Early tectonic uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau

The Hexi Corridor is the northmost foreland basin of the Tibetan Plateau and its formation is controlled by the northern marginal fault of Tibet, Altyn Tagh Fault （ATF）-North Qilian Shan marginal Fault （NQF）, and the southern Kuantan Shan-Longshou Shan Fault （KLF）. So its study is important to understanding the mechanism of Tibet formation and its influence on global climate change. The oldest Cenozoic sediments in the Corridor is the Huoshaogou Formation which consists of terrigenous fine conglomerate, sandstone, sandy mudstone and mudstone, depositing in al- luvial to lacustrine and fan delta sedimentary environments. Detailed paleomagnetic measurements of this sequence at Yumen clearly reveal eleven pairs of normal and reversed polarities. Fossil mammals found around the section support that most of the observed polarities can be well correlated with chrons between 13n and 18r of the standard geomagnetic polarity time scale, yielding ages of 40.2-33.35 Ma. The mean declinations of this sequence and its immediately above stratigraphy indicate an 18.3° rapid clockwise rotation of the Hexi Corridor. Since this sequence has been strongly folded and is capped by an angular unconformity, we think that the presence of the thick alluvial fan conglomeration at the bottom of the foreland basin may indicate the initial deformation and uplift of the northern Qilian Shan. This process could occur at latest at 40.2 Ma, driven by the faults NQF and KLF that thrust onto the Hexi corridor respectively from its southern and northern margins. These faults are in an early response to the collision of India with Asia, while the unconformable termination and rotation of the Huoshaogou Formation at -33.35 Ma indicate other early episode of rapid tectonic deformation and uplift of the northern Tibet.     

1.2～0.6MaBP青藏高原的隆升与东亚地表各圈层的相互作用

结合近年来黄土、河流阶地、冰冻圈、沙漠、植被等地表各个圈层在1.2～0.6 MaBP青藏高原构造隆升期间环境变化的最新研究成果,综合论述了在此期间青藏高原的隆升对地表其他各个圈层的影响.研究表明:1.2～0.6 MaBP期间,青藏高原的隆升对东亚地表环境产生了重大影响,中国内陆主要沙漠(主要是西部沙区的沙漠)在这一时期形成并极端扩张;黄土在祁连山、昆仑山、天山等高山山前和西秦岭等地开始大范围地堆积;以昆仑山和念青唐古拉山为代表的西部高山开始了冰冻圈的发育,各地植被变化都不同程度地反映了环境的逐步干旱化.结合这些研究,提出了1.2～0.6 MaBP期间东亚地表圈层间相互作用的简单模式,并探讨了青藏高原隆升与地表圈层变化之间的内在耦合.     

青藏高原东北缘临夏盆地王家山地区沉积环境分析与构造隆升

通过对青藏高原东北缘临夏盆地王家山地区新生代地层沉积相研究,划分出7个沉积旋回;盆地沉积与高原隆升的响应关系揭示出高原29Ma以来先后经历了初期隆升至稳定阶段(29．0—21．4Ma)、中期随升至稳定阶段(21．4—6．25Ma)、后期逐步隆升阶段(6．25—3．58Ma)和晚期急剧强烈隆升阶段(3．58—0Ma),可见青藏高原的隆升是一个多阶段、不等速和非均变的复杂过程．     

青藏高原隆升及其环境效应研究综述

青藏高原及其隆升对全球尤其是我国自然环境影响十分深刻,它也是当前全球地球科学界研究的热点.文章简述了青藏高原研究的历程,介绍了高原隆升机制的几种观点,并对高原隆升的环境效应作了较详细的阐述.最后对高原隆升及其环境效应研究的新近进展作了简要概述.     

The Tibetan Plateau as the engine for Asian environmental change:the Tibetan Plateau Earth system research into a new era

The Tibetan Plateau(TP),as the world's highest plateau,has almost all the key elements of the entire Earth system,including interconnected lithosphere,atmospher...     

Fossil evidence reveals uplift of the central Tibetan Plateau and differentiated ecosystems during the Late Oligocene

The uplift of different parts of the Tibetan Plateau caused by the collision,subduction and thickening of the Indian-Eurasian conti-nent is considered to be the...     

