Geodetic evidence for a low slip rate in the Altyn Tagh fault system

The collision between India and Asia has been simulated with a variety of computational models that describe or predict the motions of the main faults of east Asia. Geological slip-rate estimates of 20-30 mm yr(-1) suggest that the largest of these faults, the 2,000-km-long Altyn Tagh fault system on the northern edge of the Tibetan plateau, absorbs as much of the Indo-Asian convergence signal as do the Himalayas--partly by oblique slip and partly by contraction and mountain growth. However, the predictions of dynamic models for Asian deformation and the lower bounds of some geological slip-rates estimates (3-9 mm yr(-1); refs 7, 8) suggest that the Altyn Tagh system is less active. Here, we report geodetic data from 89-91 degrees E that indicate left-lateral shear of 9 +/- 5 mm yr(-1) and contraction of 3 +/- 1 mm yr(-1) across the Altyn Tagh system. This result--combined with our finding that, at 90 degrees E, Tibet contracts north-south at 9 +/- 1 mm yr(-1)--supports the predictions of dynamic models of Asian deformation.     

阿尔金断裂东端酒西盆地古近系物源分析及意义

探讨酒西盆地古近纪沉积与阿尔金左行走滑断裂的关系。通过对酒西盆地西部红柳峡剖面古近系火烧沟组、白杨河组进行系统的沉积学和年代学分析表明:火烧沟组的砾石成分主要以中-低级变质岩和沉积岩为主,到了白杨河组则转变为以岩浆岩为主;古水流方向主体来自西部-西北部;室内砂岩碎屑鉴定结果显示古近系砂岩的碎屑成分全部落入再旋回造山带物源区;碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄测定结果表现出新元古代和中元古代2个主要的年龄峰值。综合对比酒西盆地周缘的物源区,初步认为阿尔金地体为火烧沟组和白杨河组主要的物源供给区。结合前人对阿尔金左行走滑断裂的研究,表明自渐新世以后阿尔金地体才离开酒西盆地,进一步确定阿尔金断裂带最大左行走滑量450km。     

Lawsonite-bearing eclogites in the north Qilian and north Altyn Tagh： Evidence for cold subduction of oceanic crust

Laboratory experiments and thermal models predic that lawsonite-bearing eclogite should be the dominan rock types for typical oceanic subduction zone[1,2] However, eclogite containing unaltered lawsonite is rare in nature and has been described only from …     

New geological evidence of crustal thickening in the Gangdese block prior to the Indo-Asian collision

Recent mapping in the Gangdese block has revealed many leucogranites that are similar to those in the High Himalaya. These leucogranites formed at ～140 Ma as indicated by monazite Th-Pb ion-microprobe dating and cooled at ～130 Ma as indicated by muscovite ^40Ar/^39Ar dating. In conjunction with previous structural and paleogeographic studies, the new data indicate that the Gangdese block underwent crustal thickening and associated exhumation during ～140—130 Ma. In this regard, the southern margin of Eurasia continent was comparable to the modern South American Altiplano-Puna plateau, the prime example of active ocean-continent subduction and associated thickened crust. Specifically, the early stages of crustal thickening and uplifting of the Gangdese block may result from subduction of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. If the Tibetan Plateau would form by accretion of a series of blocks with thickened crust, an elevated topographic plateau similar to the Altiplano-Puna plateau had formed before collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Then the Tibetan Plateau would have quickly thickened, uplifted, and begun to extend soon after onset of the collision. Thus, the deformational mechanism of the Tibetan Plateau is not distributed shortening, but rather concentrating deformation within regions of thin crust between the accreted blocks.     

