Analysing the provenance changes of synorogenic sediments in the Turpan‐Hami basin by detrital zircon geochronology is an efficient tool to examine the uplift and erosion history of the easternmost Tian Shan. We present detrital zircon U‐Pb analysis from nine samples that were collected within marginal lacustrine Middle‐Late Jurassic and aeolian‐fluvial Early Cretaceous strata in the basin. Middle‐Early Jurassic (159–172 Ma) zircons deriving from the southern Junggar dominated the Middle Jurassic sample from the western Turpan‐Hami basin, whereas Permian‐Carboniferous (270–330 Ma) zircons from the Bogda mountains were dominant in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous samples. Devonian‐Silurian (400–420 Ma) and Triassic (235–259 Ma) zircons from the Jueluotage and Harlik mountains constituted the subordinate age groups in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous samples from the eastern basin respectively. These provenance transitions provide evidence for uplift of the Bogda mountains in the Late Jurassic and the Harlik mountains since the Early Cretaceous.

Understanding the role of southeastern Tibet thrust faults in the development of the plateau topography is key to our assessment of the geodynamic processes shaping the continental topography. Detailed structure analysis along the ~400 km long Jinhe-Qinghe thrust belt (JQTB) indicates post late Eocene thrust motion with a minor left-lateral component, inducing ~0.6 to 3.6 km of apparent vertical offset across the fault. The exhumation history of the Baishagou granite, based on the thermal modeling (QTQT) of new apatite (U-Th)/He and fission-track ages, suggests an accelerated exhumation rate (~0.42 km/Myr) between 20 and 15 Ma, corresponding to ~1.7-2.4 km of exhumation. We interpret that fast exhumation as due to the activation of the Nibi thrust, a northern branch of the JQTB resulting in the creation of significant relief across the JQTB in the Early Miocene. When compared with previous studies it appears that Cenozoic exhumation and relief creation in southeastern Tibet cannot be explained by a single mechanism. Rather, at least three stages of relief creation should be invoked. The first phase is an Eocene NE-SW compression partly coeval with Eocene sedimentation. During the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene, coevally with Indochina extrusion, the second thrusting phase occurred along the Yulong and Longmenshan thrust belts, and then migrated to the JQTB at 20-15 Ma. A third phase involved the activation of the Xianshuihe fault and the re-activation of the Longmenshan thrust belt and the Muli thrust. Uplift in the hanging wall of thrust belts appears to explain most of the present-day relief in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau.

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Elucidating the petrogenesis and geodynamic setting(s) of anorthosites in Archean layered intrusions and Tethyan ophiolites has significant implications for crustal evolution and growth throughout Earth history. Archean anorthosite‐bearing layered intrusions occur on every continent. Tethyan ophiolites occur in Europe, Africa, and Asia. In this contribution, the field, petrographic, petrological, and geochemical characteristics of 100 Tethyan anorthosite‐bearing ophiolites and 155 Archean anorthosite‐bearing layered intrusions are compared. Tethyan anorthosite‐bearing ophiolites range from Devonian to Paleocene in age are variably composite, contain anorthosites with highly calcic (An44–100) plagioclase and magmatic amphibole. These ophiolites formed predominantly at convergent plate margins, with some forming in mid‐ocean ridge, continental rift, and mantle plume settings. The predominantly convergent plate margin tectonic setting of Tethyan anorthosite‐bearing ophiolites is indicated by negative Nb and Ti anomalies and magmatic amphibole. Archean anorthosite‐bearing layered intrusions are Eoarchean to Neoarchean in age, have megacrystic anorthosites with highly calcic (An20–100) plagioclase and magmatic amphibole, and are interlayered with gabbros and leucogabbros and intrude pillow basalts. These Archean layered intrusions are interpreted to have predominantly formed at convergent plate margins, with the remainder forming in mantle plume, continental rift, oceanic plateau, postorogenic, anorogenic, mid‐ocean ridge, and passive continental margin settings. These layered intrusions predominantly crystallized from hydrous Ca‐ and Al‐rich tholeiitic magmas. The field, petrographic, and geochemical similarities between Archean and Tethyan anorthosites indicate that they were produced by similar geodynamic processes mainly in suprasubduction zone settings. We suggest that Archean anorthosite‐bearing layered intrusions and spatially associated greenstone belts represent dismembered subduction‐related Archean ophiolites.

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