Glacical Landform

Ximatan Erosion Lake

Shuanglongtan Erosion Lake

        Cangshan Mountain in Dali is the palce where the last glacial epoch of Quaternary glacial activity, "Dali glaciation" is named. It is also the southernmost mountain where glaciers of China and even Asia can reach. The glacial landform of the Geopark better shows glaciers' process of fluctuation, and also sensitively records changes of Quaternary climate at the same time. Therefore, Cangshan Mountain in Dali is of typical significance and owns scientific values for the study of the last glacial epoch.

Dali Glaciation

        The whole main ridge of Cangshan Mountainis a winding and uneven arêteformed under glaciers' denudation. All peaks are horns which are well preserved. Remnants of glaciation such as cirques, glacial erosion lakes, glacial erosion depressions, U-shaped valleys, rock seas and stone rings, are distributed along the sides of the main ridge and are well preserved.

         Xiaocenfeng Horn:is in the standard shape of a pyramid. Its top is 4070 m in altitude, about 140 m higher than its bottom with a width of 300 m from the east to the west and a width of 150-200 m from the south to the north. In the east, a north-south "U" shaped valley is developed. The gradient of its upper part is approximately 5-10° while that of its lower part is approximately 15°. It owns obvious turning points and its bottom is of about 10-30 m in width and 5-8 m in depth. Multiple glacial erosion depressions are developed around the U-shaped valley.

          "Snake" Shaped Arête:presents a linear distribution and is in the shape of a snake. It is developed from the south to the north with a length of 1.2 km. Its top is 1-2 m in width. Two glacial erosion depressions are developed at its northern and southern parts on the east side respectively. The southern glacial erosion depression is 15-20 m in width and 30-40 m in length and the front is developed into a glacial erosion scarp; the northern glacial erosion depression is about 50 m in depth and 5-15 m in width and the front is also a glacial erosion scarp.

          Glacial Erosion Depression of Yingle Peak:is elliptical and large in scale with a length of about 200 m and a width of about 350 m. Its back leaning against Yingle Peak, which is high and precipitous, while its two sides are comparatively wide and gentle. A large number of rock blocks and rock debris formed after freeze-and-thaw actions are residual partially in the glacial erosion depression.

          Cross-Wall: About three stages of cross-walls are developed on Cangshan Mountain, mainly distributed at an altitude of over 3700 m. The altitude differences among these levels of cross-walls are about 15-40 m.

U valley

Block Field

Stone Circle