A 7.3–1.6Ma grain size record of interaction between anticline uplift and climate change in the western Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau

Sedimentological Evidence for Pronounced Glacial‐Interglacial Climate Fluctuations in NE Tibet in the Latest Pliocene to Early Pleistocene

“…The extremely low annual precipitation (mean: <50 mm), very high annual potential evaporation (mean: ~3,000 mm), and strong winds (Qiang et al, 2006) characterize present‐day climate in the Qaidam Basin (Figure 1c). In such an inland hyperarid basin, seasonal fluvial input and strong winds are the primary drivers of sedimentation (Kapp et al, 2011; Lu et al, 2015; Pullen et al, 2011; Qiang et al, 2007).…”

Tectonic Control of a Change in Sedimentary Environment at ~10 Ma in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

“…Grain‐size records and other basic physical characteristics of sedimentary rocks can be used to characterize and differentiate depositional environments (Deng et al, ; Fuller, ; Lu et al, ; Sun et al, ; Visher, ; Xiao et al, ). The grain‐size records of the HGZ section and core KC‐1 define two distinct stages, with the boundary at about 11.5–10 Ma (Figure and Figures S2 and S3 in the supporting information).…”

“…Thus, grain‐size analysis of clastic sediments has been widely used to reconstruct paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, tectonic events, and lake hydrology in the study area and surrounding region (Liu et al, ; Lu et al, ; Qiang et al, , ; Sun et al, ; Xiao et al, , , , ). However, previous grain‐size studies of the Cenozoic sediments in the QB focused primarily on relatively recent periods, such as the late Miocene‐Pleistocene (7.3–1.6 Ma; Liu & Zhang, ; Lu et al, ) and the Holocene (An et al, ; Qiang et al, ), and older sediments are less well studied. Here we present the results of grain‐size analysis of fine‐grained late Cenozoic (18–5 Ma) sediments in the well‐dated Honggouzi (HGZ) section and drill core Kancan‐1 (KC‐1) from the western QB (Figure ; see supporting information for the geological setting), as well as studies of growth strata recorded by high‐resolution seismic reflection profiles.…”

“…(3) It was completely enclosed from the Eocene to the Oligocene and has accumulated more than 6 km of Cenozoic nonmarine sediments (Gu et al, 1990 Métivier et al, 1998;Wang et al, 2006;Xia et al, 2001) which are an archive of information on the tectonic setting of the potential provenance and source rock lithology, local, and regional climate change and the evolution of the depositional environment in the QB. Clastic materials in sedimentary basins are mainly supplied by drainage systems (e.g., Colman et al, 2007), and the sediment grain-size characteristics can provide information on changes in transport dynamics and the depositional environment (Friedman & Sanders, 1978;Liu et al, 2016;Lu et al, 2015;Peng et al, 2005;Prins & Weltje, 1999;Vandenberghe, 2013;Xiao et al, 2009). Thus, grain-size analysis of clastic sediments has been widely used to reconstruct paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, tectonic events, and lake hydrology in the study area and surrounding region Lu et al, 2015;Qiang et al, 2007Qiang et al, , 2014Sun et al, 2002;Xiao et al, 1995Xiao et al, , 2012Xiao et al, , 2013Xiao et al, , 2015.…”

“…Clastic materials in sedimentary basins are mainly supplied by drainage systems (e.g., Colman et al, 2007), and the sediment grain-size characteristics can provide information on changes in transport dynamics and the depositional environment (Friedman & Sanders, 1978;Liu et al, 2016;Lu et al, 2015;Peng et al, 2005;Prins & Weltje, 1999;Vandenberghe, 2013;Xiao et al, 2009). Thus, grain-size analysis of clastic sediments has been widely used to reconstruct paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, tectonic events, and lake hydrology in the study area and surrounding region Lu et al, 2015;Qiang et al, 2007Qiang et al, , 2014Sun et al, 2002;Xiao et al, 1995Xiao et al, , 2012Xiao et al, , 2013Xiao et al, , 2015. However, previous grain-size studies of the Cenozoic sediments in the QB focused primarily on relatively recent periods, such as the late Miocene-Pleistocene (7.3-1.6 Ma; Liu & Zhang, 1992;Lu et al, 2015) and the Holocene Qiang et al, 2007), and older sediments are less well studied.…”