Temperature and pressure field in the Tertiary succession of the western Qaidam basin, northeast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

The thermal properties of rocks in the upper crust of the Qaidam basin are given based on measurements of 98 thermal conductivities and 50 heat production values. Nineteen new measured heat flow data were obtained from thermal conductivity data and systematic steady-state temperature data. This paper contributes 28 calculated heat flow values for the basin for the first time. Examination of 47 heat flow values, ranging from 31.3 to 70.4 mW/m2 with an average value of 52.6±9.6 mW/m2, gives the heat flow distribution character of the basin: high heat flows over 60 mW/m2 are distributed in the western and central parts of the basin. Lower heat flow values are found in the eastern part and north marginal area of the basin, with values less 40 mW/m2. The Qaidam basin heatflow data show a linear relationship between heatflow and heat production, based on thermal structure analysis. The thermal structure of the lithosphere is characterized as having a ‘hot crust’ but ‘cold mantle’. Heat production in the upper crust is a significant source of heat in the basin and contributes up to 56.8% of the surface heat flow. The heat flow province is of great geophysical significance, and the thermal structure of the area gives clues about the regional geodynamics. Study of the Qaidam basin thermal structure shows that the crust has been highly active, particularly during its most recent geological evolution. This corresponds to Himalayan tectonic movements during latest Eocene to Quaternary times in the region of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Since the Qaidam basin is in the northeastern area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, the heat flow values and the thermal structure of the basin may give some insight into the thermal state of the plateau, and study of thermal regime of the Qaidam basin could in turn provide useful information about the tectonics of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

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Paleozoic and Mesozoic Basement Magmatisms of Eastern Qaidam Basin, Northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: LA-ICP-MS Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and its Geological Significance

Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition ◽

10.1111/j.1755-6724.2012.00665.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 86 (2) ◽

pp. 350-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

CHEN Xuanhua ◽

George GEHRELS ◽

YIN An ◽

LI Li ◽

JIANG Rongbao

Keyword(s):

Qaidam Basin ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Geological Significance ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

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Hydrochemical Dynamic Characteristics and Evolution of Underground Brine in the Mahai Salt Lake of the Qaidam Basin Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition ◽

10.1111/1755-6724.13690 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 (5) ◽

pp. 1981-1990 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shuya HU ◽

Quansheng ZHAO ◽

Guangcai WANG ◽

Jianwei ZHANG ◽

Juan FENG

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Characteristics ◽

Salt Lake ◽

Qaidam Basin ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Underground Brine ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

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Lithostratigraphy, mineralogy and the boron-bearing brine evolution of DaQaidam Salt Lake in Qaidam Basin since Holocene period, northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202019804038 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 198 ◽

pp. 04038

Author(s):

Chunliang Gao ◽

Junqing Yu ◽

Xiuyun Min ◽

Aiying Cheng

Keyword(s):

Lake Level ◽

Salt Lake ◽

Saline Water ◽

Qaidam Basin ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Sedimentary Records ◽

South Central ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽

Brine Evolution ◽

Holocene Period

Little attention has been paid to the study of sedimentary records from DaQaidam Salt Lake regarding brine evolution and hydro-climate change. Here we report the results of AMS 14C dating and mineralogical investigation on a sediment profile D4 from the south central of perennial saline water-body. The result revealed that pinnoite deposit in the lakebed was formed in early Holocene, the lake underwent three stages of lake-level and brine evolution in Holocene period, which were determined mainly by precipitation-controlled catchment inflow. The mineralogical records also depicted fluctuations in lake level and hydrochemistry on decadal and centennial scales.

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Drought evolution characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau over the last 100 years based on SPEI

10.5194/nhess-2021-73 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shengzhen Wang ◽

Fenggui Liu ◽

Qiang Zhou ◽

Qiong Chen ◽

Baicheng Niu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Qaidam Basin ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Northwestern Part ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Southeastern Part ◽

Spatial And Temporal Distributions ◽

Different Seasons ◽

Main Period ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Abstract. The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) of the Tibetan Plateau was calculated using the CRU4.03 gridded dataset from 1901 to 2018 in this paper. Then, based on the SPEI data, drought on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was studied in terms of its spatial and temporal distributions and its changing characteristics over the last 100 years. The results revealed that the precipitation in the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been steadily rising over the last 100 years, in conjunction with only minor temperature shifts. In the northwestern part of the plateau, precipitation has decreased significantly, accompanied by a significant increase in temperature. The drought on the Tibetan Plateau showed a clear gradual increase in aridity from southeast to northwest over the last hundred years. The SPEI also showed distinct seasonal patterns, steadily increasing in spring and summer and decreasing significantly in autumn and winter. In addition, each season had its own spatial characteristics. The northeastern part of the plateau, except the Qaidam Basin, showed a significant aridity trend in all seasons. A wet trend prevailed in the southeastern and southern areas. Drought on the Tibetan Plateau exhibits apparent cyclical oscillations with a main period of 54 years and has different cyclical characteristics in different seasons.

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