The Zhangye Danxia Landform in China, aka rainbow mountains, commonly refers to several landscapes which are found in the southeast and west of China which consist of a red bed which is characterized by steep cliffs. This type of landform is quite a unique type and is referred to as petrographic geomorphology in geological terms. Zhangye Danxia landform is actually formed from red-colored conglomerates and sandstones of a long time ago. This landform is quite similar to the karst topography which is formed in main areas which are covered with limestones. However, these rocks are called pseudo-karst landforms as they are made up of sandstones and conglomerates. This landform is named after Mount Danxia, which also depicts the same type of landform.
The amazing rainbow mountains in Danxia Landforms in China are a place of great research study and are a hot topic among the Chinese and other geologists in the area. However, Danxia Landforms are usually made up of uplifted continental crust which is faulted and eroded, allowing exposure of large scarps of layered rock, which is red in color, hence the color.
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These rainbow mountains cover a wide area spanning several provinces in the southeast of China. Several places including Taining County and Fujian Province are seen as very good examples of being the “young” Danxia Landforms in which deep and narrow valleys are formed. As time passes and the landform gets older, the formed valleys widen and get a kind of isolated towers. These landforms also cause the development of different caves of different sizes and shapes. These landforms form a very peculiar look, making it a must-see place if you ever got the time and resources.