Evolution of the East Asian monsoon and its response to uplift of the Tibetan Plateau since 1.8 Ma recorded by major elements in sediments of the South China Sea

Evolution of the East Asian monsoon and its response to uplift of the Tibetan Plateau has been investigated in the study of global change. Core sediment samples drilled in the South China Sea during ODP Leg184 are the best materials for studying long-term variability of the East Asian monsoon. R-mode factor analysis of major elements in the fine grain-sized carbonate-free sediments (<4 μm) of the upper 185 mcd splice of ODP Site 1146 drilled during Leg184 in the South China Sea shows that Ti, TFe2O3, MgO, K2O, P, CaO, and Al2O3 are representative of a terrestrial factor. The variation in the terrestrial factor score is subject to chemical erosion in the source region and thus indicates the evolution of the East Asian summer monsoon. The terrestrial factor score has three stepwise decreases at ~1.3 Ma, ~0.9 Ma, and ~0.6 Ma, indicating the phased weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon is related to wholly stepwise, quick uplifts of the Tibetan Plateau since 1.8 Ma. The periodic fluctuation of the terrestrial factor score since ~0.6 Ma indicates that the glacial-interglacial cycles have been the main force driving the evolution of the East Asian monsoon. As in the case of Chinese loess, the long-term evolution of the East Asian monsoon recorded in sediments of the South China Sea reflects a coupled effect of the glacial-interglacial cycle and uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.     

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.     

平衡剖面反映的柴西新生代变形对青藏高原隆升的响应

柴达木盆地为一中新生代盆地,位于青藏高原北缘,盆内中新生代地层发育很好地记录了印度一欧亚板块自约55Ma以来碰撞传到高原北缘的地质事件.在最新的高精度磁性地层绝对年代控制下,通过盆内西部五条北东-南西向地震大剖面,用平衡剖面方法恢复了新生代以来盆地因两大板块碰撞而引起的地壳收敛缩短量.结果显示:在宏观上柴西地区存在两个相对快速收缩期:早始新世-渐新世和晚中新世或上新世-现今(E_(1+2)末-N_1,43.80～22.00Ma和N~2_2或N_2~3-现今,8.20或2.65～0Ma)和两个相对较弱收缩期:中生代末-早始新世和渐新世-晚中新世(M_z-E_(1+2)初期,65.00～43.80Ma和N_1末-N~2_2,22.00～2.65Ma)以及两个主要的断裂活动期次,早期路乐河组末-下干柴沟组上段时期(E_(1+2)-E_3~2)和晚期上油砂山组至今(N~2_2-Q).在微观上,盆地内部受自身断裂活动的控制,发育了独特的形态.表明在印欧板块碰撞高原隆升的早期,柴西地区就开始变形响应,随后盆地在整个新生代发展过程中,都处于板块碰撞高原隆升的大环境影响下而发生整体的变形缩短,同时自身的断裂活动控制了盆地的微观形态.     

Origin of middle Miocene leucogranites and rhyolites on the Tibetan Plateau: Constraints on the timing of crustal thickening and uplift of its northern boundary

Leucogranites play a significant role in understanding crustal thickening, melting within continental collisional belts, and plateau uplift. Field investigations show that Miocene igneous rocks from the Hoh Xil Lake area mainly consist of two-mica leucogranites and rhyolites. We studied the Bukadaban two-mica leucogranites and the Kekao Lake, Malanshan and Hudongliang rhyolites by zircon U-Pb, muscovite and sanidine 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, and whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic analysis. Results yielded crystallization and cooling ages for the Bukadaban leucogranites of 9.7±0.2 and 6.88±0.19 Ma, respectively. Extrusive ages of the Kekao Lake and Malanshan rhyolites are 14.5±0.8 and 9.37±0.30 Ma, respectively. All rocks are enriched in SiO2 (70.99%-73.59%), Al2O3 (14.39%-15.25%) and K2O (3.78%-5.50%) but depleted in Fe2O3 (0.58%-1.56%), MgO (0.11%- 0.44%) and CaO (0.59%-1.19%). The rocks are strongly peraluminous (A/CNK=1.11?1.21) S-type granites characterized by negative Eu anomalies (δ Eu=0.18-0.39). In also considering their Sr-Nd isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sri=0.7124 to 0.7143; δ Nd (9 Ma) =-5.5 to -7.1), we propose that these igneous rocks were generated through dehydration melting of muscovite in the thickened middle or lower crust of northern Tibet. Melting was probably triggered by localized E-W stretching decompression in the horse tails of Kunlun sinistral strike-slip faults. Reactivation of the Kunlun strike-slip faults, accompanied by emplacement of leucogranite and eruption of rhyolite in the Hoh Xil Lake area, indicates that large-scale crustal shortening and thickening in northern Tibet mainly occurred before 15 Ma. In addition, these findings suggest that the northern Tibetan Plateau attained its present elevation (~5000 m) at least 15 Ma ago.     