Recent rapid shortening of crust across the Tianshan Mts. and relative motion of tectonic blocks in the north and south

Based on the multiple-epoch Global Positioning System observations during a period from 1992 to 1999, we document directly a rapid crustal shortening of ～20 mm/a across the western Tianshan Mts. (76°E), in contrast to a 4 mm/a convergent rate across the eastern Tianshan Mts. (87°E)and the north-south convergence across the mountain belt descends laterally from west to east. The direction of current crustal movement inferred by GPS sites along the southern flank of the Tianshan Mts. is approximately perpendicular to the easterly-trending mountain belt, indicating that the Tarim Basin thrust almost rightly into the Tianshan Mts. The Tarim Basin accommodates nearly no or a minor, if any, crustal deformation and rotates clockwise, as a rigid body in a whole, at a rate of 0.64°/Ma around a Euler pole at 95.7°E, 40.3°N (Anxi, Gansu) with respect to the stable Siberia. The relative motion between the Kazakh platform and the Dzungarian Basin is quite apparent. The Dzungar should be regarded as an independent active block from the view of the Asia tectonic settings.     

Present-Day crustal deformation field in China continent inverted from GPS observations, earthquake moment tensor and quaternary fault slip rates

Based on the bi-cubic Bessel spline function method, we have inverted the present-day crustal horizontal velocity field and deformation field in China continent by combining with 410 GPS observations, 327 seismic moment tensors of earthquakes and fault slip rates in China and its neighboring areas, and considered the geological and geophysical parameters at the same time. The results reveal that the crustal movement mostly takes on compression in SN-NE direction and extension in EW-NW direction in China continent. The continent is rotating southeast and takes on a clockwise rotation image from the west to the east, particularly in the southeast of Tibet and Chuan-dian area. Different blocks have different deformation in China continent. The south China, Ordos and Northeast block have good integrity.The deformation in the western part of China is obviously stronger than that in the eastern part. The strong strains are focused on the Himalaya, east Tibet,west Tian Shan and Chuandian block etc. The deformation at the joint of blocks is stronger than that within the blocks. The China continent deformation not only has the strike-slip faulting and extrusion feature but also has the crustal shortening and thickening feature.     

甘肃金塔南山构造变形及其地质意义

金塔南山构造带是通过多期的左行平移—冲断作用把不同时代、不同性质、形成于不同构造环境的岩石单元会聚而成的构造堆叠体 .研究结果表明金塔南山构造带 (断裂系统 )是在新元古代中期—早古生代早期古洋盆发生汇聚碰撞的基础上形成的 ,早古生代以来的构造变形 (平移—冲断作用 )及其形成过程应与阿尔金走滑断裂系统的动力学过程息息相关 .这对于理解华北板块与塔里木板块古陆缘的地球动力学具有十分重要的地质意义     

Discovery of ultrahighpressure magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite (>3.8 GPa) in the Altyn Tagh,Northwest China

Magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite from the Altyn Tagh, associated with garnet pyroxenite, and garnet-bearing felsic gneiss, crops out as lenses in Proterozoic gneiss about 100 km east of the Jianggelasayi River. The garnet lherzolite, together with the eclogite in western Jianggelasayi, composes a high-pressure to ultrahigh- pressure metamorphic belt in the southern margin of the Altyn Tagh. Parageneses of minerals from magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite indicate that the rock evolved a multi-stage metamorphism. The peak-stage metamorphism produces an assemblage of Grt+Ol+Opx+Cpx±Mgs, in which Al₂O₃ content of Opx is very low (0.30 — 0.66wt%). The calculated P-T condition of the peak stage is 3.8—5.1GPa and 880—970℃, some exsolution rods of clinopyroxene and rutile occur in the Grt and magnesite is rimed by dolomite and orthopyroxene, all implying that the peak stage was a UHP metamorphic process. Together with regional geological studies, isotopic dating and the discovery of coesite inclusions in zircon separates from felsic gneiss from the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, the presence of a very long UHP metamorphic belt in northwest China is suggested.     

