evolution.In contrast,continental shales manifest low degrees of thermal evolution,necessitating focusing on areas with relatively high degrees of thermal evolution in the process of shale gas surveys for these shales.The shales of the Wufeng and Silurian formations constitute the most favorable shale gas reservoirs since they exhibit the highest porosity among the three types of shales.These shales are followed by those in the Niutitang and Longtan formations.In contrast,the shales of the Doushantuo,Yanchang,and Qingshankou formations manifest low porosities.Furthermore,the shales of the Wufeng and Longmaxi formations exhibit high brittle mineral contents.Despite a low siliceous mineral content,the shales of the Doushantuo Formation feature a high carbonate mineral content,which can increase the shales’brittleness to some extent.For marine-continental transitional shales,where thin interbeds of tight sandstone with unequal thicknesses are generally found,it is recommended that fracturing combined with drainage of multiple sets of lithologic strata should be employed to enhance their shale gas production.

Deep seabed mining:Frontiers in engineering geology and environment

Ocean mining activities have been ongoing for nearly 70 years,making great contributions to industrialization.Given the increasing demand for energy,along with the restructuring of the energy supply catalyzed by efforts to achieve a low-carbon economy,deep seabed mining will play an important role in addressing energy-and resource-related problems in the future.However,deep seabed mining remains in the exploratory stage,with many challenges presented by the high-pressure,low-temperature,and complex geologic and hydrodynamic environments in deep-sea mining areas,which are inaccessible to human activities.Thus,considerable efforts are required to ensure sustainable,economic,reliable,and safe deep seabed mining.This study reviews the latest advances in marine engineering geology and the environment related to deep-sea min-ing activities,presents a bibliometric analysis of the development of ocean mineral resources since the 1950s,summarizes the development,theory,and issues related to techniques for the three stages of ocean mining(i.e.,exploration,extraction,and closure),and discusses the engineering geology environment,geological disasters,in-situ monitoring techniques,envi-ronmental protection requirements,and environmental effects in detail.Finally,this paper gives some key conclusions and future perspectives to provide insights for subsequent studies and commercial mining operations.

Microbial community composition and environmental response characteristics of typical brackish groundwater in the North China Plain

To reveal the microbial community composition of regional shallow porous brackish groundwater and its response characteristics to groundwater environment,the first and second aquifers in Taocheng District,Hengshui City were selected,and 10 groundwater source samples were collected for hydrochemical analysis and microbial 16S RNA gene V4-V5 regional sequencing.The results showed that the shallow brackish groundwater in the study area is weakly alkaline and has high ion content.The hydrochemical types are SO_(4)·Cl-Na·Mg type and HCO3·Cl-Na·Mg type as a whole.The spatial zonation of the abundance and diversity of groundwater microorganisms is obvious.The number of endemic bacteria in groundwater from upstream,midstream to downstream is 11,135 and 22 respectively,with a total of 22 bacteria.Proteobacteria is the most dominant in groundwater level(38.82%-86.88%),and there are obvious differences in different sections.At the genus level,the main dominant species in each group and sample are Pseudomonas and Hydrogenophaga.In terms of composition difference,Pseudohongiella,Pseudorhodobacter and Limnohabitans are the representatives of UR,MR and LR.On the whole,the composition of flora in groundwater in the study area is sensitive and closely related to hydrochemical processes.Species abundance is affected by alkaline and high salinity environmental indicators,while species diversity is related to depth and dissolved oxygen in weak reduction environment.

Relationship between spatio-temporal evolution of soil pH and geological environment/surface cover in the eastern Nenjiang River Basin of Northeast China during the past 30 years

To illuminate the spatio-temporal variation characteristics and geochemical driving mechanism of soil pH in the Nenjiang River Basin,the National Multi-objective Regional Geochemical Survey data of topsoil,the Second National Soil Survey data and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)were analyzed.The areas of neutral and alkaline soil decreased by 21100 km^(2)and 30500 km^(2),respectively,while that of strongly alkaline,extremely alkaline,and strongly acidic soil increased by 19600 km^(2),18200 km^(2),and 15500 km^(2),respectively,during the past 30 years.NDVI decreased with the increase of soil pH when soil pH>8.0,and it was reversed when soil pH<5.0.There were significant differences in soil pH with various surface cover types,which showed an ascending order:Arbor<reed<maize<rice<high and medium-covered meadow<low-covered meadow<Puccinellia.The weathering products of minerals rich in K_(2)O,Na_(2)O,CaO,and MgO entered into the low plain and were enriched in different parts by water transportation and lake deposition,while Fe and Al remained in the low hilly areas,which was the geochemical driving mechanism.The results of this study will provide scientific basis for making scientific and rational decisions on soil acidification and salinization.

