Provenance analysis reveals mountain uplift in the midsection of the Altyn Tagh Fault during the Middle Miocene

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiguo Zhang ◽  
Junsheng Nie ◽  
Xiaomin Fang
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Qaidam Basin ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Tectonic Deformation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Provenance Analysis ◽  
Altyn Tagh Fault ◽  
Altyn Tagh

The Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) defines the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau; therefore, its tectonic history is key to understanding the plateau’s northward growth. However, our understanding of ATF tectonics is incomplete, owing in part to a lack of constraints in detailed basin evolution studies of this region. Approximately 1700 m of Middle Miocene – Pliocene clastic strata extracted from a section of the Yitunbulake Basin adjacent to the midsection of the ATF records the uplift of the Altyn Tagh Range. This paper reports 490 concordant detrital zircon U–Pb ages derived from this set of strata. In addition, paleocurrents and conglomerate clastic compositions were measured to determine the provenance of the basin. The dominant detrital zircon age populations within these sedimentary rocks are 260–240, 500–400, and 950–900 Ma. The 260–240 Ma component decreases sharply above the Lower (Xia) Youshashan (XYSS) Formation. Moreover, we performed (U–Th)/He dating on 260–240 Ma detrital zircons from the XYSS Formation to determine its source region. The results indicate that sandstones in this formation are most likely sourced immediately from plutonic rocks widely distributed in the Eastern Kunlun Mountains. The upward change in detrital zircon U–Pb age components in the section demonstrates that widespread surface uplift of the Akatengneng Mountains in the midsection of the ATF likely occurred after ∼16–15 Ma, which is synchronous with accelerated tectonic deformation along the ATF and a rapid increase in the sedimentation rate in the Qaidam Basin since the Middle Miocene.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianming Guo ◽  
Xuebing Wei ◽  
Guohui Long ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
Hailong Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Qaidam Basin ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Crustal Thickening ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Altyn Tagh Fault ◽  
Altyn Tagh ◽  
History 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.

scholarly journals Provenance Analysis of the Paleogene Strata in the Northern Qaidam Basin, China: Evidences from Sediment Distribution, Heavy Mineral Assemblages and Detrital Zircon U‒Pb Geochronology

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 854
Author(s):  
Jianguo Yin ◽  
Shuai Zhang ◽  
Zhixiong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Qaidam Basin ◽  
Qilian Mountains ◽  
Heavy Mineral ◽  
Provenance Analysis ◽  
Sediment Distribution ◽  
Early Mesozoic ◽  
Altyn Tagh ◽  
Mineral Assemblages ◽  
The Qilian Mountains

Using provenance analysis to build an accurate source-to-sink relationship is the key to infer mountain building scenarios around the Qaidam Basin, and also important to understanding the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan Plateau. However, some conflicting provenance inferences are caused by different interpretations for the prevalent existence of the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic age group in detrital zircon U‒Pb age spectra of the Paleogene strata at the northern Qaidam Basin, and these need to be resolved. In this article, an integrated study of sediment distribution, heavy mineral assemblages, and detrital zircon U‒Pb geochronology is carried out to analyze provenance of the Paleogene strata at the northern Qaidam Basin. The decreasing trends of the net sand to gross thickness ratios and conglomerate percentages away from the Qilian Mountains and Altyn Tagh range to basin interior clearly support they are the provenance areas. Sedimentation of materials from the Altyn Tagh range is spatially confined to a small area in front of the mountains. A large sandy body with a uniform distribution of detrital zircon ages (containing a lot of the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic zircon ages) and heavy mineral assemblages in the Xiaganchaigou Formation is supplied by the Qilian Mountains.

Controls of the Altyn Tagh Fault on the Early–Middle Miocene sedimentation in the Honggouzi Area, Qaidam Basin, Western China

2019 ◽  
Vol 181 ◽  
pp. 103908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianguo Yin ◽  
Shengyin Zhang ◽  
Xinchuan Lu ◽  
Zhixiong Wu ◽  
Hui guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Qaidam Basin ◽  
Western China ◽  
Altyn Tagh Fault ◽  
Altyn Tagh

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

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.

