Cenozoic uplift of the Qimantage Mountains, northeastern Tibet: Contraints from provenance analysis of Cenozoic sediments in Qaidam Basin

Abstract

Qimantage Orogen as the western part of East Kunlun Mountains is located in the northeastern margin of the Tibet Plateau. In this contribution, detrital zircon age spectra combined with heavy mineral analysis of Cenozoic sediments from Qaidam Basin were applied to reveal the uplift history of Qimantage Mountains. Our results show that the Cenozoic staged uplift of the Qimantage Mountains exhibit eastward and northward uplift characteristics. From the middle Eocene to Quaternary, there are three major uplift stages for Qimantage Mountains: the first stage is from middle Eocene to late Eocene (~45–35.3 Ma). The range developed a topographic pattern of east‐high and west‐low at that time, and the uplift of the east part range at that time is significant perhaps linked to the Cenozoic uplift of Tibetan Plateau due to its significant crustal shortening. The second stage is from early Oligocene to late Miocene (~15–8 Ma). During this stage, the uplift is both significant in tectonic and topographic aspects, and the overall uplift occurred mainly in the middle and west part of Qimantage Mountains. The last stage is from late Miocene to Quaternary (~2.8 Ma to present), and the Qimantage Mountains experienced complete uplift. The provenance is mainly the northern Qimantage Mountains without sediments supplied from further south, and therefore, the Qaidam Basin became an intermontane basin geomorphically.

The Interplay Between Climate and Tectonics During the Upward and Outward Growth of the Qilian Shan Orogenic Wedge, Northern Tibetan Plateau

“…previous detrital zircon geochronology study (Bush et al, 2016;Cheng et al, 2016a;Cheng et al, 2016b;Wang et al, 2017b). NEQB and SGHB are abbreviations of northeastern are mainly compiled from this study and previous work (Bush et al, 2016;Cheng et al, 2016a;Cheng et al, 2016b;Wang et al, 2017b;Zhou et al, 2018). The locations of those studies are shown in Fig.…”

“…Meanwhile, the appearance of aeolian deposits in the Lanzhou basin (Zhang et al, 2014) and the Taklimakan desert (Heermance et al, 2018) to the west also support the reginal aridification in the western China since the middle Miocene. (Bush et al, 2016;Cheng et al, 2016a;Cheng et al, 2016b;Wang et al, 2017b;Zhou et al, 2018), which reveals that potential source areas became much more diverse gradually from the Lulehe Fm., to Xiaganchaigou Fm. and to Shangganchaigou Fm.…”

The interplay between climate and tectonics during the upward and outward growth of the Qilian Shan orogenic wedge, northern Tibetan Plateau

“…China (Liu et al, 2011b). Based on both regional evidence and global cooling at this time (Zachos et al, 2001), Cheng et al, 2016b; Wang et al, 2017b;Zhou et al, 2018), which reveals that potential source areas became much more diverse gradually from the Lulehe Fm., to Xiaganchaigou…”

Rapid groundwater circulation inferred from temporal water dynamics and isotopes in an arid system

“…Z. Zhu et al, 1989) (Figure 2). In addition to recent intense tectonic activities, the Kunlun Mountains continue to rise, while the QB is relatively declining (Y. D. Wang et al, 2012; Zhou et al, 2018). A massive earthquake (Ms 8.1) occurred on 14 November 2001, and ruptured a 450‐km long stretch of the sinistral Kunlun strike‐slip fault in the eastern Kunlun fault zone (Klinger et al, 2005; Yin et al, 2002).…”

“…Zhu et al, 1989) (Figure 2). In addition to recent intense tectonic activities, the Kunlun Mountains continue to rise, while the QB is relatively declining (Y. D. Wang et al, 2012;Zhou et al, 2018).…”