Distribution and impacts on the geological environment of antiviral drugs in major waters of Wuhan,China

This study investigated water samples collected from the surface water and groundwater in Wuhan City,Hubei Province,China in different stages of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019(hereinafter referred to as COVID-19)in the city,aiming to determine the distribution characteristics of antiviral drugs in the city’s waters.The results are as follows.The main hydrochemical type of surface water and groundwater in Wuhan was Ca-HCO3.The major chemical components in the groundwater had higher concentrations and spatial variability than those in the surface water.Two antiviral drugs and two glucocorticoids were detected in the surface water,groundwater,and sewage during the COVID-19 outbreak.Among them,chloroquine phosphate and cortisone had higher detection rates of 32.26%and 25.80%,respectively in all samples.The concentrations of residual drugs in East Lake were higher than those in other waters.The main drug detected in the waters in the later stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan was chloroquine phosphate,whose detection rates in the surface water and the groundwater were 53.85%and 28.57%,respectively.Moreover,the detection rate and concentration of chloroquine phosphate were higher in East Lake than in Huangjia Lake.The groundwater containing chloroquine phosphate was mainly distributed along the river areas where the groundwater was highly vulnerable.The residual drugs in the surface water and the groundwater had lower concentrations in the late stage of the COVID-19 outbreak than in the middle of the outbreak,and they have not yet caused any negative impacts on the ecological environment.

Ecological environment response of benthic foraminifera to heavy metals and human engineering: A case study from Jiaozhou Bay, China

The estuary and coastal zone are the key areas for socio-economic development,and they are also the important channels for pollutants transported to the sea.The construction of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge changed the hydrodynamic condition of the bay,which made the self-purification capacity of the bay weakened and the pollution in the estuary and adjacent coastal zone become more serious.In this study,55 surface sediment samples were collected from the three seriously polluted estuaries and the adjacent coastal zone of Jiaozhou Bay to comprehensively study how the benthic foraminifera response to heavy metal pollution and human engineering,and to assess the ecological risks of the bay.A total of 80 species,belonging to 42 genera,were identified in this study.The results showed that Cu,Pb,Cr,Hg,Zn,and As had low to median ecological risks in the study area which would definitely affect the ecological system.The construction of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge has resulted in pollutants accumulated at the river mouth of Loushan River,which has adverse effects on the survival and growth of benthic foraminifera.The lowest population density and diversity as well as the highest FAI(Foraminiferal Abnormality Index)and FMI(Foraminiferal Monitoring Index)occurred at Loushan River Estuary which indicated that the ecological environment of the northeastern part of Jiaozhou Bay(Loushan River Estuary)had been seriously damaged.Licun River and Haipo River estuaries and the adjacent coastal zone were slightly polluted and had low ecological risk.As a consequence,it suggested that the supervision of industrial and domestic waste discharge and the protection of the ecological environment in northeast Jiaozhou Bay should be paid more attention.

Risk assessment of coastal flooding disaster by storm surge based on Elevation-Area method and hydrodynamic models:Taking Bohai Bay as an example

The future inundation by storm surge on coastal areas are currently ill-defined.With increasing global sealevel due to climate change,the coastal flooding by storm surge is more and more frequently,especially in coastal lowland with land subsidence.Therefore,the risk assessment of such inundation for these areas is of great significance for the sustainable socio-economic development.In this paper,the authors use Elevation-Area method and Regional Ocean Model System(ROMS)model to assess the risk of the inundation of Bohai Bay by storm surge.The simulation results of Elevation-Area method show that either a 50-year or 100-year storm surge can inundate coastal areas exceeding 8000 km^(2);the numerical simulation results based on hydrodynamics,considering ground friction and duration of the storm surge high water,show that a 50-year or 100-year storm surge can only inundate an area of over 2000 km^(2),which is far less than 8000 km^(2);while,when taking into account the land subsidence and sea level rise,the very inundation range will rapidly increase by 2050 and 2100.The storm surge will greatly impact the coastal area within about 10-30 km of the Bohai Bay,in where almost all major coastal projects are located.The prompt response to flood disaster due to storm surge is urgently needed,for which five suggestions have been proposed based on the geological background of Bohai Bay.This study may offer insight into the development of the response and adaptive plans for flooding disasters caused by storm surge.