阿克塞盆地和肃北盆地中新世沉积特征及其与阿尔金断裂关系的研究

阿克塞盆地和肃北盆地分列于阿尔金断裂两侧,形成于中新世,有人认为它们曾是统一的盆地,在中新世末期由于阿尔金断裂的活动而被分割。然而砂岩成分分析表明,这两个盆地具有不同的物源特征：阿克塞盆地主要以石英和岩屑为主,含有大量的变质岩岩屑;肃北盆地主要以石英和长石为主,含有大量的岩浆岩岩屑。这两个盆地也具有不同的重矿物组合,与阿克塞盆地相比,肃北盆地含有较多的不稳定矿物（绿帘石和角闪石）。两个盆地的形成及演化均受控于阿尔金断裂,但它们最初并非为统一的盆地。推断阿尔金断裂在渐新世开始走滑,并造成阿尔金山隆升,控制阿克塞盆地的沉积;阿尔金断裂的走滑运动造成党河南山抬升,形成了肃北盆地。     

Determination of the Altyn Tagh strike-slip fault basin and its relationship with mountains

A special extended basin topography is developed in the middle segment of the Altyn Tagh Fault Zone. The ratio of its length to width is over 50. The long boundaries at the two sides of the basin are controlled by the straight normal faults with strike-slip component. Within the basin, the Cenozoic strata are spread. The Altyn Tagh main fault goes through the basin, and a series of strike-slip topography was formed within the basin. The reverse thrust structures were formed at the two sides of the center of the basin, thus making the geological bodies composed of old metamorphic rocks at the two sides of the basin extrude vertically，and forming the extended massif (mountain) at the sides of the basin and parallel to the basin. This special topography was called the strike-slip fault basin. The giant extended strike-slip fault basin began to form during Pliocene, and its topography was basically formed during the late Pleistocene. It is the special topography formed during the strike-slip deformation process of the Altyn Tagh Fault Zone and under both transpression and uplifting.     

Formation of the Yazi Spring Stream and its significance on tectonics-climate on the northern slope of Kunlun Mountains

The sequences of fluvial terraces in the Yazi Spring Stream are signs of the stepwise uplift of the Kunlun Mountains in the northern part of the Tibetan Plateau since the Late Pleistocene. Geomorphic and sedimentary features of the terraces reveal that they have resulted from the phased tectonic uplift and the consequent river incision in the northern plateau. Using the method of Single-aliquot Regenerative-dose （SAR） Protocol and Radiocarbon ^14C dating, the deposit ages of three-grade terraces were obtained, which are 57.5, 12.8 and 5.7 kaBP, respectively. The features and ages of terraces reveal that the incision rate of the stream accelerated at the beginning of the Holocene. The incision rate changed suddenly at 12.8 KaBP, from 0.43±0.07 mm/a to 1.59±0.55 mm/a. This implicates that uplift of the Kunlun Mountains is intensive at the first onset of the Holocene, corresponding to the obvious change of slip-rate on the AItyn Tagh Fault. But its uplift rate is much lower than that of the latter, which suggests that growth of the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is stronger than its interior.     

阿尔金断裂带东端断裂展布型式的研究

利用高精度的ETM卫星图像,从宏观和露头尺度对阿尔金断裂带过祁连山后的酒西盆地-宽滩山地区的断裂展布形式和特征进行了详细的地质解译和实地考察,发现除主干断层以外还有4条具有一定规模的均具左旋位错特征的分支断层,且呈"树枝状"展布。通过研究得出,阿尔金断裂带以"树枝状"的型式消失在酒西盆地和花海盆地内。     

阿尔金断裂带东端断裂展布型式的研究

利用高精度的ETM卫星图像,从宏观和露头尺度对阿尔金断裂带过祁连山后的酒西盆地-宽滩山地区的断裂展布形式和特征进行了详细的地质解译和实地考察,发现除主干断层以外还有4条具有一定规模的均具左旋位错特征的分支断层,且呈“树枝状”展布。通过研究得出,阿尔金断裂带以“树枝状”的型式消失在酒西盆地和花海盆地内。     

