Transforming the Miocene Altyn Tagh fault slip into shortening of the north‐western Qilian Shan: insights from the drainage basin geometry

Although it has long been proposed that active crustal shortening within the Qilian Shan accommodates slip along the Altyn Tagh fault, questions regarding the temporal and spatial amount of slip transfer remain debated. Traditional shortening calculations cannot yet be made accurately, because the geology is not known well enough. Following the view that long, linear drainage basins in the north‐western Qilian Shan developed in response to internal shortening associated with slip transfer along the Altyn Tagh fault, we targeted this special irregular drainage basin geometry to develop an alternative way to estimate shortening. We infer a total of ~66 km of shortening in the western Qilian Shan with a north‐eastward decrease in the magnitude of shortening. This ~39% shortening strain is comparable to previous estimates. Estimates of dates of initiation support the view that significant shortening and topographical growth within the north‐western Qilian Shan occurred in post‐Middle Miocene time.     

阿尔金断裂东端破裂生长点的最新构造变形*

阿尔金断裂与祁连山北缘断裂的交汇部位是阿尔金断裂向东扩展的新破裂生长点,两断裂构造与新生的红柳峡断裂构成似三联点构造。破裂生长点附近的最新构造变形表现为:阿尔金断裂的旋转隆升和向北扩展;祁连山北缘断裂的逆冲推覆兼右旋走滑;红柳峡断裂的挤压拖曳弯曲,它们共同受制于青藏高原的强烈隆升和向外扩张作用。推测阿尔金断裂自西而东的破裂扩展就是似三联点构造逐一形成而又被切割贯通的过程。阿尔金断裂以蠕滑活动为主,2002年玉门地震与祁连山北缘逆冲断裂及其伴生的调节断层的活动相关。     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DEFORMATION ALONG THE ALTYN TAGH FAULT ZONE AND UPLIFT OF THE ALTYN MOUNTAIN, NORTHERN TIBET

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DEFORMATION ALONG THE ALTYN TAGH FAULT ZONE AND UPLIFT OF THE ALTYN MOUNTAIN, NORTHERN TIBET     

Delimiting the eastern extent of the Altyn Tagh Fault: Insights from structural analyses of seismic reflection profiles

The Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) serves as a key continental‐scale controlling structural element of the Tibetan Plateau. However, its eastward extent remains controversial. Here we use high‐resolution seismic reflection profiles to investigate the subsurface structures of the easternmost ATF and use these to delimit the easternmost extent of the fault. The structural analyses show an eastward geometric change from transpressional positive flower structures to compressional thrusts, with transpression‐induced shortening magnitudes decreasing eastwards from a maximum of ~5.3 km to being absent. Stratigraphic controls indicate that the deformation took place over the last ~<1.2 Ma. Our wider findings lead us to: (a) reject the suggestion that the ATF previously extended beyond the Kuantan Shan‐Hei Shan to link with the Alxa‐East Mongolia Fault; and (b) propose that the rigid block model used to describe the Tibetan Plateau crust is not consistent with the extent and structural details of the easternmost ATF.     

THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF ALTYN TAGH FAULT SYSTEM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE GROWTH OF TIBETAN PLATEAU

THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF ALTYN TAGH FAULT SYSTEM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE GROWTH OF TIBETAN PLATEAUtheNational(G19980 4 0 80 0 )andthefundofOpeningLaboratoriesofGeomechanics     

阿尔金断裂东段的构造转换模式

大型走滑断裂控制着青藏高原的变形,众多学者通过阿尔金断裂来探索青藏高原北部的构造变形过程。基于野外调查和前人的研究结果可知阿尔金断裂的滑动速率在肃北—疏勒河口段表现为三联点两侧的突降,祁连山西段的逆冲和走滑断裂吸收了阿尔金断裂的左旋位移。由于祁连山内部次级断裂活动性的增强,现存阿尔金断裂连续地表破裂终止于酒泉盆地西侧,但位于其东侧的断裂系仍属于阿尔金断裂。在Kohistan岛弧与欧亚板块碰撞之后,青藏高原沿阿尔金断裂曾发生滑动速率近一致的侧向挤出,断裂两侧此时并未发生明显的隆起。随后东昆仑造山带和祁连山造山带的先后大规模隆升,高原的北东向挤出迅速减弱。阿尔金断裂北东向挤出能力与东昆仑造山带和祁连山造山带的隆起存在明显的耦合作用。     

