Quartz sandstone peak forest landforms of Zhangjiajie Geopark, northwest Hunan Province, China: pattern, constraints and comparison

Abstract

The Zhangjiajie Sandstone Peak Forest Geopark in northwest Hunan Province, China, is a comprehensive geopark containing many spectacular quartz sandstone landforms, limestone karst landscapes and various other important geoheritage resources. It is listed as a UNESCO World Geopark and is also part of the World Heritage Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area for its important landscape features. Many of the sandstone landforms, particularly the vast number of thin pillars or spires, are very unusual and serve as the core landscapes of the geopark. But Zhangjiajie displays a diverse range of landform types, exhibiting spectacular patterns and regular distributions. In this paper, the geomorphic traits, distribution pattern and constraints of the sandstone landforms of the Zhangjiajie Geopark are examined. Our study indicates that in the outcropping areas, the sandstones display four distinctive levels from 300 to 1,000 m above sea level, and these extend clearly from the highest sandstone plateau platform to the center of the valleys. The high sandstone platforms developed close to a flat high-level erosional surface, and subsequent erosion into this plateau has resulted in successively lower levels of landforms that transition gradually from peak walls, peak clusters, peak forests and peak pillars to remnant peaks in the lower valley bottoms. The form and distribution of the Zhangjiajie sandstone landforms are primarily dominated by the geological setting, particularly the presence of brittle structures (fractures and joint sets) trending NNW, ENE and NE. Triggered by the episodic tectonic movements, major streams and escarpments frequently occur along these structural directions, while some of the peak walls, peak clusters and peak forests have their longer elongated axes corresponding to NE or NNW directions, with an increased density of peak forms at the intersection of these fractures and joints. The geometry of the diverse sandstone landforms is also influenced to a certain degree by the climatic, water system distribution, lithologic properties, biological process, meteorological features and denudation processes. The suite of quartz sandstone landforms in Zhangjiajie can be compared with other sandstone landscapes regionally, and our interpretation of the sandstone peak forest formation processes offers a significant contribution to the study of topographic features and the geomorphic evolution of sandstone landscapes.

Suspended sediment dynamics at different time scales in the Loushui River, south-central China

“…Due to the significant scientific value, outstanding natural beauty and esthetic importance, the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area in the Zhangjiajie region was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 and a global geopark was established in the sandstone area of Zhangjiajie in 2004 (Yang et al, 2012). Despite growing investigations on the geomorphic characteristics, formation mechanisms and evolutionary processes at Zhangjiajie, there is less knowledge of well understanding this area, such as sediment dynamics in rivers of this area, the geomorphic effects of the sediment transport, sediment sources and erosion rates (Yang et al, 2011a).…”

Knickpoints within the Suoshui watershed and the implication for the age of sandstone pillars in Zhangjiajie, China

“…This spectacular landscape attracts tourists from around the world (see Brierley et al, 2011;Yang et al, 2012 for more details of the sandstone landscape in Zhangjiajie). Common questions from these visitors include how the pillars are formed and how old they are.…”

“…Common questions from these visitors include how the pillars are formed and how old they are. These two questions have been the topic of many studies (Chen, 1993;Wu and Zhang, 2002;Tang et al, 2005;Huang et al, 2006;Ping et al, 2011;Yang et al, 2011aYang et al, , 2012Huang et al, 2013). Clearly, the preconditions for these sandstone forests are the thick horizontal sandstone layers with dense vertical fissures, but the history of the Zhangjiajie sandstone landform evolution is still under discussion.…”

RS-based fuzzy multiattribute assessment of eco-environmental vulnerability in the source area of the Lishui River of northwest Hunan Province, China

“…The study area has undergone rapid development of tourism and hydropower over the past (He 2005;Yang et al 2012). Given its sensitive eco-geological environment, changing topography, unique climatic and hydrological patterns, and increasing anthropogenic impacts, the source area of the Lishui River basin is vulnerable to several disturbances that have negatively impacted upon geoheritages, water resources, and ecogeological environment.…”

“…Concerns for environmental and societal security are especially pronounced in those parts of the world where development pressures are high, environmental threats are considerable, and spectacular geoheritages and significant water resources must be simultaneously protected (Yang et al 2011a(Yang et al , 2012Chen and Yang 2013). These issues lie at the heart of the sustainability agenda.…”