The controversy over the existence of Quaternary glacier in the low mountainous regions of eastern China has never ceased since Prof. J. S. Lee reportedly found Quaternary glacial remnants in the eastern foot of Taihangshan Mountain and Datong Basin and especially in the Lushan and Huangshan Mountains.

A research paper published in Chinese Science Bulletin (Issue 9 in 2016) reported that Prof. Hu Jianmin, Research Fellow from the Institute of Geomechanics of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and his research team recently detected Quaternary glacial remnants at Shuimogou Valley of Daqingshan Mountain in Inner Mongolia and related research indicated that Quaternary glacier might be developed in the low mountainous regions near 41°N in the northern part of North China. The discovery is believed to have significance for understanding of the climatic characteristics in East Asian continent and China’s Quaternary environmental change.

The Daqingshan Mountain is located in the middle Yinshan Mountains in the northern part of North China. The Quaternary glacial remnants found at Shuimogou Valley are brick red-red brown remnants mixed with mud and gravels, with no development of beddings. The mud and sand compositions account for 60% and gravels 40%, well-rounded and with the main compositions of granites, gneisses, diabases, plagioclase amphibolites. The surfaces of the gravels are developed ferreous stuff and striations with different directions. Among the gravels with the grain size over 10 centimeters, over 50% have been shear deformed into tensional-shear fractures.

Moraines found at Shuimogou Valley