Modeling the climate effects of different subregional uplifts within the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau on Asian summer monsoon evolution

Considering the different uplifting time of different subregions of the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau(TP),a series of numerical simulations have been conducted with the Community Atmosphere Model(CAM4) developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research to explore the effects of the phased tectonic uplift of the Himalaya-TP on the evolution of Asian summer monsoons.The results show that the uplifts of the Himalaya and northern TP significantly affect the evolutions of South Asian summer monsoon and northern East Asian summer monsoon respectively.That is,the tectonic uplift of the Himalaya intensifies the South Asian summer monsoon circulation and increases the precipitation in South Asia,whereas the uplift of the northern TP intensifies the northern East Asian summer monsoon circulation and increases the precipitation in northern East Asia.Compared with previous simulations,current comparative analyses of modeling results for different subregional uplifts within the Himalaya-TP help deepen our understanding of the evolutionary history of Asian monsoons.     

青藏高原隆升影响东亚副热带西风急流的数值试验

利用p-σ九层区域气候模式进行高原隆升对东亚副热带西风急流影响的敏感性试验,分析高原隆升过程中西风急流垂直结构和水平结构的变化,并对其变化的原因进行初步分析.数值试验结果表明,在西风急流垂直结构上,高原隆升后冬季沿90°E高原南侧由低层到高层西风增强,沿115°E经圈在35°N以南中高层西风增强,35°N以北中高层西风减弱,夏季沿90°E高原南侧中高层东风明显减弱,沿140°E在35°N以南中高层西风增强,35°N以北中高层西风减弱.在西风急流水平结构上,冬季沿40°N从100°E到120°E一带200 hPa西风风速显著减弱,而孟加拉湾至华南至日本南部海上一带200 hPa西风风速则显著增强;夏季沿42°N从120°E到150°E一带200 hPa西风风速显著减弱,而沿25°N从120°E到150°E一带200 hpa西风风速则显著增强.冬季高原冷源作用加强和日本西南海上潜热增加所导致东亚500至200 hPa平均温度发生变化以及高原隆起后对西风急流绕流作用的增强共同导致东亚西风急流发生变化,夏季则是高原热源作用加强以及朝鲜半岛和日本西南海上潜热减少导致东亚500至200 hPa平均温度发生变化,进而导致东亚西风急流发生变化.此外,无论冬季还是夏季,对流层中上层温度变化及其所导致的200 hPa风速变化均是在从高原隆升高度为现在高度的1/4至1/2期间变化最为显著.     

青藏高原内部地震活动研究

文章对国际地震中心陨杂悦（International Seismological Centre）和美国地质调查所震中初定报告孕阅耘（The Preliminary Determination of Epicentres Bulletin）提供的地震数据资料,以及西藏大学地震台网收集的地震数据资料进行分析研究。结果显示,青藏高原属于地质构造与地震活动极为活跃的区域,自1900年以来曾发生过3780次以上地震;青藏高原内部的地震绝大部分都属于浅源地震（源深度小于50km）,以拉萨为中心的周边地区属浅源地震的高频率发震区。     

Spatial differences in rock uplift rates inferred from channel steepness indices along the northern flank of the Qilian Mountain, northeast Tibetan Plateau

The rate and distribution of deformation along the Qilian Mountain, on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, is needed to understand the evolution of high topography associated with the plateau. Recently, a number of empirical studies have provided support for the contention, common to most models of fluvial incision, that rock uplift rate exerts a first-order control on the gradient of longitudinal river profiles. Along the northern Qilian Mountain, this method is used to extract information about the spatial patterns of differential rock uplift. Analysis of the longitudinal profiles of bedrock channels reveals systematic differences in the channel steepness index along the trend of the frontal ranges. Local comparisons of channel steepness reveal that lithology and precipitation have limited influence on channel steepness. Similarly, there is little evidence suggesting that channel steepness is influenced by differences in the sediment loads. We argue that the distribution of channel steepness in the Qilian Mountain is mostly the result of differential rates of rock uplift. Thus, channel steepness indices reveal a lower rock uplift rate in the eastern portion of the Qilian Mountain and a higher rate in the middle and west. The highest rates appear to occur in the middle-west portions of the range, just to the west of the Yumu Shan.     

