Late Oligocene-Early Miocene Thrusting in Southern East Kunlun Mountains, Northern Tibetan Plateau

• Published in: Journal of earth science (Wuhan, China) Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 381 - 390
• Main Author: 吴珍汉 叶培盛 Barosh J Patrick 胡道功 赵文津 吴中海
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) 01.04.2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biogeosciences; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Eocene; Geochemistry; Geology; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Miocene; Morphology; Mountains; Oligocene; Paleocene; Permian; Plate tectonics; Sandstone; Seismology; Stratigraphy; Triassic; 东昆仑山; 东昆仑断裂带; 早中新世; 晚渐新世; 电信公司; 藏北高原; 裂变径迹定年; 逆冲断层; South Kunlun thrust (SKT); thrusting and folding; northern Tibetan plateau; chronological constrain
• ISSN: 1674-487X; 1867-111X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12583-009-0031-2

Southward thrusting occurred in Late Oligocene-Early Miocene in southern East Kunlun （昆仑） Mountains formed the South Kunlun thrust （SKT）. Permian strata and Triassic rocks were thrusted over the Paleocene-Eocene red-beds of Fenghuoshan （风火山） Group and Oligocene brownish red conglomerate and sandstone of Yaxicuo （雅西错） Group along SKT faults, formed tectonic slices, low-angle thrust faults, multi-scaled outliers, and nappe structures in south of Middle Kunlun fault （MKF）. In addition, SKT displacement or shortening is estimated to be -（30-35） km across Dongdatan （东大滩） valley and East Wenquan （温泉） basin. 39Ar-40Ar dating of chlorite of ductile shear zone along front thrust fault indicates that SKT thrusting occurred at 26.5±2.7 Ma, and fission track dating of apatite from mylonitic granite in SKT gives the age 26±2 Ma, corresponding to initial time of rapid uplift of East Kunlun Mountains. Thrust faults and folds of SKT were covered unconformably by Late Miocene lacustrine strata, and major thrusting of SKT ended before 13.5-14.5 Ma according to regional chronological data in northern Tibetan plateau.