Modern Fluvial-Deltaic Deposits in Daihai Lake Basin, Northern China

Ephemeral streams are rivers with high values of annual peak discharge variability. Therefore, the ephemeral rivers are often catastrophic, yet represent an important sediment routing system from source to sink that show unique bedding structures and internal architectures. The rivers surrounding the rifted Daihai Lake in a semi-arid area are mostly ephemeral streams with high inter-annual peak discharge variation, which document sedimentary architectures and reveal sedimentary processes of fluvial to deltaic system with strongly peaked discharge. This field trip describes sedimentary structures in alluvial fan to river to delta deposits, and investigates that how the structures and the morphodynamics change from the mountainous rivers to their delta fronts. Clinoforms with different geometries are examined in deltaic deposits, which reflect the controls of relative lake-level changes, paleobathymetry, and sediment supply.