青藏高原地面抬升证据讨论

当前学术界在青藏高原地面何时达到现代高度问题上存在着许多不同观点,概括起来主要有３种：１４Ｍａ前已达到高于现代的最大高度,８Ｍａ前已达到或超过现代高度,距今３．４Ｍａ来分阶中强烈上升并逐步达到现代高度,之所以出现如此大的意见分歧,除高原面积广阔,研究程度不深和覆盖面不够的原因外,不同研究者所使用研究方法和证据的差异也是重要因素,在分析了各种证据对高原地面上升的记录机理后,我们认为夷平面、河流附地,     

Stability of alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai- Tibetan Plateau

THE QINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION AND REGIONAL MONSOON CLIMATE, WHICH HAS GREAT INFLUENCE ON THE REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CLIMATE. THUS, THE CHANGE OF THE QINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU ECOSYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT …     

In-situ water quality investigation of the lakes on the Tibetan Plateau

The lakes on the Tibetan Plateau(TP)account for 57％ of the total lake area in China[1],which is a key component of the Asia water tower[2-4].A recent study show...     

A 1.5 Ma sporopollen record of paleoecologic environment evolution in the central Chinese Loess Plateau

A 1.5 Ma sporopollen record was obtained from a continuous loess-paleosol sequence at Chaona in the central Chinese Loess Plateau. It shows that (1) arid herbs of largely Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae and arbors of mainly Pinus, Betula and Quercus dominate loess and paleosol, respectively, reflecting cycles of cold-dry and warm-humid conditions of glaciation and interglaciation; (2) that similar vegetation pattern and cold-dry condition were found in times of unusual thick and coarse loesses L9 and L15, which have been regarded as two extremely cold and dry times as indicated by inorganic climatic proxies; and (3) that shifts of vegetations from earlier forest-steppe to open-forest and steppe and then to steppe were found at 0.95 and 0.5 Ma,implying a stepwise of drying of the Loess Plateau in the Quaternary.     

The terraced thermal contrast among the Tibetan Plateau, the East Asian plain, and the western North Pacific and its impacts on the seasonal transition of East Asian climate

The heating sources over the Tibetan Plateau （TP）, the East Asian plain, and the western North Pacific （WNP） form a terraced thermal contrast in the west-east direction. Over East Asia and the WNP, this zonal thermal contrast contributes as high as 45 % to the seasonal variance based on the EOF analysis and exerts a significant impact on the seasonal transition of the East Asian climate through the enhancement of the year-round southerly to the southeast of the TP in late March and early April. This effect is investigated in this study using a high-resolution regional atmospheric model by doubling the surface sen- sible heat flux, respectively, over the TP, the East Asian plain, and the WNP in three sensitivity experiments. Comparisons among the experiments reveal that doubling the surface sensible heat flux over the WNP has little upstream response over East Asia. The increased zonal thermal contrast between the TP and the East Asian plain due to doubled heat flux over the TP would induce anomalous northerly over the region with year-round southerly to the southeast of the TP and weaken its seasonal enhancement. Doubling the surface sensible heat flux over the East Asian plain decreases the zonal thermal contrast and leads to southerly anomaly over the region with year-round southerly to the southeast of the TP and South China, which is favorable for the enhancement of the year-round southerly and its eastward extension.     

Temperature variations on the Tibetan Plateau over the last two millennia

The paleoclimate data recovered from ice cores,tree rings and lake sediments indicate regional features of cfimatic change on the Tibeta n Plateau (TP) during the last 2000 years. The composite temperature reconstructions in-dicate that several main climatic episodes, such as the “LittleIce Age“ between 1400 and 1900, the “Medieval Warm Pe-riod“ in 1150-1400, a less warm period in 800-1100, and an earlier cold period between the 3rd and 5th centuries,occurred in the TP. In addition, temperature varied from region to region. The period from AD 800 to 1100, which waswarm in northeastern TP, was contemporaneous with cool-ing in the western and southern TP. The southern TP ex-perienced warming between 1150 and 1400. For western TP,the δ^18O records of the Guliya ice core indicate that the pe-Hod 1250-1500 witnessed a clear warming. Large-scaletrends in the temperature history from northeastern TP aremore similar to those in eastern China than are the trendsfrom the Guliya ice cap far to the west and southern TP. The most prominent similarities between the temperature varia-tions of the TP and eastern China are such cold phases as 1100-1150, 1500-1550, 1650-1700 and 1800-1850, andthe latter three cold events match with three widespreadg lacial advances which occurred on the TP during the Little Ice A2e.