Lithospheric Electrical Structure across the Eastern Segment of the Altyn Tagh Fault on the Northern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Project INDEPTH (InterNational DEep Profiling of Tibet and the Himalaya) is an interdisciplinary program designed to develop a better understanding of deep structures and mechanics of the Tibetan Plateau. As a component of magnetotelluric (MT) work in the 4th phase of the project, MT data were collected along a profile that crosses the eastern segment of the Altyn Tagh fault on the northern margin of the plateau. Time series data processing used robust algorithms to give high quality responses. Dimensionality analysis showed that 2D approach is only valid for the northern section of the profile. Consequently, 2D inversions were only conducted for the northern section, and 3D inversions were conducted on MT data from the whole profile. From the 2D inversion model, the eastern segment of the Altyn Tagh fault only appears as a crustal structure, which suggests accommodation of strike slip motion along the Altyn Tagh fault by thrusting within the Qilian block. A large-scale off-profile conductor within the mid-lower crust of the Qilian block was revealed from the 3D inversion model, which is probably correlated with the North Qaidam thrust belt. Furthermore, the unconnected conductors from the 3D inversion model indicate that deformations in the study area are generally localized.     

新生代柴达木盆地与周缘造山带的构造耦合

新生代以来,中国西部的一系列古老造山带和盆地在印-亚板块汇聚作用下重新复活,在青藏高原外围形成了现今全球最大的陆内挤压构造域,被称为环青藏高原盆山体系,其形成过程与机制对深入认识陆-陆碰撞如何影响大陆内部变形有重要意义。柴达木盆地是中国西部重要的新生代沉积盆地,四周均被巨型造山带所围限,共同构成了环青藏高原盆山体系北东段的主体。本文利用最新的石油地震勘探数据、地表地质和已发表的深反射地震数据,将上地壳变形与岩石圈深部变形有机结合,系统刻画了柴达木盆地与周缘三大造山带之间岩石圈尺度的构造耦合关系,在此基础上探讨环青藏高原盆山体系北东段的盆山汇聚过程与机制。柴达木盆地与南侧祁曼塔格—东昆仑山、北东侧南祁连山之间在上地壳尺度发育一系列倾向造山带的基底卷入高角度逆断裂体系,自新生代早期就开始活动,以垂直的基底抬升为主,水平缩短量有限;在下地壳和岩石圈地幔深度则发育倾向盆地一侧的深大断裂,使得柴达木盆地与周缘造山带之间发生截然的莫霍面错断。这些变形特征揭示柴达木盆地与南侧祁曼塔格—东昆仑山、北东侧南祁连山之间发育岩石圈尺度的构造楔,即盆地的岩石圈楔入至增厚的造山带下地壳,其发育主要受盆地与造山带...     

阿尔金断裂晚新生代左旋走滑位错的地质新证据

通过对沿阿尔金断裂中段 (位于东经 88°至 92°)发育的晚第三纪走滑盆地沉积历史和走滑变形过程的野外观测以及对第四纪索尔库里盆地形成和演化过程的沉积环境复原的分析 ,提出了阿尔金断裂中段晚新生代左旋走滑位错的地质新证据。研究表明 ,晚第三纪走滑盆地经历了中新世晚期至上新世早期斜张走滑拉分和上新世晚期以来左旋错动的演化过程 ,沉积体沿断裂的错位分布特征指示至少发生了 80 km的左旋走滑位错。发育于阿尔金山链内部的索尔库里盆地起源于晚第三纪早期强烈的侵蚀作用 ,成为柴达木盆地快速沉积的主要物源区。该侵蚀盆地于中晚更新世闭合并演化成一个独立的沉积盆地。通过侵蚀盆地外流通道的复原指示阿尔金断裂自晚第三纪以来累积了 80～ 1 0 0 km的左旋位错。在此基础上 ,结合穿越断裂构造的 级区域水系形成的洪积裙宽度和主干河道沿断裂迹线的拐折长度 ,探讨了阿尔金断裂晚新生代左旋走滑位错量沿走向分布的特征 ,估算了左旋走滑速率     

