Crustal thickening in Gansu-Qinghai, lithospheric mantle subduction, and oblique, strike-slip controlled growth of the Tibet plateau

AbstractThe Qaidam basin, bounded by the Altyn Tagh fault in the north, is located in the northeast of the Tibet plateau, and it has important implications for understanding the history and mechanism of Tibetan plateau formation during the Cenozoic Indo-Eurasia collision. In this study, we constructed the main geological structures and surfaces in three dimensions through the interpolation of regularly spaced 2D seismic sections, constrained by wells data and surface geology of the Qaidam basin in northeast Tibet. Meanwhile the Cenozoic tectonic history of the Qaidam basin was reconstructed and the uplift mechanism of the Tibetan plateau was discussed. This study presents the subsurface data in conjunction with observations and analysis of the stratigraphic and sedimentary evolution. The Cenozoic deformation history of the Qaidam basin shows geologic synchroneity with uplifting history of the Tibet Plateau. It is therefore proposed that the deformation and uplifting in the south and north edges of the Tibet Plateau was almost synchronous. The total shortening and shortening rate during Cenozoic reached 25.5 km and 11.2% respectively across the Qaidam basin, indicating that the loss of the left-lateral strike slip rates of the Altyn Tagh fault has been structurally transformed into local crustal thickening across NW-trending folds and thrust faults. Meanwhile there is an about 11° vertical component along the strike-slip Altyn Tagh fault, the block oblique slip shows one more growth mechanism of the northeast Tibet.

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Three-dimensional structural model of the Qaidam basin: Implications for crustal shortening and growth of the northeast Tibet

10.5194/se-2016-74 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Jianming Guo ◽

Xuebing Wei ◽

Guohui Long ◽

Bo Wang ◽

Shiyang Xu

Keyword(s):

Qaidam Basin ◽

Vertical Component ◽

Strike Slip ◽

Crustal Thickening ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Altyn Tagh Fault ◽

Altyn Tagh ◽

History Of ◽

The Tibet Plateau

Abstract. We reconstruct the main geological structures and surfaces in three dimensions through the interpolation of regularly spaced 2D seismic sections, constrained by wells data and surface geology of the Qaidam basin to reconstruct Cenozoic tectonic history of the Qaidam basin and decipher how the Tibetan plateau was formed. This study presents the subsurface data in conjunction with observations and analysis of the stratigraphic and sedimentary evolution. The Cenozoic deformation history of the Qaidam basin shows geologic synchroneity with uplifting history of the Tibet Plateau. It is therefore proposed that the deformation and uplifting in the south and north edges of the Tibet Plateau was almost synchronous. The total shortening and shortening rate during Cenozoic reached 25.5 km and 11.2 % respectively across the Qaidam basin, indicating that the loss of the left-lateral strike slip rates of the Altyn Tagh fault has been structurally transformed into local crustal thickening across NW-trending folds and thrust faults. Meanwhile there is an about 10° vertical component along the strike-slip Altyn Tagh fault, the block oblique slip shows one more growth mechanism of the northeast Tibet.

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Dextral strike-slip of Sanguankou-Niushoushan fault zone and extension of arc tectonic belt in the northeastern margin of the Tibet Plateau

Science China Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s11430-016-5272-1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 59 (5) ◽

pp. 1025-1040 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

QiYun Lei ◽

PeiZhen Zhang ◽

WenJun Zheng ◽

ChiZhang Chai ◽

WeiTao Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fault Zone ◽

Strike Slip ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Tectonic Belt ◽

Dextral Strike Slip ◽

The Tibet Plateau

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Variable Thrust Rates of the Eastern Qilianshan Mountain Front, Northeastern Margin of the Tibet Plateau and Its Implication to the Topography of the Yongchangnan Shan

Frontiers in Earth Science ◽

10.3389/feart.2021.622568 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Lei Jinghao ◽

Li Youli ◽

Ren Zhikun ◽

Hu Xiu ◽

Xiong Jianguo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Slip Rate ◽

Strike Slip ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

The West ◽

Slip Rates ◽

Study Region ◽

The North ◽

Mountain Front ◽

The Tibet Plateau

It is commonly assumed a thrust has a constant slip and uplifting rate along strike, however, this simplified model cannot always be consistent with field observations. The along strike slip patterns with variable offsets and rates contain plenty of information about the characteristics of the faulting behavior and its relationship with adjacent faults. The east Qilian Shan, located at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, provides us an excellent opportunity to study the faulting behavior in a thrust-bounded range area. Besides the previously reported slip rates of the N-W trending tectonics across the region, we augmented the data by surveying the Fengle fault (FF), one of the north bounding thrusts of the Yongchangnan Shan. Another north bounding fault is the Kangningqiao Fault (KNF), east of the FF. Based on the vertical offsets and rates along the fault, we constructed the slip pattern along strike. The results show the vertical slip rate of the FF ranges from 0.7 ± 0.1 mm/a to 2.8 ± 1.3 mm/a across three surveyed sites. The slip rate decreases from the east to the west. The FF and KNF might be inferred as two segments of a single segmented thrust controlling the uplift of the Yongchangnan Shan. By comparing the uplift onsets in the study region, we discuss the northeastward propagated deformation along the northeastern margin of the Tibet plateau.

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Extension of the Upper Yellow River into the Tibet Plateau: Review and New Data

Quaternary ◽

10.3390/quat4020014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 14

Author(s):

Zhengchen Li ◽

Xianyan Wang ◽

Jef Vandenberghe ◽

Huayu Lu

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Yellow River ◽

Google Earth ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

The Yellow River ◽

Published Data ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Large Lakes ◽

River Terraces ◽

The Tibet Plateau

The Wufo Basin at the margin of the northeastern Tibet Plateau connects the upstream reaches of the Yellow River with the lowland catchment downstream, and the fluvial terrace sequence in this basin provides crucial clues to understand the evolution history of the Yellow River drainage system in relation to the uplift and outgrowth of the Tibetan Plateau. Using field survey and analysis of Digital Elevation Model/Google Earth imagery, we found at least eight Yellow River terraces in this area. The overlying loess of the highest terrace was dated at 1.2 Ma based on paleomagnetic stratigraphy (two normal and two reversal polarities) and the loess-paleosol sequence (12 loess-paleosol cycles). This terrace shows the connections of drainage parts in and outside the Tibetan Plateau through its NE margin. In addition, we review the previously published data on the Yellow River terraces and ancient large lakes in the basins. Based on our new data and previous researches, we conclude that the modern Yellow River, with headwaters in the Tibet Plateau and debouching in the Bohai Sea, should date from at least 1.2 Ma. Ancient large lakes (such as the Hetao and Sanmen Lakes) developed as exorheic systems and flowed through the modern Yellow River at that time.

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