Wudalianchi Geopark

Introduction:

Wudalianchi Geopark is located in Heilongjiang Province, China, which covers an area of 720km2 with volcanic geological landforms as its main types of geological heritages.

Wudaliangchi volcanoes are the best preserved, the most typical recent volcanic cluster in China. 14 volcanoes are regularly distributed in the geopark, of which 12 volcanoes erupted 12-1Ma ago; 2 erupted between 1719 and 1721, which cover an area of more than 60km2, and are the latest volcanoes in China. These old and new volcanoes are collocated alternately. Relatively small-scale cinder cones and shield-shaped volcanoes lean upon the relatively large-scale table-like volcanos. The geopark has every volcanic landscape that one expects to find, such as basin-like crater, round chair-like crater, funnel-shape crater, caldera, compound crater, etc. The convolute lava and incrusted lava formed by the recent volcanic eruption occur alternatively. Numerous large-scale and will-preserved exhalative cones and dishes are seldom seen in the world. The lastest volcanic eruption blocked an river channels existing at that time, forming 5 lakes spreading in the form of a string of beads—Wudalianchi, which enjoys the good reputation of the "Natural Volcano Museum".

The lava of the volcanoes in Wudalianchi volcano cluster are composed basically with same components, that is why we generally call the K-enriched alkaline basic and intermediate-basic lava "Shilong Roch". Wudalianchi is located at the axes of the Eastern Asian continental rift system. It was formed probably by upwelling of mantle plume caused by rifting. Therefore, Wudalianchi volcanic rock is of important significance for studying plate movement and magmatic evolution and is very important for detecting the local volcanic and earthquake activities.

In Liao and Jin dynasties there were no residents lived in Wudalianchi area. With the eruption of 2 new volcanoes, the formation of volcanic lakes linking up each other and the exposure of mineral springs with magical curative effects, Daur ethnic nomads first settled here, and then a lot of the Han people came to reclaim the virgin soil, lived and multiplied on this land, thus gradually forming the special national culture and folkways of the people in Wudalianchi and the minorities nearby.

With its fresh air, quiet and tasteful environment and beautiful scenery of mountains silhouetted in the lakes, the geopark has become a rare fabulous scenic spot for scientific tourism, vacationing and convalescence. Here has peculiar volcanic scenes, plenty and complete volcanic landforms and mineral springs with particular curative effects, and is an integrated famous natural scenic spot with multiple functions such as tourism and sightseeing, convalescence and recreation, and scientific investigation.

Contact:

E-mail: wdlcggp@163.com