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| Danxia Geomorphology Working Group |
 | Chair: Prof. Peng Hua
Guangzhou (China)
e-mail
Prof. Piotr Migoń
Wroc³aw (Poland)
e-mail
| Cliffs in horizontally bedded sandstones and conglomerates in Danxiashan, China
Courtesy by P.MIGOŃ
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| RED BEDS AS SUPPORTERS OF DISTINCTIVE LANDSCAPES - Call for International Collaboration |
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Dear Fellow Geomorphologists,
At the 7th International Conference on Geomorphology, held in Melbourne on 6-11 July 2009, the IAG Council approved a new working group of the International Association of Geomorphologists, the Danxia Geomorphology Working Group, to be jointly convened by Professor Peng Hua, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, and Professor Piotr Migoń, University of Wroc³aw, Poland. Below you will find background to the establishment of the Danxia WG, its main objectives and outline of proposed activities, and invitation to join our efforts towards better scientific understanding of Danxia morphology and its proper conservation.
Peng Hua and Piotr Migoń
Caves and crusts in Fangyan, China
Courtesy by P.MIGOŃ
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Background and Justification
In May 2009 a symposium was held in Shaoguan City, Guangdong, China, focused on a very special type of morphology long known in China as Danxia morphology. In its simplest form, Danxia morphology can be defined as a suite of bedrock landforms developed on continental clastic deposits, typically red in colour, among which cliffed slopes are the repetitive theme. Responding to the invitation of the organizers, the symposium was endorsed by the International Association of Geomorphologists, alongside IUGS, and attended by four Executive members, including the then IAG Vice-President, Professor Michael Crozier.
During the conference a range of papers related to the Danxia geomorphology was presented by Chinese scholars, whereas more than 20 overseas participants provided international context to the Danxia research. Two major issues emerged from the papers and subsequent discussions:
- Danxia morphology needs further research, particularly in terms of processes involved in its shaping and structural geological conditions necessary to its development. The operational definition needs some refinement.
- There is a need, and scope, for global comparative research on Danxia-type morphology. It appears that the presence of lithified coarse clastic sediments is fundamental to the origin and evolution of Danxia. However, this type of rock geomorphology is poorly understood and relatively under-researched, if compared with karst, granite or sandstone morphology.
During the conference it was found that great amount of work that has already been done by Chinese scholars on Danxia geomorphology. However, much of this research is poorly known outside China and little international communication exists as far as Danxia research is concerned. Hence, fulfilling the statutory aims of the International Association of Geomorphologists, which are both to enhance research and foster international collaboration, a working group was proposed for the period 2009-2013 to focus on Danxia-type landscapes, its forms and processes involved. The IAG Council approved the Danxia Working Group during its meeting on 10 July 2009.
Scientific aims of the group
We envisage that the principal aims of our activity will be the following:
- To define, as far as possible, the distinctive nature of Danxia landscapes in terms of form, to account for both its variability experienced in the type area for Danxia southern China, and its distinctiveness among other morphologies associated with specific rock types.
- To identify processes which have shaped Danxia landscapes, both in the past and now.
- To recognize conditions (geological and others) necessary for the development of Danxia landscapes, in particular whether terrestrial origin of clastic deposits is essential for Danxia formation.
- To identify global distribution of Danxia type landscapes and its controlling factors.
Activities
In the first step, we intend to launch a questionnaire addressed to the geomorphological community worldwide through which we hope to obtain an overview of global distribution of distinctive landforms and landscapes supported by continental clastic deposits.
Shortly we will open a website dedicated to Danxia morphology and research on similar landscapes. It will be linked to the main IAG website. In the meantime, one can get a glimpse of how fascinating geomorphology of Danxia terrain can be by visiting the site
A series of scientific symposia is planned, hopefully with a strong field component. Tentatively we envisage a conference based in one of classic Chinese localities of Danxia terrains in 2011, a thematic session on Rock Geomorphology at the IAG Regional Conference in Ethiopia in 2011 and another session at the 8th International Conference on Geomorphology in Paris in 2013. Further suggestions and declarations are very welcome.
Call for membership
The original proposal to establish Danxia Geomorphology Working Group was endorsed by a number of individuals who are listed at the end of this message. However, the activity of WG is open to everyone from international Earth science community. Anyone interested in getting involved, please respond to Secretary of the Working Group, Ms Ren Fang, at the contact address given below.
Convenors
Professor Peng Hua
School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, 510275 P.R. China; e-mail
Professor Piotr Migoń
Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroc³aw, Poland; e-mail
Secretary
Ms Ren Fang
Center for Environmental Sciences, Saint Louis University, USA; e-mail
Initial Organising Group
- Michael Crozier, University of Wellington, New Zealand
- David Higgitt, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Tim Kusky, Wuhan University of Geosciences, China
- Takashi Oguchi, University of Tokyo, Japan
- Qi Deli, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Mauro Soldati, University of Modena, Italy
- Chris Wood, University of Bournemouth, Great Britain
- Robert Wray, University of Wollongong, Australia
- Zhang Ke, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Zhu Cheng, Nanjing University, China
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| Closely spaced conglomerate domes in Langshan, China
Courtesy by P.Migoń
Residual towers in conglomerate in Jianglangshan, China
Courtesy by P.Migoń
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