Active faults and magnitudes of left-lateral displacement along the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

The northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (NMTP) is a major intracontinental Cenozoic transpressional zone that comprises a series of active strike-slip faults and thrust faults. It is important to document cumulative horizontal displacements along the NMTP in order to understand quantitatively strain partitioning in East Asia since the India–Eurasia collision. Based on an analysis of horizontal slip along major active faults, the total amount of horizontal displacements is estimated up to 700 km between the Tibetan Plateau and the Tarim Basin since the convergence of India and Eurasia. Along the western and middle segment of the Altyn Tagh fault to the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, there are abundant evidence that show that the net displacement is 400 km since 40–35 Ma, and along the Shulenan Shan and southeast of middle Qilian Shan since 25–17 Ma, the amount of offset is 150 km. The largest horizontal slip in Qilian Shan–Hexi Corridor to the northeast of the Altyn Tagh fault is also 150 km since late Oligocene to early Miocene. It decreases to only 60 km along the Haiyuan fault (since late Miocene) and to 25 km along the Zhongwei–Tongxin fault since the Pliocene (about 5.3–3.4 Ma), at the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau. This clearly implies northeastward diminishing of the total horizontal displacement and temporal getting younger of the fault slip along the NMTP. However, this tendency is very complicated at different times and different segments as a result of the uplift, growth and rotation of different segments of the NMTP at different stages during the convergence of India and Eurasia.     

甘肃疏勒河冲积扇发育特征及其对构造活动的响应

甘肃疏勒河冲积扇是面积达2400km²的一个巨型冲积扇,位于青藏高原北缘阿尔金断裂带东端。区域构造上该扇发育在阿尔金主断裂、三危山断裂和南截山断裂组成的阿尔金断裂带左旋走滑构造域。根据野外调查获得的沉积层序、地貌形态和构造变形等资料,该冲积扇可划分为老冲积扇和新冲积扇。老冲积扇扇顶紧靠阿尔金主断裂,由已显著构造变形的早更新统玉门砾岩组成;新冲积扇是在老冲积扇基础上发育的,扇顶已向下游移动到大坝附近,距阿尔金主断裂4km,主要由中更新统酒泉砾石和晚更新统戈壁砾石组成。疏勒河冲积扇发育对区域构造活动的响应主要表现为:1)在第四纪早期,阿尔金断裂的左旋走滑兼逆冲运动,导致了由玉门砾岩组成的疏勒河老冲积扇扇头被左旋错动约8km,同时扇体,尤其扇头明显褶皱隆升,扇顶向山外移动;2)此后随着阿尔金断裂继续作左旋走滑兼逆冲运动,老冲积扇扇头又被左旋错动了约2km,总共左旋位移了约10km,并且扇顶下移了约4km,形成新的冲积扇;3)在冲积扇内从早更新世至晚更新世沉积中心不断向下游移动,呈现向下游超覆沉积的特征,这也一定程度上反映了祁连山隆升、向外扩展和侵蚀作用显著     

Study on the Seismic Source Mechanisms of the Tibetan Plateau

STUDY ON THE SEISMIC SOURCE MECHANISMS OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU     

