The Rainbow Mountains are located in the foothills of the rugged Qilian mountains and likely formed around the same time as the Himalayas, approximately 50 million years ago, according to NASA's Earth ...

Tao M., Kubik P.W., Strecker M.R. (2006). Climatic versus tectonic control on river incision at the margin of NE Tibet: 10 Be exposure dating of river terraces at the mountain front of the Qilian Shan ...