Late Cenozoic high-resolution magnetostratigraphy in the Kunlun Pass Basin and its implications for the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau

The Kunlun Pass Basin, located in the middle of the eastern Kunlun Mountains, received relatively continuous late Cenozoic sediments from the surrounding mountains, archiving great information to understand the deformation and uplift histories of the northern Tibetan Plateau. The Kunlun-Yellow River Movement, identified from the tectonomorphologic and sedimentary evolution of the Kunlun Pass Basin by Cui Zhijiu et al. （1997, 1998）, is roughly coincident with many important global and Plateau climatic and environmental events, becoming a crucial time interval to understand tectonic-climatic interactions. However, the ages used to constrict the events remain great uncertainty. Here, we present the results of detailed magnetostratigraphy of the late Cenozoic sediments in the Kunlun Pass Basin, which show the basin sediments were formed between about 3.6 Ma and 0.5 Ma and the Kunlun-Yellow River Movement occurred at 1.2 to ～0.78 Ma. The lithology, sedimentary facies and lithofacies associations divide the basin into five stages of tectonosedimentary evolution, indicating the northern Tibetan Plateau having experienced five episodes of tectonic uplifts at ～3.6, 2.69-2.58, 1.77, 1.2, 0.87 and ～0.78 Ma since the Pliocene.     

塔里木盆地西南缘的构造演化与岩石组合

塔里木盆地西南缘可划分为３ 个地层区和２ 个缝合带。该区自震旦纪来经历了两大构造旋回,发育３ 种类型的岩石组合。库地缝合带是库地洋经历了一次开合的遗迹,分离了西昆仑与塔里木这两个地层区。康西瓦缝合带是康西瓦洋经历了两次开合的遗迹,它分别是塔里木与羌塘两板块和西昆仑与喀喇昆仑两地层区的分界线。     

“引雅入塔”工程的可行性分析

“引雅入塔”工程,即引雅鲁藏布江之水入塔里木盆地之引水工程,这是一个大胆的设想.其基本内涵是将发源于喜马拉雅山北麓素称“悬河”的雅鲁藏布江的水量,通过西藏高原开挖一条运河,将高原之水引入盆地,以便改变大西北干旱荒漠区的水文气象面貌.本文着重分析了雅鲁藏布江之水源现状和昆仑山北麓山前平原绿洲的情况.同时,对引水工程和应采取的技术措施进行了初步分析.     

Paleomagnetic dating of the Jiuquan Gravel in the Hexi Corridor: Implication on mid-Pleistocene uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The sediments in the foreland basins around the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau preserved crucial information to reveal its tectonic history. In the Hexi Corridor, north periphery of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the angular unconformity between the Jiuquan Gravel and the Yumen Conglomerate has been well known to represent an intensive tectonic event of the plateau. However, its age is poorly constrained. Our paleomagnetic dating at the Laojunmiao section in the Jiuxi Basin show that the bottom of the Jiuquan Gravel reaches 0.84 MaBP, the top of the Yumen Conglomerate is about 0.93 MaBP. This result clearly demonstrates that the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau experienced an intensive movement at mid-Pleistocene.     

青藏高原的地质特征与形成演化

 青藏高原由于在全球所处的特殊地位,一直是各国科学家关注和竞争研究的热点地区,但仍有众多科学问题尚未达成一致。结合最新的研究进展,着重分析讨论青藏高原形成演化中的隆升过程及其地质学证据和动力学问题。青藏高原是一个独特的地质单元,有着条块相间的构造格局,地壳厚度巨大,其隆升已是不争的事实,在古生物学、沉积学、古地貌学、岩溶学和古地磁学等方面仍在积累大量证据,但对隆升过程的具体细节仍有不同认识。目前在探测地壳的精细结构方面取得了长足进展,对青藏高原下方俯冲的前沿位置、几何形态和运动方向等取得了相对统一的认识。     

Methoxy n-fatty acids in surface soils from the Gongga and Kunlun Mountains: Ecological implications