走滑断裂对超高压变质岩石折返的贡献及青藏高原北部白垩纪隆升之新思考

青藏高原已识别出柴北缘、南阿尔金和高喜马拉雅三条超高压变质带。这些超高压变质带提供了一个不可多得的研究超高压变质岩石形成和折返的机会。柴北缘超高压变质带位于阿尔金断裂的东边,是柴达木—东昆仑地体与祁连—阿尔金微地体和阿拉善—敦煌地体碰撞的产物,由榴辉岩、石榴石橄榄岩和含柯石英片麻岩组成,榴辉岩形成时代500~440Ma,峰期超高压变质年龄440Ma。南阿尔金超高压变质带位于阿尔金断裂带的西边,以产出榴辉岩和石榴石橄榄岩为特征,榴辉岩形成时代为500Ma。南阿尔金超高压变质带被认为是柴北缘超高压变质带的西延,两者被阿尔金断裂左旋位移约400km。阿尔金断裂是巨大的深度>200km的岩石圈走滑断裂,断裂的活动时代至少早到240~220Ma,认为走滑过程中伴随的隆升作用有可能为柴北缘和南阿尔金超高压变质岩石的折返和出露地表做出了贡献,其中阿尔金断裂起到了类似剪刀型断裂的作用。高喜马拉雅超高压变质带在巴基斯坦和印度被发现,以榴辉岩中含柯石英或金刚石为特征,榴辉岩的超高压变质年龄为46Ma,表明超高压变质岩石发生在雅鲁藏布江缝合线关闭后并快速折返。喀喇昆仑断裂走滑过程中伴随的抬升作用则可能对高喜马拉雅地区超高压变质岩石的折返和出露地表做出贡献。在中国东部出露的大别—苏鲁超高压变质带被巨大郯庐断裂左旋走滑位移约500km,可以看作是走滑作用伴随的抬升运动对超高压变质岩石的最后折返和出露地表做出重要贡献的又一例证。青藏高原的隆升通常被认为是印度板块和欧亚大陆新生代以来的碰撞结果。根据高原北部断裂的时代、火山活动和沉积盆地的形成,我们提出高原的隆升是两次俯冲碰撞的结果。第一次发生在中特提斯班公湖-怒江洋盆在白垩纪时期的关闭,其时由于北部来自塔里木盆地和北中国板块及东部来自太平洋板块俯冲产生的抵柱效应,高原北部开始隆升;第二次发生在印度板块的新生代俯冲碰撞作用,造成高原的整体抬升,由此可以解释高原北部平均海拔(5000m)要高于高原南部(平均海拔4000m)。     

THE ALTUN—NORTH QAIDAM ECLOGITE BELT IN WESTERN CHINA—ANOTHER HP-UHP METAMORPHIC BELT TRUNCATED BY LARGE SCALE STRIKE-SLIP FAULT IN CHINA

THE ALTUN—NORTH QAIDAM ECLOGITE BELT IN WESTERN CHINA—ANOTHER HP-UHP METAMORPHIC BELT TRUNCATED BY LARGE SCALE STRIKE-SLIP FAULT IN CHINA     

Initiation and Long-Term Slip History of the Altyn Tagh Fault

New Tertiary piercing points along the eastern and central Altyn Tagh fault, the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau, allow construction of the first well-defined time-displacement curve for the fault. Displacement-history analysis indicates: (1) late Oligocene-earliest Miocene inception of the Altyn Tagh fault; (2) 375 ± 25 km of total left-lateral slip on the eastern and central segment of the Altyn Tagh fault; and (3) an average long-term Cenozoic slip rate of approximately 12-16 mm/year. These results demonstrate that Himalayan deformation propagated well into the interior of Asia by early Miocene time and that a significant amount of India-Asia convergence was accommodated by sinistral slip on the Altyn Tagh fault.     

A strike‐slip core complex from the Najd fault system,Arabian shield

Metamorphic core complexes are usually thought to be associated with regional crustal extension and crustal thinning, where deep crustal material is exhumed along gently dipping normal shear zones oblique to the regional extension direction. We present a new mechanism whereby metamorphic core complexes can be exhumed along crustal‐scale strike‐slip fault systems that accommodated crustal shortening. The Qazaz metamorphic dome in Saudi Arabia was exhumed along a gently dipping jog in a crustal‐scale vertical strike‐slip fault zone that caused more than 25 km of exhumation of lower crustal rocks by 30 km of lateral motion. Subsequently, the complex was transected by a branch of the strike‐slip fault zone, and the segments were separated by another 30 km of lateral motion. Strike‐slip core complexes like the Qazaz Dome may be common and may have an important local effect on crustal strength.     