Arsenic and fluoride co-enrichment of groundwater in the loess areas and associated human health risks:A case study of Dali County in the Guanzhong Basin

This study aims to reveal the occurrence and origin of typical groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations in the loess area of the Guanzhong Basin—a Neogene faulted basin.Key findings are as follows:(1)Groundwater samples with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations collected from the loess area and the terraces of the Weihe River accounted for 26%and 30%,respectively,of the total samples,with primary hydrochemical type identified as HCO_(3)-Na.The karst and sand areas exhibit relatively high groundwater quality,serving as preferred sources for water supply.It is recommended that local governments fully harness groundwater in these areas;(2)groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations in the loess area and the alluvial plain of rivers in Dali County is primarily distributed within the Guanzhong Basin,which represents the drainage zone of groundwater;(3)arsenic and fluoride in groundwater originate principally from natural and anthropogenic sources;(4)the human health risk assessments reveal that long-term intake of groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations pose cancer or non-cancer risks,which are more serious to kids compared to adults.This study provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of groundwater with high arsenic and fluoride concentrations in loess areas.

Ecological risk assessment and early warning of heavy metal cumulation in the soils near the Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area,Henan Province,central China

The Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area is rich in mineral resources and has a long history of mining.The environmental impact of long-term mining activities cannot be ignored.It is of great significance to study the ecological risk and the accumulation trends of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas for scientific prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.Taking the Taowanbeigou River Basin in the mine concentration area as the research object,the ecological pollution risk and cumulative effect of heavy metals in the soil of the basin were studied by using the comprehensive pollution index method,potential ecological risk assessment method and geoaccumulation index method.On this basis,the cumulative exceeding years of specific heavy metals were predicted by using the early warning model.The comprehensive potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil near the Luanchuan mine concentration area is moderate,and the single element Cd is the main ecological risk factor,with a contribution rate of 53.6%.The overall cumulative degrees of Cu and Pb in the soil are“none-moderate”,Zn and Cd are moderate,Mo has reached an extremely strong cumulative level,Hg,As and Cr risks are not obvious,and the overall cumulative risks order is Mo>Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg.According to the current accumulation rate and taking the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land as the reference standard,the locations over standard rates of Cu,Zn and Cd will exceed 78%in 90years,and the over standard rate of Pb will reach approximately 57%in 200 years.The cumulative exceeding standard periods of As,Cr and Hg are generally long,which basically indicates that these elements do not pose a significant potential threat to the ecological environment.Mining activities will accelerate the accumulation of heavy metals in soil.With the continuous development of mining activities,the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas will also increase.

Characteristics and sources of microplastic pollution in the water and sediments of the Jinjiang River Basin,Fujian Province,China

Microplastic pollution is widely distributed from surface water to sediments to groundwater vertically and from land to the ocean horizontally.This study collected samples from surface water,groundwater,and sediments from upper to lower reaches and then to the estuary in 16 typical areas in the Jinjiang River Basin,Fujian Province,China.Afterward,it determined the components and abundance of the microplastics and analyzed the possible microplastic sources through principal component analysis(PCA).As a result,seven main components of microplastics were detected,i.e.,polyethylene(PE),polypropylene(PP),polyvinyl chloride(PVC),polyethylene terephthalate(PET),polyformaldehyde(POM),nylon 6(PA6),and polystyrene(PS).Among them,PE and PP were found to have the highest proportion in the surface water and sediments and in the groundwater,respectively.The surface water,groundwater,and sediments had average microplastic abundance of 1.6 n/L,2.7 n/L and 33.8 n/kg,respectively.The microplastics in the sediments had the largest particle size,while those in the groundwater had the smallest particle size.Compared with water bodies and sediments in other areas,those in the study area generally have medium-low-level microplastic abundance.Three pollution sources were determined according to PCA,i.e.,the dominant agriculture-forestry-fishery source,domestic wastewater,and industrial production.This study can provide a scientific basis for the control of microplastics in rivers.