GC-MS characteristics of surface soil samples from the eastern and northern Tibetan Plateau provide tentative identification of 8(–14)-Methoxy hexadecanoic acid (iME-16:0) and 9(–17)-methoxy octadecanoic acid (iME-18:0). Sixty surface soil samples were collected from the eastern slope of Gongga Mountain, at elevations ranging from ~1230 to 4500 m (eastern Tibetan Plateau), and from the northern slope of West Kunlun Mountains, ranging from ~1300 to 5500 m (northern Tibetan Plateau). This study also analyzed the methoxy n-fatty acids (MFAs) of Gongga Mountain tree leaves from six common living species, at the elevation of 2900–4200 m. MFAs dominate these samples, with more centrally located methoxy groups eluting earlier than those with methoxy groups located closer to the end of the main carbon chain. MFAs occur prominently in most of the Gongga Mountain soil samples (and from six tree samples) from dominantly coniferous and deciduous broadleaved forests. Other than in two narrow vegetation zones between 4000–4350 m and 2900–3300 m, no MFAs were found in 19 Kunlun Mountains soil samples from areas covered mainly with montane desert and alpine desert steppe vegetation. Based on the inventory of plants and soils from which MFAs have been isolated, we conclude that the MFAs most probably originate from specific woody plants. If we can exclude some particular grasses as sources, MFAs may be specific woody plants-derived biomarkers; thus they would serve as an important additional proxy for comprehensive and precise ecological reconstructions.     

龙门山造山带-川西前陆盆地系统的成山成盆成藏动力学

造山带动力学、沉积盆地动力学和油气藏动力学均是地球科学的研究前沿。作者分析了三种动力学的主要研究内容和发展趋势，认为：(1)大陆动力学作用过程决定了造山带动力学和沉积盆地动力学的作用过程；(2)造山带动力学和沉积盆地动力学性质决定了油气藏动力学的作用机制。龙门山造山带-川西前陆盆地系统是由从东向西的深部多级俯冲潜滑而引起的浅部由西向东的多层次推覆而形成的，并且其物质流和能量流的循环均有两个传递系统。高异常古压是上三叠统天然气运移的动力，是控制天然气运聚与区域分布的主要因素，并且古压的演化直接控制了局部构造的成藏。川西前陆盆地侏罗系天然气藏是上三叠统与侏罗系之间流体的跨层流动形成的。龙门山造山带-川西前陆盆地系统形成和演化产生的挤压环境和使川西前陆盆地的被动沉降作用控制了天然气初次运移和聚集的成藏作用。60Ma以来，龙门山造山带-川西前陆盆地系统的整体抬升和剥蚀作用决定了裂缝系统的发育和上三叠统气藏的调整及侏罗系气藏的形成。     

Genetic consequences of postglacial colonization by the endemic Yarkand hare （Lepus yarkandensis） of the arid Tarim Basin

Orogenesis of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,which occurred in a stepwise manner,contributed to the extreme aridity of the Tarim Basin,resulting in vulnerable and unstable ecosystems.Quaternary climatic oscillations may have affected the ecosystems and,consequently,the distributions and genetic structuring of the Tarim Basin’s biota.We used nucleotide sequence data from 2 mitochondrial (mt) DNA genes (Cyt b and the D-loop) to test hypotheses associated with the matrilineal and demographical histories of the Tarim Basin’s endemic Yarkand hare (Lepus yarkandensis).Range-wide sampling involving 20 populations and 224 individuals detected 126 haplotypes that clustered into 5 major lineages in both the phylogenetic tree and median-joining network.Populations from the northern and eastern Tarim Basin shared a similar history,as did those from the western and southern regions.Demographical analysis and genetic diversity estimations suggested that the western and southern regions might have served as glacial refugia for the Yarkand hare during Quaternary climatic oscillations.The distribution of the Yarkand hare,especially in the northern and eastern parts,probably represented 3 postglacial colonization events,dated to 0.21,0.090 and 0.054 MYA,which corresponded to known interglacial periods.Given the relatively complete geographic isolation between the eastern and southern populations,the Yarkand hare likely dispersed during postglacial periods from the southwest to the north,and then onward to the east.The absence of water likely forced the species into refugia,and this differed from other Pleistocene biogeographical drivers.The demographical and historical patterns have important implications for conservation.     

