The Glacial Sediments Sequences in the Ateaoyinake River Valley, Tianshan Mountains

Ateaoyinake River, located on the southern slope of the Tumer Peak in the western Tianshan Mountains in China, is the largest modern glaciation center. Six relative integrated sets of glacial tills formed in Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles were reserved in this area. ESR dating technique (OSL dating technique as a supplementary method) was applied to determine the ages of the glacial tills and outwashes. The dating results of the six glacial groups are 7.3±0.8 ka BP (OSL, outwash sand), 12.3±1.2 ka BP (OSL) and 15-29 ka BP, 46-54 ka BP, 56-65 ka BP, 155.8±15.6 ka BP and 234.8±23.5 ka BP, 453.0±45.3 ka BP respectively, indicating that they deposited in Neoglaciation, MIS2, 3b, 4, 6 and 12. The results of the third set of the glacial tills demonstrate that a larger glacier advance happened in MIS3b in this area, similar with the extent of the Last Glacial Maximum (MIS2). The age of the oldest glacial tills consistent with the ESR ages (459.7±46 ka BP and 477.1 ka BP) of the Gaowangfeng glacial tills at the headwaters of the Urumqi River, demonstrating that the western and the middle sections of Tianshan Mountains entered cryosphere at least in MIS12, resulting in development of the glaciers in that period.