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How did the Hubei lake plain form?
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Hubei
The Three Gorges Dam spanning the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) near Yichang, Hubei province, China.
The Hubei lake plain originated as a depression or old lake basin during the Pliocene Epoch, which occurred approximately 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago.1
Over time, this basin has been largely filled with eroded red sandstone transported from Sichuan province. This geological process of filling in the basin remains incomplete today, which is why large areas adjacent to the Yangtze River and the Han River are characterized by numerous shallow lakes. The resulting landscape is a low-lying alluvial plain, with much of the region situated no more than 200 feet (60 meters) above sea level.1