东秦岭—大别地区中生代岩石圈拆沉的岩石学证据评述

岩石圈拆沉是碰撞造山带物质成分调整和构造演化的重要方式之一。构造地质研究、地球物理探测和地球化学分析等都已揭示东秦岭-大别造山带曾在中生代发生岩石圈拆沉,但有关中生代变质作用和岩浆活动与岩石圈拆沉的内在联系研究却较为薄弱。通过全面评述该区变质岩研究成果,作者认为：超高压变质岩的形成和剥露经历了240～200Ma的板片冷俯冲冷折返和196～163Ma的岩石圈拆沉热折返;热折返伴随了广泛而强烈的区域变质作用和中酸性岩浆活动,指示板片断离拆沉的发生;超高压变质岩p-T-t轨迹由两部分组成,即反映板片冷俯冲冷折返过程的发夹状曲线和指示板片断离拆沉热折返过程的新月形曲线。通过对花岗岩类同位素年龄统计和前人研究成果的评述,初步确定在200～100Ma之间发育大量花岗岩类,并集中在150～100Ma为主(即侏罗纪—白垩纪之交),高峰时间为130Ma左右;花岗岩类大量发育指示了岩石圈拆沉的存在,且滞后于根据变质岩研究所揭示的拆沉时间。羌塘地体、拉萨地体和西太平洋古陆在侏罗纪与欧亚大陆拼贴碰撞的远距离效应使东秦岭—大别造山带长期处于挤压环境,伸展作用被抑制;白垩纪的碰撞晚期伸展和西太平洋沟弧盆体系的远距离效应使东秦岭—大别地区的外部挤压消失,导致造山带岩石圈迅速强烈拆沉伸展和减压增温熔融,从而形成大规模早白垩世花岗岩类和中酸性火山岩。总之,东秦岭—大别地区岩石圈拆沉所导致的岩浆活动主要发生在J₃—K₁的挤压伸展转变期。     

全球气候变化与塔里木盆地古城绿洲演变关系

我国西部地区地形复杂,气候的地域差异性大.特别是青藏高原的突起给塔里木盆地的环境带来了巨大的变化,导致盆地气温降水的突变.从而使塔里木盆地水流分布状态发生改变,导致盆地中原有的古绿洲的蜕变,进而直接影响到整个人类的发展历史.历史研究表明,塔里木盆地气候服从于全球气候变化,并且与某些人文事件,特别是古城绿洲兴盛与消亡有着十分一致的耦合关系.所以,全球环境变化对古城绿洲发展影响重大.     

A deep seismic sounding profile across the Tianshan Mountains

The deep seismic sounding profile across the Tianshan Mountains revealed a two-layer crustal structure in the Tianshregion, namely the lower and upper crusts. Lateral variations of layer velocity and thickness are evidently shown. Low-velocity layers spread discontinuously at the bottom of the upper crust. The Moho depth is 47 km in the Kuytun area and 50 km in the Xayar area. In the Tianshan Mountains, the Moho becomes deeper with the maximum depth of 62 km around the boundary between the southern and northern Tianshan Mountains. The average velocity ranges from 6.1 to 6.3 km/s in the crust and 8.15 km/s at the top of the upper mantle. Two groups of reliable reflective seismic phases of the Moho (Pm1 and Pm2) are recognized on the shot record section of the Kuytun area. A staked and offset region, 20-30 km long, is displayed within a shot-geophone distance of 190-210 km in Pm1 and Pm2. Calculation shows that the Moho is offset by 10 km in the northern Tianshan region, 62 km deep in the south while 52 km deep in the north, and plunges northwards. In comparison with typical collisional orogenic belts, the structure of the Moho beneath the Tianshan Mountains presents a similar pattern. This can be used to explain the subduction of the Tarim plate towards the Tianshan Mountains. This intracontinental subduction is considered the dynamic mechanism of the Cenozoic uplifting of the Tianshan Mountains. The discovery of seismic phases Pm1 and Pm2 serves as the seismological evidence for the northward subduction of the Tarim plate.     

天水盆地古近纪地层年代及其意义

天水盆地位于青藏高原东北缘六盘山与西秦岭二重要构造带交汇处,该盆地充填的新生代沉积序列记录着该区构造变形历史,因此研究该盆地沉积记录对探讨青藏高原东北缘新生代构造活动事件具有重要意义.通过对天水盆地古近纪砾石层砂质透镜体中碎屑颗粒磷灰石裂变径迹热年代学研究,获得样品地层的最大沉积年龄为24.8士1.5 Ma.结合前人的工作,厘定该套古近纪地层最顶部地层年龄为22～24.8 Ma,并确定天水盆地古近纪沉积物源区在24.8 Ma左右发生了构造冷却事件,推断印度板块与欧亚大陆碰撞的远程效应在古近纪末-新近纪初已传递到青藏高原的最东北缘.     