NORMAL-SLIP ALONG THE NORTHERN ALTYN TAGH FAULT, NORTH TIBET

NORMAL-SLIP ALONG THE NORTHERN ALTYN TAGH FAULT, NORTH TIBET     

阿尔金断裂带新生代活动在柴达木盆地中的响应

阿尔金断裂新生代以来发生多期次的走滑运动,并伴随强烈的隆升作用,进而影响柴达木盆地新生代的构造演化。本文通过遥感卫星影像解译、地震反射剖面解释、区域地层分析,结合野外考察资料对阿尔金断裂新生代活动在柴达木盆地中的响应进行了研究。对柴达木盆地卫星影像的解译发现盆地中褶皱形态指示了近东西走向的褶皱构造带与近南北走向的褶皱构造带的叠加干涉效应,其中近东西向褶皱构造带是在印度/欧亚板块碰撞作用下青藏高原隆升并向北东扩展过程的响应,近南北向褶皱构造带是阿尔金断裂新生代活动的响应。对NW-SE向穿过阿尔金山-柴达木盆地的盆山结合带地震反射剖面的再解释,发现新生代地层中发育的多层生长地层,记录了阿尔金断裂新生代活动的信息。对盆地中新生代地层分布等厚图褶皱干涉样式的分析表明,上油砂山组沉积时期(14.9Ma)阿尔金断裂活动已经明显影响到柴达木盆地,而狮子沟组沉积时期(8.2~2.6Ma)断裂活动对柴达木盆地改造最强。通过对研究区已有的低温热年代学数据和沉积、构造、磁性地层年代学等方面研究成果的总结和分析,认为阿尔金断裂在新生代至少存在三期(~30Ma,~8Ma、~2.6Ma)强烈的构造活动和隆升作用,在柴达木盆地内表现为相应地质时代沉积速率的加快、沉积物岩性的变化、构造地貌的变形和同构造生长地层的出现。其中后两期(~8Ma、~2.6Ma)构造活动在整个青藏高原及周边地区广泛存在,为准同期构造事件,而月牙山地区地震地表破裂带的发现则表明阿尔金断裂带现在仍在强烈活动,并且直接影响到了柴达木盆地。阿尔金断裂带新生代以来的构造活动具有多期性,并影响和改造了柴达木盆地,可能对油气成藏有重要影响。     

Late Quaternary Tectonic Deformation of the Eastern End of the Altyn Tagh Fault

The Quaternary activity of the faults at the eastern end of the Altyn Tagh fault, including the Dengdengshan–Chijiaciwo, Kuantanshan and Heishan faults, was studied on the basis of interpretation of satellite images, trenching, geomorphologic offset measurements and dating. The Altyn Tagh fault has extended eastwards to Kuantanshan Mountain. The left–slip rates of the Altyn Tagh fault decreased through the Qilianshan fault and were transformed into thrust and folds deformation of many NW–trending faults within the Jiuxi basin. Meanwhile, under NE–directed compression of the Tibetan plateau, thrust dominated the Dengdengshan–Chijiaciwo fault northeast of the Kuantanshan uplift with a rate lower than that of every fault in the Jiuxi basin south of the uplift, implying that tectonic deformation is mainly confined to the plateau interior and the Hexi Corridor area. From continual northeastward enlargement of the Altyn Tagh fault, the Kuantanshan uplift became a triangular wedge intruding to the east, while the Kuantanshan area at the end of this wedge rose up strongly. In future, the Altyn Tagh fault will continue to spread eastward along the Heishan and Jintananshan faults. The results have implications for understanding the propagation of crustal deformation and the mechanism of the India–Eurasian collision.     

LARGEST ALTYN TAGH LITHOSPHERIC SHEAR FAULT IN CENTRAL ASIA

LARGEST ALTYN TAGH LITHOSPHERIC SHEAR FAULT IN CENTRAL ASIA