秦岭主峰太白山海拔3767米,晚更新世时至少存在两次冰川作用。全新世以来,随着冰川的消失,代之以冰缘过程占统治地位。本文根据实地考察,论述了寒冻风化作用、雪蚀作用和冻结分选作用所形成的各种冰缘地貌类型,并划分了五个垂直带,概述了古冰缘环境。

The Taibaishan, a major peak of the Qinling Mountains, is 3767m high above sea level. There were at least twice glaciations in the late pleistocene. Since the Holocene, the periglacial processes dominanted overthere with allof glaciers retreating. In this area periglacial landforms can be divided into three groups as follows: 1. such forms as talus, rock glacier, and block slope, formed by frozen-weathering. 2. the forms, such as nivation hollows, nivation benches, and higher planation terraces, formed by nivation, and 3.the patterned ground (circles sorted, nets, etc.), formed by frozen sorting action, and distributed in the tundra zone, with an altitude of more than 3,000m above sea level. The present periglacial zone of the Taibaishan peak is Alpine periglacial one, continental climate forest-meadow type, while the ancient:one preferredthe desert type. Based on the low limit of periglaciations, permafrost distribution and the upper limit of coniferous forest, it is demonstrated that the ancient periglacial type isn’t of marine one, but transitional type from marine to continental climate.