Surveying of the deformed terraces and crust shortening rate in the northwestern Tarim Basin: Comment

The paper of Shen et al., entitled "Surveying of the deformed terraces and crust shortening rate in the northwest Tarim Basin", was published in Chinese Science Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 12)[1]. Shen et al. found the deformation of Late Pleistocene to Holocene terraces of the Boguzi River across the Artushi Anticline in the northwest Tarim Basin close to the Pamir, and made level survey and differential GPS measurement, which is of great importance to geodynamics for research on the coupling of Tianshan Mountains uplifting and Tarim Basin depression. But their understanding to the deformation mechanics of terraces and the calculation methods of crustal shortening are open to discussion. Therefore, we discuss it with Shen Jun et al.     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages for the UHP metamorphosed granitoid gneiss in Altyn Tagh and their geological significance

Different types of UHP metamorphic rocks havebeen recently discovered in the Altyn Tagh[1—4], the north-ern margin of Qadam Basin[5—7], the southwestern Tian-shan Mountains[8,9] and the northern Qinling Moun-tains[10,11] in Central and Western China. And these areashave attracted focus attention of geologists at home andabroad to the studying of UHP metamorphism and conti-nental deep subduction. However, as newly discoveredUHP metamorphic terranes, some questions have beenarisen abou…     

中新生代天山及其两侧盆地性质与演化

天山两侧中新生代盆地中的沉积记录、沉积中心展布及其迁移特征反映了盆地演化特征,天山地区的年代学数据则是构造活动的响应。这些沉积学记录、年代学记录及山前构造变形与天山地区的构造演化、天山快速隆升和区域地壳缩短相对应,反映晚侏罗世晚期—早白垩世早期、晚新生代是天山快速隆升的2个时期,也是盆地性质发生转变的重要时期。综合分析认为,天山两侧盆地早中侏罗世为陆内断陷坳陷盆地阶段,晚侏罗世—早白垩世早期盆地开始进入挤压背景下的陆内坳陷盆地阶段,晚新生代开始发育再生前陆盆地。天山晚新生代构造变形总体显示西强东弱的特点,这种变形差异可能与帕米尔构造结的向北推挤有关。     

Detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology and Hf isotopic compositions of Middle–Upper Ordovician sandstones from the Quruqtagh area,eastern Tarim Basin:implications for sedimentary provenance and tectonic evolution

Figuring out whether the sedimentary provenance regions of the thick deep-water turbidite systems deposited during Middle–Upper Ordovician in South Quruqtagh are the intracontinental uplifts or the peripheral orogenic belts is of great significance for us to understand the tectono-sedimentary nature of the northeastern Tarim Basin and basin-range coupling processes in the middle Paleozoic.This paper reports the in situ LA-ICP-MS U–Pb ages and Hf isotope data on detrital zircons from two Middle–Upper Ordovician sandstone samples which were collected from the Charchag Formation and the Zatupo Formation in South Quruqtagh,respectively.The results show that the studied two samples have extremely similar U–Pb age patterns and Hf isotopic compositions,reflecting multiphase tectonothermal events with age groups of 527–694,713–870 Ma(peaking at 760 Ma),904–1,090,1,787–2,094 Ma(peaking at 1,975 Ma)and 2,419–2,517 Ma.Combining previous studies,the presence of age groups of 713–1,090 and1,787–2,094 Ma,respectively,demonstrates that Tarim had ever been a part of Rodinia and Columbia supercontinent.Moreover,98%of 713–870 Ma detrital zircons are characterized by negative e Hf(t)values ranging from-38.07 to-0.61,which are highly consistent with those of Neoproterozoic granites from the Quruqtagh area.No Early Paleozoic ages(*470–500 Ma)signifying subduction or collision events in Altyn Tagh were detected in the two samples,indicating that the Middle–Late Ordovician sediments in South Quruqtagh and northern Mangar depression were mainly derived from intracontinental uplifts,i.e.,the North Quruqtagh uplift or the Tabei paleo-uplift,rather than the Altyn Tagh.In conjunction with regional sedimentary-tectonic background and previous studies,we proposed preliminarily that the northeastern Tarim remained as a passive continental margin in Late Ordovician and changed into an active-continental margin in Silurian due to the southward subduction of the South-Tianshan Ocean.     

