沁河导源于山西中部的霍山山地,自北南流,经过沁潞高原的西部,斩切太行山,泻落到华北平原。在京汉鉄路黄河鉄桥以西10公里处流注黄河。它不受三门峡水利枢纽的节制,并能补给卫河的水源,因此在华北的水利开发问题上,无疑是值得注意的。

The Chin-ho is a tributary of the Huangho, entering the latter east of the Sanmen Gorge after flowing 450 km in central Shansi (Fig. 1). The upper streiun part of the Chin-ho basin, some 1000 m above sew-level, is a dissected plateau with Mills and ridges rel>resenting the remnants of a ter-tiary peneplain (Fig. 16) that truncates the gently folded strata (Figs. 2,5,6). Loessial materials spread all over; they vary in thickness and chemical tom-position from place to place and regularly from N to S. Five types of their occurrence may be recognised (Fig. 9). The stream 1;ttern is sul}erposeM from the old surface but slightly modified by minor sturctures(Pig. 10).The several ruptures de pence plus the three steps of rock terraces disclose the rehe2ted rejuvenation (Figs. 15,16). The deep gorges in alternation }itl} brow valleys, the cut-off meander-cores and the various loessic forms add to the comple};ity and differentiation of relief (Figs. 22-25). The lower course of the Chin-ho, after piercing through the Tai-hang rwnge, built a vast fan-shaped plain with loassial material:. Here, for the last 2000 years, the land surface, ns well as the hydrographic conditions, has been greatly modifiod by irrigation systems and other conservancy works.