The western segment of the East Kunlun Mountains is one of the poorly studied regions in northwestern China. Through a structural analysis of the typical sections, we have the following views: (1) There is a very well...The western segment of the East Kunlun Mountains is one of the poorly studied regions in northwestern China. Through a structural analysis of the typical sections, we have the following views: (1) There is a very well developed fault system in the western segment of the East Kunlun Mountains and thrust propagation, normal slip and decoupling are the chief deformation events in this area. (2) Although the thrusting started in the Late Carboniferous and Late Triassic-Early Jurassic, strong activity took place in the Miocene-Quaternary when the Kumkol basin was strongly downwarped. (3) The tectonic pattern of coexistence of N-directed thrust propagation and S-directed normal slip in this area is consistent with the general tectonic pattern of the northern Qinghai-Tibet plateau and also very similar to that of the Himalayan region on the southern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, but their directions between the thrust propagation are opposite and all the strong thrust propagations occurred from the Miocene-Pliocene to Quaternary, a period featuring strong collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate and abrupt uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. This oppositely directed thrust propagation and normal slip reveal such kinematic characteristics as symmetric propagations of deep-seated materials towards the north and south beneath the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and gravitational sliding of superficial materials towards the interior of the plateau. Therefore, the establishment of the fault system in the study area may provide an approach to the study of deep processes of the northern Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the construction of a unified geodynamic model for the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.展开更多
Analysis of the deformation structures in the West Kunlun-Tarim basin-range junction belt indicates that sediments in the southwestern Tarim depression were mainly derived from the West Kunlun Mountains and that with ...Analysis of the deformation structures in the West Kunlun-Tarim basin-range junction belt indicates that sediments in the southwestern Tarim depression were mainly derived from the West Kunlun Mountains and that with time the region of sedimentation extended progressivdy toward the north. Three north-underthrusting （subducting）, steep-dipping, high-velocity zones （bodies） are recognized at depths, which correspond to the central West Kunlun junction belt （bounded by the Kiida-Kaxtax fault on the north and Bulungkol-Kangxiwar fault on the south）, Quanshuigou fault belt （whose eastward extension is the Jinshajiang fault belt） and Bangong Co-Nujiang fault belt. The geodynamic process of the basin-range junction belt generally proceeded as follows： centering around the magma source region （which largely corresponds with the Karatag terrane at the surface）, the deep-seated material flowed and extended from below upward and to all sides, resulting in strong deformation （mainly extension） in the overlying lithosphere and even the upper mantle, appearance of extensional stress perpendicular to the strike of the orogenic belt in the thermal uplift region or at the top of the mantle diapir and localized thickening of the sedimentary cover （thermal subsidence in the upper crust）. Three stages of the basin- and mountain-forming processes in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin may be summarized： （1） the stage of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rampingrapid uplift and rapid subsidence, when north-directed thrust propagation and south-directed intracontinental subduction, was the dominant mechanism for basin- and mountain-building processes; （2） the stage of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene deep-level detachment-slow uplift and homogeneous subsidence, when the dominant mechanism for the basin- and mountain-forming processes was detachment （subhorizontal north-directed deep-level ductile shear） and its resulting lateral propagation of deep material; and （3） the stage of Neogene-present compression-rapid uplift and strong subsidence, when the basin- and mountain-forming processes were simultaneously controlled by north-vergent thrust propagation and compression. The authors summarize the processes as the “ramping-detachment-compression basin- and mountain-forming dynamic model”. The basin-range tectonics was initiated in the Late Jurassic, the Miocene-Pliocene were a major transition period for the basin- and mountain-forming mechanism and the terminal early Pleistocene tectonic movement in the main laid a foundation for the basin-and-mountain tectonic framework in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin.展开更多
文摘The western segment of the East Kunlun Mountains is one of the poorly studied regions in northwestern China. Through a structural analysis of the typical sections, we have the following views: (1) There is a very well developed fault system in the western segment of the East Kunlun Mountains and thrust propagation, normal slip and decoupling are the chief deformation events in this area. (2) Although the thrusting started in the Late Carboniferous and Late Triassic-Early Jurassic, strong activity took place in the Miocene-Quaternary when the Kumkol basin was strongly downwarped. (3) The tectonic pattern of coexistence of N-directed thrust propagation and S-directed normal slip in this area is consistent with the general tectonic pattern of the northern Qinghai-Tibet plateau and also very similar to that of the Himalayan region on the southern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, but their directions between the thrust propagation are opposite and all the strong thrust propagations occurred from the Miocene-Pliocene to Quaternary, a period featuring strong collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate and abrupt uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. This oppositely directed thrust propagation and normal slip reveal such kinematic characteristics as symmetric propagations of deep-seated materials towards the north and south beneath the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and gravitational sliding of superficial materials towards the interior of the plateau. Therefore, the establishment of the fault system in the study area may provide an approach to the study of deep processes of the northern Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the construction of a unified geodynamic model for the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.
文摘Analysis of the deformation structures in the West Kunlun-Tarim basin-range junction belt indicates that sediments in the southwestern Tarim depression were mainly derived from the West Kunlun Mountains and that with time the region of sedimentation extended progressivdy toward the north. Three north-underthrusting （subducting）, steep-dipping, high-velocity zones （bodies） are recognized at depths, which correspond to the central West Kunlun junction belt （bounded by the Kiida-Kaxtax fault on the north and Bulungkol-Kangxiwar fault on the south）, Quanshuigou fault belt （whose eastward extension is the Jinshajiang fault belt） and Bangong Co-Nujiang fault belt. The geodynamic process of the basin-range junction belt generally proceeded as follows： centering around the magma source region （which largely corresponds with the Karatag terrane at the surface）, the deep-seated material flowed and extended from below upward and to all sides, resulting in strong deformation （mainly extension） in the overlying lithosphere and even the upper mantle, appearance of extensional stress perpendicular to the strike of the orogenic belt in the thermal uplift region or at the top of the mantle diapir and localized thickening of the sedimentary cover （thermal subsidence in the upper crust）. Three stages of the basin- and mountain-forming processes in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin may be summarized： （1） the stage of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rampingrapid uplift and rapid subsidence, when north-directed thrust propagation and south-directed intracontinental subduction, was the dominant mechanism for basin- and mountain-building processes; （2） the stage of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene deep-level detachment-slow uplift and homogeneous subsidence, when the dominant mechanism for the basin- and mountain-forming processes was detachment （subhorizontal north-directed deep-level ductile shear） and its resulting lateral propagation of deep material; and （3） the stage of Neogene-present compression-rapid uplift and strong subsidence, when the basin- and mountain-forming processes were simultaneously controlled by north-vergent thrust propagation and compression. The authors summarize the processes as the “ramping-detachment-compression basin- and mountain-forming dynamic model”. The basin-range tectonics was initiated in the Late Jurassic, the Miocene-Pliocene were a major transition period for the basin- and mountain-forming mechanism and the terminal early Pleistocene tectonic movement in the main laid a foundation for the basin-and-mountain tectonic framework in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin.