Sedimentological sequence and depositional evolutionary model of Lower Triassic carbonate rocks in the South Yellow Sea Basin

Based on well logging and seismic data, combined with a comparative analysis of drilling data in the Lower Yangtze region, the sequence stratigraphic framework of the Qinglong Formation was established and divided into four third-order sequences. Each sequence is mainly composed of the transgress system tract (TST) and the high-stand system tract (HST). According to the lithology, logging curve and seismic reflection structure, the sedimentary filling characteristics and evolution law for the sequence are analyzed. The results show that each sequence is dominated by a half-cycle decline of sea level, and the rise-fall of sea level controls the distribution and evolution of sedimentary systems within the sequence. During the relative sea-level rise, sedimentation rates slow down and muddy sediments are developed. The characteristics of condensing intervals on the flooding surface are very obvious, and continental shelf and open platform deposition are mainly developed. During the relative decline of sea level, the thickness of sediments increased. The main developments were restricted platform and platform shoal environment, and locally developed evaporation platform environment.

Reconstruction of phytoplankton productivity and community structure in the South Yellow Sea

The sedimentary environment and ecological system in the South Yellow Sea (SYS) changed dramatically due to sea level change caused by glacial-interglacial cycles. The authors report the use of marine biomarkers (brassicasterol, dinosterol and C37 alkenones) and terrigenous biomarkers (C28+C30+C32 nalkanols) in core DLC70-3 from the SYS to reconstruct the variation in the phytoplankton productivity and community structure and possible mechanisms during the middle Pleistocene. The results show that the primary productivity and that of single algae presented a consistent trend for the whole core during the middle Pleistocene, which was high during interglacial periods and low during glacial periods, with the highest being in marine isotope stage (MIS) 5–9 and MIS 19–21. The main reason is that the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) carried much of high temperature, high salinity water into the SYS, causing upwelling and vertical mixing and stirring, which increased the nutrient supply in the photosynthetic layer. The phytoplankton community structure mainly showed an increase in the relative content of haptophytes in MIS 5–9 and MIS 19–21, while the relative content of diatoms and dinoflagellates decreased;there was no evidence for a haptophyte content in other stages. The results reveal a shift from a coccolitho-phoriddominated community during MIS 5 –9 and MIS 19 –21 to a diatom-dominated community during the other stages, mainly as a result of surface salinity variation, attributed to the invasion of the YSWC during high sea level periods.

Current status and cause analysis of microplastic pollution in sea areas in China

As a new type of pollutants in the marine environment,microplastics have attracted increasing attention from scientific researchers and environmental protection workers in China and abroad.However,for the microplastic pollution in sea areas in China,there are a very limited number of studies on its current status and few reviews of research on the microplastics.This paper reviews the surveys and researches of microplastics in the Bohai Sea,the Yellow Sea,the East China Sea,the South China Sea,and main estuaries in China carried out in recent years and proposes an outlook for future work,aiming to provide research suggestions and solutions for ecological protection against microplastic pollution in sea areas in China.Previous studies have shown that microplastics are widely distributed in water bodies and sediments in sea areas and major estuaries in China.The Pearl River Estuary,in the South China Sea suffers the most serious microplastic pollution,followed by the Bohai Sea.In contrast,the microplastic pollution in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is comparatively slight.Microplastics in sea areas in China are mainly fibrous and are concentrated in offshore areas with developed industry and a dense population(especially around estuaries and bays).In addition,they are widely affected by human activities,such as shipping,aquaculture,industry,and sewage discharge.Here the authors suggest unifying measurement units and research methods and developing related standard systems to carry out researches related to microplastics.Furthermore,this paper also suggests further deepening researches on both the source-sink process of microplastics and nanoscale microplastics while enhancing the development and implementation of related policies,aiming to promote researches and control of microplastics in sea areas in China.

Temporal and spatial evolution of surface sediments characteristics in the Dagu River estuary and their dynamic response mechanism

Based on the 39 surface sediment samples collected in the flood season and the dry season in 2012 respectively and the measured hydrological data in October 2012, the sediment grain size characteristics has been analyzed and the response mechanism of surface sediments to estuarine hydrodynamics was revealed by calculating the range of waves and tidal currents. The results show that:(1) The grain size of the surface sediment samples decreased gradually from land to sea in the flood season. The fine sediment was redistributed under marine hydrodynamics in the dry season and the sediments showed coarser tendency ingeneral;(2) tidal current stirring sediment was very obvious in Dagu River estuary area, and wave stirring sediments mainly occurred in the tidal flat area and estuary sand bar area;(3) in the flood season, surface sediment sat the estuary were transported towards south and southeast. In the dry season, surface sediments were transported towards southwest at the north area of Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, and sediments were transported towards northeast area at the south of Jiaozhou Bay Bridge.