Heat flow distribution in Chinese continent and its adjacent areas

Using a compilation of 6980 heat flow measurements, we produce a new heat flow map for the Chinese continent and its adjacent areas. We develop an objective and integrated method to interpolate the heat flow data, taking into account both the uniformity within geological units and coherency of regional heat flow. The geologic units are outlined based on Zhang et al.＇s active tectonic block model. Our heat flow model is presented in two formats： a contour map and a heat flow dataset with values on a 1 × 1° grid for the Chinese continent and its adjacent areas, reflecting detailed variations in some regions. Also provided is a resolution map which helps understand the reliability of the heat flow model. Our results reveal that （1） Heat flows in the eastern part of the Chinese continent are relatively higher than those in the western part except that in the Tibetan Plateau area. （2） Heat flows in the Ordos and North China blocks are around 60 mW/m^2, and are 50-55 mW/m^2 in South China except for the continental marginal sea regions. （3） Heat flow is the lowest in the Junggar Basin, only 35-45 mW/m^2, and is 45-55 mW/m^2 in the Tarim Basin. The results of this study provide an important dataset for studies on thermal and rheological structures of the Chinese continent and its adjacent areas.     

川滇地区地壳结构的虚拟地表震源 反射测深法研究

基于中国地震局地质研究所在中国四川西部布设的流动地震观测台阵数据,用近年发展起来的虚拟地表震源反射测深方法研究川滇地区的地壳结构。结果表明,川滇地块、松潘-甘孜地块和杨子地块3个地块虚拟地表震源反射测深的莫霍面深度存在明显差异:1)四川盆地为40 km左右;2)川滇地块为45~50 km;3)松潘-甘孜地块为30~40 km。四川盆地虚拟地表震源反射测深的莫霍面深度与艾里重力均衡模型所预测的结果基本上一致,而川滇地块和松潘-甘孜地块虚拟地表震源反射测深的莫霍面深度明显小于前人得到的接收函数莫霍面深度和艾里重力均衡模型预测的结果。可能与四川盆地地壳结构简单,而川滇地块及松潘-甘孜地块地壳结构复杂有关。同时,结果显示,在鲜水河断裂和安宁河断裂处虚拟地表震源反射测深的莫霍面深度明显变浅,可能与这些深大断裂处地幔物质的上涌有关。研究结果可为认识青藏高原东南缘的构造变形模式提供新的约束。     

The Quaternary fault in Jiamu area,the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

The Quaternary Tailan River fault has been found in the Tianshan foothills area, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is the recent boundary fault of the Tarim Basin coupling with the West Tianshan Mountains. In the light of measurement data of the slip which cuts the Quaternary deposits of different ages, the Quaternary kinematic figures of the Tailan River fault are estimated as follows: crustal shortening 3.7 km and shortening rate 1.59 mm/a, uplift of Tianshan Mountains 1.34 km and uplift rate 0.56 mm/a, and additional relief of 900 m. Considering the contribution of the Gumubiezi anticline close to the south of the Tailan River fault, the Quaternary crustal shortening and shortening rate of the Jiamu area are 4.8 km and 2 mm/a respectively. The above-mentioned data coincide with the crustal shortening rate calculated from the growth strata in the Kuqa area, as well as the GPS measurements in the Lake Issyk area and the Korla-Urumqi area, reflecting the fast thrusting period within the shortening tectonic processes of the rejuvenation foreland basin in front of the southern foothill of the West Tianshan Mountains since Neogene.