While most plateaus are formed by tectonic uplift or lava, the Loess Plateau is unique because it is a “depositional” plateau created by the wind. During the Pleistocene epoch, powerful winds carried fine mineral dust from Central Asian deserts and deposited it in north-central China. This accumulated into layers hundreds of meters thick. Geographically, this is a textbook example of Aeolian processes at a massive scale. The resulting soil is exceptionally fertile but lacks structural cohesion, leading to the deep gullies and heavy siltation that give the “Yellow River” its name and color.