TECTONIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BAOTOU UPLIFT IN HETAO DEPRESSION ZONE |
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| Authors: | LIU Zhi-cheng GAO Zhan-wu XU Wei WANG Ji WANG Wan-he WANG Wan-he |
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| Affiliation: | 1. China Earthquake Disaster Prevention Center, Beijing 100029, China;
2. Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China;
3. Xi'an Research Institute of China Coal Technology&Engineering Group, Xi'an 710077, China |
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| Abstract: | The Hetao depression zone, located to the north of Ordos block, is a complex depression basin that consists of two sub-uplifts and three sub-depressions. The depression zone is subject to the regional extensional stress field driven by the Indo-Asian continental collision and the westward subduction of the Pacific Plate. The Baotou uplift that separates the Baiyanhua sub-depression and Huhe sub-depression is mainly composed of Archean gneiss and is overlaid by Quaternary sedimentary strata. The two sub-depressions are bordered by the Wula Mountains and Daqing Mountains to the north, respectively. The bedrock exhumed in Wula Mountains and Daqing Mountains consists mostly of Precambrian granitic gneiss, and the piedmont depressions are infilled by thick Cenozoic strata. The Wulashan piedmont fault and Daqingshan piedmont fault extend along the range front of Wula Mountains and Daqing Mountains, respectively. The subsidence is controlled by the two boundary faults. Previous studies have preliminarily documented the characteristics of the northwest boundary fault of Baotou uplift. Combining shallow seismic exploration, active fault mapping, and geological drilling, this paper presents a detailed study on the tectonic characteristics of the Baotou uplift.
The shallow seismic exploration reveals that the Baotou uplift is an asymmetrical wedge with a steep southeast wing and a gentle dipping northwest wing. The Baotou uplift is wider in the northeastern part and narrows down towards the southwest. In seismic profiles, the Baiyanhua sub-depression and the Huhe sub-depression manifest as asymmetric dustpan-like depressions with south-dipping controlling faults. Baotou uplift is bounded by the Xishawan-Xingsheng Fault to the northwest and Daqingshan piedmont fault to the southeast. The two faults exhibit significant difference in many aspects, such as fault geometry, fault displacement, the latest active time, and so on. The southeast boundary fault of Baotou uplift is the Baotou section of the Daqingshan piedmont fault which is a Holocene active fault and the major boundary fault of Huhe sub-depression. East of Wanshuiquan, the fault strikes EW-NEE; west of Wanshuiquan, the strike changes to NW. The Daqingshan piedmont fault appears as a south-dipping listric fault in seismic profiles whose dip decreases with depth and cuts through all the sedimentary strata in Huhe sub-depression; the fault extends along the late Pleistocene lacustrine platform at surface with prominent geomorphological evidences. The Xishawan-Xingsheng Fault is a buried high-angle normal fault that mainly dips to the northwest and strikes NE. The fault strike changes to NNE at the eastern tip. Based on the results of seismic exploration and geological drilling, the Xishawan-Xingsheng buried fault is an early to middle Pleistocene Fault capped by late Pleistocene lacustrine strata. We reckon that the Xishawan-Xingsheng Fault is one of the synthetic faults that dip towards the main boundary fault of Baiyanhua sub-depression.
Similarities in lithology, geometry, and structural characteristics of south boundary faults all indicate that Baotou uplift is the western extension of Daqing Mountains. Multiple factors may contribute to the formation of Baotou uplift, such as tectonic subsidence and the development of large-scale river system and mega-lake. We suggest that the upwelling of asthenosphere may play a primary role in the evolution of Wulanshan piedmont fault and Daqingshan piedmont fault. Separated by the Baotou uplift, the Wulashan piedmont fault and Daqingshan piedmont fault can be regarded as independent seismogenic faults. The Hetao depression zone is featured by complex inner structures, and many scientific issues are subject to further researches. Thus, more attention should be paid to the secondary structures within the depression zone for a better understanding on the formation and evolution of Hetao depression zone. |
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| Keywords: | Hetao depression zone Baotou uplift Daqingshan piedmont fault Xishawan-Xingsheng Fault |
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