下扬子地区盆地的"四层楼"结构及其动力学机制

下扬子地区震旦纪以来经历了不同的大地构造与地球动力学背景 ,盆地演化相应地经历了震旦纪—中三叠世海盆→晚三叠世—中侏罗世沿江前陆盆地→晚侏罗世—早白垩世火山岩盆地→晚白垩世—早第三纪陆相伸展盆地。下扬子地区震旦纪—中三叠世海盆发育于伸展性被动大陆边缘。沿江前陆盆地形成于扬子与华北板块碰撞活动中的前陆变形带上。火山岩盆地出现于区域性走滑剪切和环太平洋岩浆弧背景下。库拉—太平洋板块高角度、高速正面向东亚大陆下的俯冲 ,造成了岩石圈上拱拉张 ,从而产生了晚白垩世—早第三纪的陆相伸展盆地。随着西太平洋边缘弧后盆地的出现及印度与欧亚板块的碰撞 ,中国东部遭受近东西向挤压 ,从而结束了下扬子地区的盆地演化历史。     

柴达木盆地中新世中期以来构造的运动学模型

柴达木盆地是位于青藏高原内部的山间盆地,盆地新生代的变形受到两侧山体隆升的主导.通过贯穿盆地地震剖面的精细构造解释和分析,依据生长地层的结构,我们认为自中新世中期以来昆仑山前冲断楔体以平均4.7 mm/a的速度向盆地逆冲,导致盆地南斜坡向昆仑山方向仰冲;这为东昆仑山北麓出露的倾向北向南逆冲的多条断层和盆地南部向南逆冲的断层控制的断层相关褶皱作用所证实.盆地北部祁连山前冲断楔体向盆地方向逆冲,导致盆地北部向北逆冲的断层在地表形成北翼陡、南翼缓的断层相关褶皱背斜,向北逆冲的断层在盆地东部局部位置出露地表.昆仑山前冲断楔体和祁连山前冲断楔体的楔顶已经相向冲断至盆地中部,并造成第四系的变形.     

Tectonic evolution of Tethyan tectonic field, formation of Northern Margin basin and explorative perspective of natural gas in Tarim Basin

 Analyzing the characteristics of the Tethyantectonic field, the authors think that the Tethyan tectonicfield underwent three evolutional stages: closing of Pa-leo-Tethys and rifting of Neo-Tethys from early Permian tolate Triassic, subduction of Neo-Tethys and collision betweenthe Indian plate and the Eurasia plate from Jurassic to earlyof low Tertiary, and collision between the Arab plate and theEurasia plate and the A-type subduction of Indian plate fromlate of low Tertiary to the present. Combining the evolutionof the Tethyan orogenic belt with the characteristics of theNorthern Margin basin, it is suggested that the sedimentaryand tectonic characteristics and types of the Northern Mar-gin basin are controlled by the formation and evolution ofthe Tethyan orogenic belt and the ingression of Tethys. Theevolution of Northern Margin basin can be divided into threedevelopment stages: back-arc foreland basin from late Per-mian to Triassic, the back-arc fault subsidence and depres-sion from Jurassic to the early of low Tertiary, and the reac-tive foreland basin from the late of low Tertiary to the pre-sent. The Northern Margin basin in the Tethyan tectonicfield is an important region for natural gas accumulation,and the Tarim Basin is a part of this region.     

松辽盆地中、新生代构造特征及其演化

松辽盆地发育在大陆内部古生宙－元古宙基底之上，出现在中生代火山岩带的后缘，经历了晚侏罗世地幔上隆、陆壳坳陷，早白垩世大规模岩浆上涌、引张裂陷、晚白垩世盆地挤压、构造反转和新生代较小幅度伸展断陷多阶段的构造演化。研究表明，发生在松辽盆地的从岩石圈伸展减薄到挤压增厚再到拉伸的复杂动力学演化过程是中生代伊泽奈崎大洋岩石圈朝东亚陆缘俯冲－碰撞作用的结果，松辽盆地的形成演化与洋壳运动方向、俯冲角度、俯冲速率的变化、俯冲带位置的迁移、大陆内部对洋壳消减了作用的响应方式等因素密切相关。     

