Past glaciers on northern slopes of the west kunlun mountains and ruins along the old silk road, western china : a preliminary report

Glacial fluctuation is considered to be one of the important causes of settlement abandonment in the Taklimakan Desert. The results of air-photo interpretation indicate that moraines on the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains could be classified into the Last Glacial and Holocene moraines. The areas covered by these moraines as well as debris-covered glaciers are large in the upper basins of rivers between the Hotan and Yutian oases. The large extent of glacial advance and delay of disintegration due to thick debris-cover brought continuous supply of river discharge. The main period of settlement abandonment (700-1300 years ago) followed one of glacial advances (1300-1800 years ago) during Neoglaciation. The abandonment of settlements in lower reaches of these rivers was caused by decrease in volume of river discharge, possibly due to the gradual shrinkage of glaciers originated by glacial advance during Neoglaciation.