Diapir structure and its constraint on gas hydrate accumulation in the Makran accretionary prism, offshore Pakistan

The Makran accretionary prism is located at the junction of the Eurasian Plate,Arabian Plate and Indian Plate and is rich in natural gas hydrate(NGH)resources.It consists of a narrow continental shelf,a broad continental slope,and a deformation front.The continental slope can be further divided into the upper slope,middle slope,and lower slope.There are three types of diapir structure in the accretionary prism,namely mud diapir,mud volcano,and gas chimney.(1)The mud diapirs can be grouped into two types,namely the ones with low arching amplitude and weak-medium activity energy and the ones with high arching amplitude and medium-strong activity energy.The mud diapirs increase from offshore areas towards onshore areas in general,while the ones favorable for the formation of NGH are mainly distributed on the middle slope in the central and western parts of the accretionary prism.(2)The mud volcanoes are mainly concentrated along the anticline ridges in the southern part of the lower slope and the deformation front.(3)The gas chimneys can be grouped into three types,which are located in piggyback basins,active anticline ridges,and inactive anticline ridges,respectively.They are mainly distributed on the middle slope in the central and western parts of the accretionary prism and most of them are accompanied with thrust faults.The gas chimneys located at different tectonic locations started to be active at different time and pierced different horizons.The mud diapirs,mud volcanoes,and gas chimneys and thrust faults serve as the main pathways of gas migration,and thus are the important factors that control the formation,accumulation,and distribution of NGH in the Makran accretionary prism.Mud diapir/gas chimney type hydrate develop in the middle slope,mud volcano type hydrate develop in the southern lower slope and the deformation front,and stepped accretionary prism type hydrate develop on the central and northern lower slope.The middle slope,lower slope and deformation front in the central and western parts of the Makran accretionary prism jointly constitute the NGH prospect area.

Quantitative relationship between surface sedimentary diatoms and water depth in North-Central Bohai Bay,China

To study the quantitative relationship between surface sedimentary diatoms and water depth,67 surface samples were collected for diatom analysis on eight profiles with water depth variation from the muddy intertidal zone to the shallow sea area in North-Central Bohai Bay,China.The results showed that the distribution of diatoms changed significantly in response to the change in water depth.Furthermore,the quantitative relationship between the distribution of dominant diatom species,their assemblages,and the water depth was established.The water depth optima for seven dominant species such as Cyclotella striata/stylorum,Paralia sulcata,and Coscinodiscus perforatus and the water depth indication range of seven diatom assemblages were obtained in the study area above the water depth(elevation)of-10 m.The quantitative relationship between surface sedimentary diatoms and water depth provides a proxy index for diatom-paleo-water depth reconstruction in the strata in Bohai Bay,China.

Investigation of soil and groundwater environment in urban area during post-industrial era: A case study of brownfield in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China

With the adjustment of industrial structure,many high pollution enterprises will gradually shut down.This process will produce a large number of high-risk pollution plots and cause a series of environmental problems.In this study,geophysical detection and direct push technology were applied to investigate soil and groundwater pollution in a typical brownfield in Zhenjiang,Jiangsu province,China.The results showed that Chlorotoluene and its ramification were the main pollutants for the brownfield.Pollution decreased with depth and was quite uneven in the brownfield.Production and wastewater treatment areas were heavily polluted,where volatile organic compounds contaminated and semi-volatile organic compounds were found 12 m and 15 m below the land surface,respectively.About 18880 m3 groundwater was contaminated.This study is significant to develop a geological survey work mode for the postindustrial era.

