A river erosion estimate on the Loess Plateau: a case study from Luohe River, a second-order tributary of the Yellow River

Based on fieldwork and terrace ages, which were determined using 14C, TL and paleosol stratigraphy, a general model was established for the development of the Yellow River terrace system. The ages for the terraces and valley flats of the Yellow River system are T6—1.67–0.85 Ma BP, T5—0.85–0.47 Ma BP, T4—0.47–0.10 Ma BP, T3—0.10–0.007 Ma BP, T2—7.0–0.7 ka BP, T1—0.7–0.3 ka BP, the higher valley flat—0.3–0.15 ka BP and the lower valley flat 0.15–0 ka BP, respectively. Each terrace or valley flat and corresponding paleo-valley represents a river erosion/deposition cycle. Using this model and selected geomorphic parameters of terraces and paleo-valleys from 10 typical cross sections of Luohe River, a tributary of the Yellow River, an attempt is made here to estimate paleo-river erosion since the Pleistocene on the Loess Plateau.