Danaxia landforms are colourful rock formations at the Zhangye Danxia
Landform Geological Park in Gansu Province, China. The landform is a
unique type of petrographic geomorphology which is found only in China
which consists of red-colored sandstones and conglomerates of largely
Cretaceous age.
Research shows that about 100 million years ago, there used to be a huge
inland basin here. Water carried silt from the surrounding mountains to
the basin. As the result of global high temperatures the basin dried up
and in these arid conditions the sediment oxidized and turned rust
color. Then some 70 million years ago a 3,700-meter-thick red-colored
layer formed on the basin, known as the chalk bed. On the top, there was
a 1,300-meter-thick solid layer, i.e., layer of Cretaceous system, from
which the peaks of Danxia Mountain gradually took shape.
Since 30 million years ago, orogenic movement has lifted the whole basin
many times. Water flowing down through fissures cut through and eroded
the sedimentary rock, the slope broke and receded, leaving behind the
red fragmentary rocks we see now---Danxia landforms. According to
experts, orogenic movement is still going on in the Danxia Mountain
area, with an average rise of 0.87 meter every 10,000 years over the
last 500,000 years.
The area is fast becoming a popular tourist attraction for the sleepy
town of Zhangye. A number of boardwalks and roads have been built to
encourage visitors to explore the amazing rock formations. The World
Heritage Committee decided to include China Danxia Landform in the World
Heritage List at its 34th meeting being held in Brasilia, capital of
Brazil, on August 1, 2010.
Source :- http://www.unbelievableinfo.com/2013/11/zhangye-danxia.html
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