Assessment of acoustic backscatter intensity surveying on deep-sea ferromanganese crust: Constraints from Weijia Guyot, western Pacific Ocean

Near-bottom observation data from the manned deep submersible Jiaolong with high-precision underwater positioning data from Weijia Guyot,Magellan Seamounts in the Western Pacific Ocean are reported.Three substrate types were identified:Sediment,ferromanganese crust,and ferromanganese crust with a thin cover of sediment.The ferromanganese crusts show clear zoning and their continuity is usually disturbed by sediments on areas of the mountainside with relatively gentle slope gradients.The identified substrate spatial distributions correspond to acoustic backscatter intensity data,with regions of high intensity always including crust development and regions of low intensity always having sediment.Therefore,acoustic backscatter intensity surveying appears useful in the delineation and evaluation of crust resources,although further more work is needed to develop a practicable methodology.

Geochemical characteristics and sedimentary environment of the Middle Devonian organic-rich shales in the Northwest of Guizhong Depression, Southwest China

In order to figure out the redox conditions and paleo-sedimentary environment of the Middle Devonian shales in the northwest of Guizhong Depression,the trace element analysis was conducted on the Middle Devonian cores(320.35–938.50 m)of the typical shale gas investigation well(GY-1)at a 1.50 m sampling interval through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy(XRF)and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS).According to the test result,the average values of V/(V+Ni),V/Cr and Ni/Co in Nabiao formation(Fm.)are larger than 0.67,4.65 and 7.71 respectively,and Nabiao Fm.is rich in biological assemblages such as tabasheer,ammonite,etc.These evidences indicate the rising sea level rose relatively in the sedimentation period of Nabiao Fm.and a deepwater shelf environment,which was favorable for the preservation of organic matters.The V/(V+Ni),V/Cr and Ni/Co in Luofu Fm.and Tangting Fm.are 0.38–0.65,0.73–4.10 and 3.70–6.72 respectively,indicating that the sea level dropped relatively in their sedimentation period,during which the water bodies became shallow,and the sedimentary environment was a weak oxidizing shallow water shelf environment.In addition,the variation of TOC has a high correlation with the enrichment degree of Ba element,indicating the favorable conditions for the enrichment and preservation of organic matters under an oxygen-deficient environment.Moreover,according to the identification of trace element indexes,the northwest of Guizhong Depression experienced the sedimentary cycle of relative rise to relative fall of sea level from bottom to top in the Middle Devonian sedimentation period.The relative sea level rose to the highest in the sedimentation period of Nabiao Fm.,in which the organic-rich shales with stable thickness and high organic content were deposited.Hence,the Nabiao Fm.could be regarded as the favorable exploration target interval in this area.

Late Quaternary fluvial terrace formation in the Luan River drainage basin,north China and its possible linkages with climate change and tectonic activation

The Luan River is the most important water system in north-eastern Hebei Province,China and is located in the transitional zone of the Eastern Yan Mountains,North China Plain and Songliao Plain.The well-developed river terraces of its tributary,the Yixun River,provide excellent information for studying neotectonics and climate change.There are seven terraces in the lower reaches of the Yixun River,numbered T7-T1.The optically stimulated luminescence dating results of 23 samples show that terraces T7-T2 formed at 111.36±5.83 ka,78.20±4.45 ka,65.29±4.15 ka,56.44±3.07 ka,40.08±2.66 ka,and 13.14±0.76 ka,respectively.A comparison with the oxygen isotope curves of deep-sea sediments reveals that the sediment formation of each terrace corresponded to cold periods of marine isotope stages MIS 4 and MIS 2 and the relatively cold periods of MIS 5e,MIS 3,and MIS 1.Since the Late Pleistocene,the incision rate of the Yixun River has ranged from 0.371-1.740 mm/a.During the formation of T7-T6,T5-T4,T4-T3,and T3-T2,the incision rate was low.However,in the two stages during which T6-T5 and T2-T1 formed(13.14±0.76 ka to 0.58±0.08 ka and 10.79±0.64 ka to 0.16±0.01 ka),these rates reached 1.554 mm/a and 1.592-1.740 mm/a,respectively.At approximately 30 ka,the activity of the Langying Fault increased,leading to footwall uplift.The river gathered in the north of Langying to form the ancient Erdaowan Lake,which resulted in the drying of the river in the lower reaches of the Yixun River during the last glacial maximum without forming river deposits.In the Early Holocene,headward erosion in the lower reaches of the Yixun River was enhanced,which resulted in the disappearance of the lake,and incised meandering formed due to increased neotectonism.Based on the analyses of river incision and the formation of ancient lakes and incised meandering,it was inferred that there have been three periods of strong tectonism in the river basin since the Late Pleistocene.