Post-collisional lithosphere delamination of the Dabie-Sulu orogen

The consistence between the first rapid cooling time (226-219 Ma) of the untrahigh pressure metamorphic (UHPM) rocks in the Dabie Mountains and the formation time (205-220 Ma) of the syncollisional granites in the Qinling and Sulu areas suggests that the first rapid cooling and uplift of the UHPM rocks may be related to breakoff of subducted plate. Therefore the second rapid cooling and uplift (180-170 Ma) of the UHPM racks needs a post-collisional lithosphere delamination which resulted in the granitic magmatism with an age of about 170 Ma. In addition, the rapid rising of the Dabie dome in the early Cretaceous (130-110 Ma) and the corresponding large-scale magmatism in the Dabie Mountains need another lithosphere delamination. The geochronology of the post-collis- ional mafic-ultramafic intrusions and geological relationship between the mafic-ultramafic intrusions and granites suggest that partial melting was initiated in the mantle, and then progressively developed in the crust, suggesting a mantle upwelling underneath the Dabie Mountains. The unusual fractional trend of the gabbros characterized by lower SiO2 content (46.24%) corresponding to lower MgO content (4.53%) and their typical geochemistry features of the lower crust suggest underplating of the mantle derived magma and interaction between the magma and lower crust before their intrusion. Lithosphere delamination could be the dynamic cause of the mantle upwelling and underplating. The seismic tomography results of the Dabie Mountains and adjacent areas clearly show lithosphere thinning below the north and south sides of the Dabie Mountains. Because there is no Cenozoic magma event in the Dabie Mountains, the lithosphere thinning may result from delamination of thickened lithosphere mantle after collision. In addition, both the lower velocity zone in the 40 km depth and the basin + dome + basin coupling relationship in the Dabie Mountains also suggest the lithosphere delamination and underplating on the two sides of the orogen.     

The Quaternary fault in Jiamu area,the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

The Quaternary Tailan River fault has been found in the Tianshan foothills area, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is the recent boundary fault of the Tarim Basin coupling with the West Tianshan Mountains. In the light of measurement data of the slip which cuts the Quaternary deposits of different ages, the Quaternary kinematic figures of the Tailan River fault are estimated as follows: crustal shortening 3.7 km and shortening rate 1.59 mm/a, uplift of Tianshan Mountains 1.34 km and uplift rate 0.56 mm/a, and additional relief of 900 m. Considering the contribution of the Gumubiezi anticline close to the south of the Tailan River fault, the Quaternary crustal shortening and shortening rate of the Jiamu area are 4.8 km and 2 mm/a respectively. The above-mentioned data coincide with the crustal shortening rate calculated from the growth strata in the Kuqa area, as well as the GPS measurements in the Lake Issyk area and the Korla-Urumqi area, reflecting the fast thrusting period within the shortening tectonic processes of the rejuvenation foreland basin in front of the southern foothill of the West Tianshan Mountains since Neogene.     

龙门山造山带中生代花岗岩带成因及其构造意义

总结了龙门山造山带印支末 -燕山期花岗岩带地质地球化学特征及演化规律。在探讨其成因及构造意义的基础上 ,将龙门山造山带与传统的 A型与 B型俯冲带的岩浆作用进行了对比 ,指出龙门山造山带的岩浆作用的不同特点是其区别于传统 A型、B型及其他的一些内陆挤压俯冲带的重要证据     

Velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle in the boundary area of the Tianshan Mountains and the Tarim Basin

A portable 3-component broadband digital seismic array was deployed across the Tianshan orogenic belt (TOB) to investigate the lithospheric structure. Based on receiver function analysis of the teleseismic P-wave data, a 2-D S-wave velocity profile of the boundary area of the TOB and the Tarim Basin was obtained at the depths of 0--80 km.Our results reveal a vertical and lateral inhomogeneity in the crust and uppermost mantle. Four velocity interfaces divide the crystalline crust into the upper, middle and lower crust. A low velocity zone is widely observed in the upper-middle crust. The depth of Moho varies between 42 and 52 km. At the north end of the profile the Moho dips northward with a vertical offset of 4--6 km, which implies a subduction front of the Tarim Basin into the TOB. The Moho generally appears as a velocity transitional zone except beneath two stations in the northern Tarim Basin, where the Moho is characterized by a typical velocity discontinuity. The fine velocity structure and the deep contact deformation of the crust and upper most mantle delineate the north-south lithospheric shortening and thickening in the boundary area of the TOB and the Tarim Basin, which would be helpful to constructing the geodynamical model of the intracontinental mountain-basin-coupling system.