Where did the Yellow River turn yellow?

The Yellow River turned yellow when it flowed down from the Loess Plateau.

Because the soil on the Loess Plateau is yellow sandy soil, which is loose and porous, it will be scattered into the water as soon as it is washed away by water. Located in the north of China, the Yellow River is one of the longest rivers in the world and the second longest river in China. The "yellow" of the Yellow River is actually sediment. The ancient book says: "The Yellow River fights water, and mud ranks seventh."

90% of the sediment of the Yellow River comes from the Loess Plateau, where the soil is loose and easy to erode and disperse. Whenever it is washed by heavy rain, it will lose a lot of soil and water and flow into the Yellow River. The river basin is long in winter and short in summer, with large temperature difference between winter and summer and obvious seasonal temperature change. There is little precipitation in the basin, mainly dry land agriculture, which is dry in winter and spring, and the precipitation in summer and autumn is concentrated in July and August.

Geological influence

The gestation, birth and development of the Yellow River are controlled by geological processes in geological history. The tectonic movements caused by crustal changes are external forces, and the erosion, transportation and accumulation generated by itself under hydrogeological conditions are internal forces. In the historical process of becoming a river, it keeps moving forward and keeps pace with the times.

Soil erosion in the Loess Plateau and sediment deposition in the lower reaches of the Yellow River began in prehistoric geological times, and have been increasingly influenced by human activities since then. According to various studies, the ancient Yellow River has three stages of development: the early Pleistocene from Tertiary to Quaternary is the gestation period of the ancient Yellow River. The middle Pleistocene in Quaternary (110.5 million years ago) was the birth period of the ancient Yellow River. In the late Pleistocene (654.38+ 10,000 years ago ~ 654.38+ 10,000 years ago), the Yellow River formed a marine water system.

The above contents refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-Yellow River.