Palaeochannels on the North China Plain: relationships between their development and tectonics

Geological structure plays an important role in the development of the palaeochannels in the North China Plain. Mountain uplift, subsidence of the plain, and tectonic movement of the basement since the Cenozoic, have interacted with the flashy fluvial regime involving high sediment loads and frequent channel changes. The structure of the basement controlled the scale of palaeochannel development, and tectonics have influenced the changes of the ancient river systems.