Based on field work, four Quaternary terraces are found according to overlapped loess sequences at Pantang-Heiyukou area and its surroundings in northern Chinese Shanxi-Shaanxi Gorge. These four terraces, which are 12, 50, 80 and 130 m above present the Yellow River level respectively, are all rock-seated terraces. The thicknesses of overlapped loess from the lowest terrace to the highest Quaternary terrace are about 20, 33, 37 and 43 m respectively. ESR dating samples were collected from river sediments on T2, T3 and T4. ESR dating result reveals that the formation ages of these three terraces are 0.609, 0.876 and 0.97±0.107 Ma in turn from T2 to T4. In order to corroborate the dating results, powder samples and oriented samples were collected from sections on T3 and T4. Paleomagnetic result shows that section bottom on T3 does not reach the boundary of B/M (Brunhes/Matuyama), which means a formation age younger than 0.78 Ma. This age is younger than that gotten from ESR dating. The bottom age of T4 section reaches an age of 1.07 Ma, which is a bit older than ESR dating result but within its range. The formation ages of the terraces are in accord with other terraces in upper and lower reach of the Yellow River such as Lanzhou and Sanmenxia which suggests river terraces controlled by tectonic movement exist universally in the domain of the Yellow River. A Late Tertiary section was resampled and measured as an improvement to former works. The result is used to discuss the incision rate of different terraces in this region.

Seven river terraces are recognized based on detailed field investigation in the Heiyukou area, Shanxi-Shaanxi Gorge of the Yellow River, of which the highest T7 and T6 terraces are covered by red clay. The lithology and grain size of pebbles on different terraces along the river are studied. It is found that the lithology of pebbles on the sixth and seventh terrace is similar to that of lower Yellow River terraces and floodplain in the Heiyukou area, but different from that of Weifen River, a tributary of the Yellow River running from east to west. The limestone pebbles, which are dominant pebbles in Baode area, not only become less in amount, but become smaller in grain size from the upstream to the downstream. This indicates that the pebbles of Late Tertiary are the relic of an ancient river running from north to south. Magnetostratigraphy study shows that the bottom age of the strata, 70 m fine sands in lower part and red clay in the upper part, covering on the pebbles of the T7 terrace is about 6.8 Ma, and the bottom age of the red clay covering on the T6 terrace is about 3.3 Ma. This indicates that the ancient river formed at least before 6.8 Ma in this area, and the age of T6 (3.3 Ma) matches well with Phase A of Qinghai-Xizang Movement. There is about 160 m incision in this area after Phase A of Qinghai-Xizang Movement. The average incision rate is more than five times faster than that before Phase A of Qinghai-Xizang Movement.

FengYG alluvial fan is a large fan that lies to the northwest of Taiyuan basin. It has a widen plan view. Exposures with typical parallel bedding sediments were found at fanhead. It shows that FengYG alluvial fan is mainly formed by upper flow regime sheetflood process. Sheetflood deposits comprise pebble to granule gravel bar deposits with small thickness that extend far on side directions, and between bar deposits with finer grain size. Geomorphic and geologic features of its drainage basin shows that larger accommodation space formed by uplift of Lüliang mountain possibly led to sheetflood deposits on FengYG alluvial fan.