250 million-year-old cliff pictures discovered in SW China

Geologists in this southwest China municipality have discovered a cliff wall adorned with naturally carved pictures inside a cave in a local mountain. The pictures are estimated to be about 250 million years old.

More than 300 meters long and about 30 meters high, the cliff in Jinfo (Golden Buddha) Mountain in Nanchuan City shows naturally-developed images that look like mountains and rivers, birds and beasts, human figures and various other things.

Geologist Zhu Shunzhang, who headed the recent exploration, said that the cliff is made of black limestone from the Permian Period of the late Palaeozoic Era, dating back 250 million years. In a later geological period, white calcite filled up the fragmentized black limestone, creating the pictures.

Jinfo Mountain is a state-level nature reserve, scenic spot and forest park. The cave where the pictures were found is a highland water-eroded cave that came into being 350 million years ago. Geologists said that the cave was actually the watercourse of a underground river.

The Jinfo Cave contains three layers, and a two-kilometer-long section of the middle layer has been developed into a tourist spot.The cliff with the pictures was discovered in a branch cave by chance by an exploring party.

The cliff is important in the study of geological changes in thearea, said Zhu.

Source: Xinhua