China discovered traces of glaciers 2 million years old

Chinese scientists have discovered the area once covered by a glacier about 2 to 3 million years old and disappeared about 20,000 years ago, on a mountain range in northeastern Gansu province.

The area was found to have an average altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level. There are valleys, steep peaks, huge cracks. These are characteristics that can only form during the ice age.

Glacier area in the ice age in Gansu, China

During the survey, scientists conducted further research on the geological structure and environmental change process here. Studies have provided important data about the fourth ice age as well as changes in geography and climate in western China.

The signs of erosion caused by glaciers are shown in the terrain form. Traces of rock and soil drifted along the glacier from the top down to show quite clearly.

Typical terrain of areas that had been covered by ice during the ice age

The largest ice age was the Pleitoxen period 10,000 years ago to 1.6 million years. During this period, the Northern Hemisphere's ice mass continued to expand and spread down near the equator.

China has 59,406 km2 that were covered by glaciers during the ice age, accounting for 14.5% of the total area of ​​the glacier in the world at that time. Only in Tibet region had 28,645 km ^{2 of} area covered by ice and snow in the ice age.

According to Chinese scientists, the ice at the two poles of the Earth has disappeared about 5.5% in the past 40 years, equivalent to 3,248 km ² .