Constraints on mountain building in the northeastern Tibet: Detrital zircon records from synorogenic deposits in the Yumen Basin

Abstract

The Cenozoic basins and ranges form the high topography of the northeastern Tibet that resulted from the India-Eurasia collision. Sedimentary rocks in the basins provide direct insight into the exhumation history of the ranges and the tectonic processes that led to the northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we analyzed and compared detrital zircon U-Pb ages from sands of modern rivers draining the Bei Shan, and North Qilian Shan and sandstones from the Yumen Basin. The zircon age distributions indicate that the strata dated to 24.2-16.7 Ma in the basin were derived from the Bei Shan, and the basin provenance changed rapidly to the North Qilian Shan terrane at ~16 Ma. These results suggest that an early stage of deformation along the Bei Shan at ~24 Ma was replaced by the growth of the North Qilian Shan at ~16 Ma. We conclude that the far-field effect associated with the Indo-Asian collision may result from Oligocene deformation in the Bei Shan, but the emergence of the North Qilian Shan at ~16 Ma could reflect the most recent outward growth of the Tibetan Plateau that may have been caused by the removal of some lithospheric mantle beneath central Tibet.

Cenozoic Exhumation of the Qilian Shan in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Evidence From Low‐Temperature Thermochronology

“…Our new thermochronologic results reveal a relatively steady low exhumation rate of ~7 m/Ma between ~150 and 15 Ma, likely indicating a tectonically quiescent period from the Cretaceous to the Miocene in the eastern Qilian Shan. This interpretation is consistent with recently published AFT modeling results, AHe ages, basin environment, and provenance analysis results from the western portion of the northern Qilian Shan and the Jiuxi basin, respectively (Bovet et al, 2009; Li et al, 2019; Wang et al, 2016; Wang, Zhang, Pang, et al, 2016;Yu, Zheng, et al, 2019 ; Zheng et al, 2010 ; Zhuang et al, 2018).…”

Cenozoic exhumation in the Qilian Shan, northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Evidence from detrital fission track thermochronology in the Jiuquan Basin

“…Cheng et al ., ; Qi et al ., ], the late Oligocene‐early Miocene [ Guo et al ., ; Pan et al ., ], and the middle Miocene [ Zheng et al ., ; Qi et al ., ], respectively. The existence of this continual tectonic activity, which ranges in age from Eocene to Miocene, has also been verified by the initiation of the deposition of coarse sediments, a shift in the deposition rate, the development of an angular unconformity, changes in lithostratigraphy and depositional systems, or a shift of sedimentary provenance in the northern Qaidam Basin south of the Qilian Shan [e.g., Song , ; Fang et al ., ; Lu and Xiong , ; Zhuang et al ., ; Bush et al ., ] and in the Jiuquan Basin north of the Qilian Shan [e.g., Dai et al ., ; Bovet et al ., ; Guo et al ., ; Fang et al ., ; Wang et al ., , ]. The Qilian Shan likely experienced relatively continuous tectonic deformation over this time period; however, this deformation was spatially variable, and individual localities likely experienced episodes of deformation at different times.…”

“…[] (section 2), Song [] (sections 2, 11, and 12), Wang et al . [, ] (section 3), Bovet et al . [] (sections 5 and 10), Song et al .…”

Timing, Displacement and Growth Pattern of the Altyn Tagh Fault: A Review

“…For example, Meng et al (2001) correlated the stratigraphy in both side of AFT, Qaidam-Qilian area and Tarim Basin, and speculated that the ATF separated Tarim and Qaidam-Qilian area before the Oligocene, with a left-lateral displacement of 400 km. The chronology of the Cenozoic sedimentary strata and tectonic deformation of the basins within and aside the ATF Sun et al, 2005;Wang et al, 2006;Pei et al, 2009;Bovet et al, 2009;Lu et al, 2009;Zhuang et al, 2011;Pan Jiawei et al, 2015), sedimentary provenance Mao Liguang et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016b), and the thermal chronology 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of the rocks in the ductile shear zone (36.4 Ma and 26.3 Ma, Liu Yongjiang et al, 2003) and apatite fission-track age of the gneiss and granite in the ATF belt (35.6-13.6 Ma, also support this view. The third view proposes that the ATF formed during the Early-Middle Eocene (e.g.…”

“…The main reason of the controversial results is probably related to the fact that the different research studies employed different methodology, or that each individual study was would concern a restricted time interval or segment of fault. For example, study using sedimentology Chen et al, 2004;Ritts et al, 2004;Yue et al, 2001Yue et al, , 2004Yin et al, 2002;Yuan Sihua et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2010;Wu et al, 2012a;2012b;Mao Liguang et al, 2013;Ran Bo et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016b), tectonic deformation analysis (Cai Xuelin et al, 1992;Zheng Jiandong, 1991b;Wang, 1997;Metiver et al, 1998;Meyer et al, 1998;Tapponnier et al, 1990Tapponnier et al, , 2001Li Haibing et al, 2006;Zhu et al, 2006;Zhuang et al, 2011;Wu Lei et al, 2013;Xu Bo et al, 2013;Xiao Ancheng et al, 2013), thermal chronology (Geoge et al, 2001;Jolivet et al, 2001;Wan Jinlin et al,2001;Chen Zhengle et al, 2002;Cowgill et al, 2003;ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (English Edition) http://www.geojournals.cn/dzxben/ch/index.aspx http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ags Liu Yongjiang et al, 2003Wang et al, 2006;Clark et al,2010;Zheng et al, 2010) or Paleomagnetism (Chen et al, 1992…”