National Geopark

National Geopark

This is a national geopark.

Geological relics are records and natural heritage left behind during the Earth's evolutionary process, representing the geological history, events, and evolutionary processes of the region. Therefore, in general, the formation of geological relics is almost entirely the result of the combined action of geological stresses from both inside and outside the Earth's crust.

This area was part of an ancient continent 1.8 billion years ago and underwent erosion. At 1.8 billion years, the crust began to subside and received sedimentation, forming the sedimentary rocks of the Changcheng System from the Mesoproterozoic to the Upper Proterozoic, transitioning from terrestrial clastic rock formations to potassium- and magnesium-rich carbonate rock formations. This constitutes a massive sedimentary cycle. During the Changzhougou period, the climate was relatively warm with abundant rainfall, leading to the early formation of thick fluvial clastic deposits. The Chuanlinggou period featured an even more hot and humid climate, with extensive proliferation of algae and relatively deeper water bodies. The Tuanshanzi and Dahongyu periods were both under subtropical warm climates, conducive to the flourishing of microbial algae, accompanied by substantial carbonate rock sedimentation that formed rich stromatolite reefs of varying sizes. The Gaoyuzhuang period had a hot and humid climate, with the emergence of numerous microalgae, especially early in the Gaoyuzhuang period when algal reefs and stromatolites were highly developed, resulting in large amounts of carbonate rock and iron-manganese sedimentation. During the Changcheng Period, an 800-million-year time span was recorded, including sandstone bedding, macroscopic algal fossils, and manganese boracite, among other geological relics.

The Jixian Period began 1.4 billion years ago, with a hot and humid climate. The crust continued to subside slowly, which was favorable for the extensive deposition of carbonate rocks and the growth of microbial algae. The rock assemblage mainly consisted of various types of carbonate rocks, with the paleogeography situated in coastal lagoons, intertidal zones, and shallow marine shelves. This led to the formation of a large number of algal fossils and stromatolite-related biological geological relics.

The Qingbaikou Period began 1.05 billion years ago, with a gradual slowing of the crust’s subsidence rate. There was an increase in clastic rocks and claystones, along with fluvial environments and sedimentary settings such as sandy mudflats along coastlines. During the Jingeryu period, the subsiding crust formed shallow marine shelf lime mudstone deposits. Afterward, the crust rose, and the land underwent erosion. Only the 800-million-year-old Jingeryu Formation remains.

In the early Cambrian Period, around 560 million years ago, the crust subsided and received carbonate rock sedimentation from the Fuxiushan Formation. The ancient weathering crust formed the famous Jixian Movement geological relic known as the "200-million-year span."

During the Indosinian Movement period, the Pan Mountain granite was formed in this area, approximately between 217.1 and 222.7 million years ago. It laid the rocky foundation for the granite landform scenic area.

During the Dahongyu period of the Changcheng Period, about 1.6 billion years ago, submarine volcanic eruptions occurred, resulting in geological relics related to volcanic lava.

Tectonic movements are the main cause of the formation of geological landscape relics. Based on geological analysis, the landforms in this area were established during the Indosinian Movement and shaped during the Yanshan Orogeny. The Yanshan Orogeny, which occurred approximately 180–140 million years ago, caused the uplift of Huangyaguan, Jiudingshan, Baxianshan, and Pan Mountain in northern Jixian. Later, through weathering and erosion, sandstone peak forests, canyons, and granite landforms were formed. The thrust fault-formed "flying peak" within the Fuxiushan Geological Structure Relic Scenic Area is a product of the Yanshan Movement.

Exogenic geological processes, such as weathering, fluvial geological action, and karst processes, have created highly scenic geological landscapes. Examples include: “Group of Beasts Greeting Guests,” “Roaring Lion,” “One-Line Sky,” “Facing-the-Sky Cave,” “Landscape Ridge,” “Stone Egg Mountain,” and “Lion with Tree.”