Detrital zircon geochronology and provenance of Devono-Mississippian strata in the northern Canadian Cordilleran miogeoclineThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme of Geochronology in honour of Tom Krogh.Northwest Territories Geoscience Office Contribution 0047. Geological Survey of Canada Contribution 20100432.

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvon Lemieux ◽  
Thomas Hadlari ◽  
Antonio Simonetti
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Upper Devonian ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Arctic Alaska ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Late Neoproterozoic

U–Pb ages have been determined on detrital zircons from the Upper Devonian Imperial Formation and Upper Devonian – Lower Carboniferous Tuttle Formation of the northern Canadian Cordilleran miogeocline using laser ablation – multicollector – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry. The results provide insights into mid-Paleozoic sediment dispersal in, and paleogeography of, the northern Canadian Cordillera. The Imperial Formation yielded a wide range of detrital zircon dates; one sample yielded dominant peaks at 1130, 1660, and 1860 Ma, with smaller mid-Paleozoic (∼430 Ma), Neoproterozoic, and Archean populations. The easternmost Imperial Formation sample yielded predominantly late Neoproterozoic – Cambrian zircons between 500 and 700 Ma, with lesser Mesoproterozoic and older populations. The age spectra suggest that the samples were largely derived from an extensive region of northwestern Laurentia, including the Canadian Shield, igneous and sedimentary provinces of Canada’s Arctic Islands, and possibly the northern Yukon. The presence of late Neoproterozoic – Cambrian zircon, absent from the Laurentian magmatic record, indicate that a number of grains were likely derived from an exotic source region, possibly including Baltica, Siberia, or Arctic Alaska – Chukotka. In contrast, zircon grains from the Tuttle Formation show a well-defined middle Paleoproterozoic population with dominant relative probability peaks between 1850 and 1950 Ma. Additional populations in the Tuttle Formation are mid-Paleozoic (∼430 Ma), Mesoproterozoic (1000–1600 Ma), and earlier Paleoproterozoic and Archean ages (>2000 Ma). These data lend support to the hypothesis that the influx of sediments of northerly derivation that supplied the northern miogeocline in Late Devonian time underwent an abrupt shift to a source of predominantly Laurentian affinity by the Mississippian.

Late Paleozoic tectonism of the Bogda region in  Chinese North Tianshan: Insights from sedimentary provenance analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Guochun Zhao ◽  
Yigui Han ◽  
Jinlong Yao
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Late Paleozoic ◽  
Provenance Analysis ◽  
The North ◽  
Tectonic Transition ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
Zircon Morphology ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages ◽  
T Values

<p>The Chinese North Tianshan (CNTS) extends E-W along the southern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and has undergone complicated accretion-collision processes in the Paleozoic. This study attempts to clarify the late Paleozoic tectonism in the region by investigating the provenance of the Late Paleozoic sedimentary successions from the Bogda Mountain in the eastern CNTS by U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of detrital zircons. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages (N=519) from seven samples range from 261 ± 4 Ma to 2827 ± 32 Ma, with the most prominent age peak at 313 Ma. There are Precambrian detrital zircon ages (~7%) ranged from 694 to 1024 Ma. The youngest age components in each sample yielded weighted mean ages ranging from 272 ± 9 Ma to 288 ± 5 Ma, representing the maximum depositional ages. These and literature data indicate that some previously-assumed “Carboniferous” strata in the Bogda area were deposited in the Early Permian, including the Qijiaojing, Julideneng, Shaleisaierke, Yangbulake, Shamaershayi, Liushugou, Qijiagou, and Aoertu formations. The low maturity of the sandstones, zircon morphology and provenance analyses indicate a proximal sedimentation probably sourced from the East ­Junggar Arc and the Harlik-Dananhu Arc in the CNTS. The minor Precambrian detrital zircons are interpreted as recycled materials from the older strata in the Harlik-Dananhu Arc. Zircon ɛ<sub>Hf</sub>(t) values have increased since ~408 Ma, probably reflecting a tectonic transition from regional compression to extension. This event might correspond to the opening of the Bogda intra-arc/back arc rift basin, possibly resulting from a slab rollback during the northward subduction of the North Tianshan Ocean. A decrease of zircon ɛ<sub>Hf</sub>(t) values at ~300 Ma was likely caused by the cessation of oceanic subduction and subsequent collision, which implies that the North Tianshan Ocean closed at the end of the Late Carboniferous. This research was financially supported by the Youth Program of Shaanxi Natural Science Foundation (2020JQ-589), the NSFC Projects (41730213, 42072264, 41902229, 41972237) and Hong Kong RGC GRF (17307918).</p>

scholarly journals Detrital Zircon U-Pb-Hf Isotopes of Middle Neoproterozoic Sedimentary Rocks in the Altyn Tagh Orogen, Southeastern Tarim: Insights for a Tarim-South China-North India Connection in the Periphery of Rodinia

Lithosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Qian Liu ◽  
Guochun Zhao ◽  
Jianhua Li ◽  
Jinlong Yao ◽  
Yigui Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China ◽  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
North India ◽  
Hf Isotopes ◽  
Altyn Tagh ◽  
Tarim Craton ◽  
Rodinia Supercontinent ◽  
New Perspective

Abstract The location of the Tarim craton during the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent remains enigmatic, with some models advocating a Tarim-Australia connection and others a location at the heart of the unified Rodinia supercontinent between Australia and Laurentia. In this study, our new zircon U-Pb dating results suggest that middle Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks in the Altyn Tagh orogen of the southeastern Tarim craton were deposited between ca. 880 and 760 Ma in a rifting-related setting slightly prior to the breakup of Rodinia at ca. 750 Ma. A compilation of existing Neoproterozoic geological records also indicates that the Altyn Tagh orogen of the southeastern Tarim craton underwent collision at ca. 1.0-0.9 Ga and rifting at ca. 850-600 Ma related to the assembly and breakup of Rodinia. Furthermore, in order to establish the paleoposition of the Tarim craton with respect to Rodinia, available detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes from Meso- to Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks were compiled. Comparable detrital zircon ages (at ca. 0.9, 1.3-1.1, and 1.7 Ga) and Hf isotopes indicate a close linkage among rocks of the southeastern Tarim craton, Cathaysia, and North India but exclude a northern or western Australian affinity. In addition, detrital zircons from the northern Tarim craton exhibit a prominent age peak at ca. 830 Ma with minor spectra at ca. 1.9 and 2.5 Ga but lack Mesoproterozoic ages, comparable to the northern and western Yangtze block. Together with comparable geological responses to the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent, we offer a new perspective of the location of the Tarim craton between South China and North India in the periphery of Rodinia.

A Tarim-South China-North India connection in the periphery of Rodinia: Constraints from provenance of middle Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks in the Altyn Tagh orogen, southeastern Tarim

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Liu
Keyword(s):  
South China ◽  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Close Linkage ◽  
North India ◽  
Hf Isotopes ◽  
Altyn Tagh ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages ◽  
Rule Out

<p>Locating Tarim during assembly and breakup of Supercontinent Rodinia remains enigmatic, with different models advocating a Tarim-Australia linkage or a location between Australia and Laurentia at the heart of unified Rodinia. In this study, zircon U-Pb dating results first revealed middle Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks in the Altyn Tagh orogen, southeastern Tarim. These sedimentary rocks were deposited between ca. 880 and 750 Ma in a rifting-related setting slightly prior to breakup of Rodinia at ca. 750 Ma. A compilation of Neoproterozoic geological records indicates that the Altyn Tagh orogen in southeastern Tarim underwent ca. 1.0-0.9 Ga collision and ca. 850-600 Ma rifting related to assembly and breakup of Rodinia, respectively. In order to place Tarim in Rodinia, available detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes from Meso- to Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks in relevant Rodinia blocks are compiled. Comparable detrital zircon ages (at ca. 0.9, 1.3-1.1, and 1.7 Ga) and Hf isotopes indicate a close linkage among southeastern Tarim, Cathaysia, and North India, but rule out a North or West Australian affinity for Tarim. In addition, detrital zircons from northern Tarim exhibit a prominent age peak at ca. 830 Ma with minor spectra at ca. 1.9 and 2.5 Ga but lack Mesoproterozoic ages, which are comparable to those from northern and western Yangtze. Together with comparable geological responses to assembly and breakup of Rodinia, a new Tarim-South China-North India connection is inferred in the periphery of Rodinia.</p>

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