Chronology, structures and salt tectonics in the northern Kuqa Depression, NW China: Implications for the Cenozoic uplift of Tian Shan and foreland deformation
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Foreland fold-and-thrust belts (FTBs) are shaped by the coupled influence of surface processes (e.g., erosion, sedimentation) and deep geological processes (e.g., plate rheology, flexure and kinematics) across various timescales. These processes record multiple phases of orogenic evolution and are crucial for understanding the interplay between mountain building and the sedimentary basin filling. In this paper, we conducted an integrated study including magnetostratigraphy of exposed strata, detailed field investigations and interpretations of subsurface seismic profiles in the northern Kuqa Depression. This study aims to elucidate the tectonic uplift of the Tian Shan by examining salt-related structures. The present findings reveal that diapirism in the study area commenced in the early Eocene and continued at least into the late Miocene. Notably, the Tuzimaza diapir has been significantly squeezed due to regional contraction since ∼5.3 Ma. The exposed growth strata were primarily compressional, rather than halokinetic, suggesting the lateral expansion of the Tuzimaza anticline since the latest Miocene (∼5.3 Ma). This expansion was a response to the far-field effects of the Indian-Eurasian collision. We propose that the local activation of the Tian Shan likely initiated in the early Oligocene (∼34 Ma), with three subsequent episodes of deformation occurring ∼24 Ma, ∼10 Ma and ∼ 5.3 Ma. The earlier episodes can be attributed to basement uplift in the northern Kuqa Depression, whereas the later episode starting at ∼5.3 Ma reflects more intensive deformation across the entire foreland, indicative of the steady outward growth of the Tian Shan. Collectively, all these tectonic events have contributed to the formation of the modern Tian Shan.
期刊介绍:
The objective of the journal Global and Planetary Change is to provide a multi-disciplinary overview of the processes taking place in the Earth System and involved in planetary change over time. The journal focuses on records of the past and current state of the earth system, and future scenarios , and their link to global environmental change. Regional or process-oriented studies are welcome if they discuss global implications. Topics include, but are not limited to, changes in the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere, oceans and cryosphere, as well as climate change, sea level variation, observations/modelling of Earth processes from deep to (near-)surface and their coupling, global ecology, biogeography and the resilience/thresholds in ecosystems.
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