Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2009, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (3): 207-219.

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Geothermochronology and tectonic evolution of Eastern Altyn Tagh Mountains, Northwestern China

  

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Neotectonic Movement and Geohazard, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing 100081, China
    2Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
    3Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 900951567, USA
    4Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
    5Shanxi Hydroelectric Investigation ＆ Design Institute, Ministry of Water Resources, Taiyuan 030024, China

  • Online:2009-05-01 Published:2009-05-01

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Abstract:

Abstract:  This paper gives the integrated analyses of geothermochronology and tectonic system evolution of eastern Altyn Tagh Mountains, northern QinghaiTibet Plateau. The eastern Altyn Tagh is considered to have developed from Archean continental core, through Proterozoic stable platform and continental rifting in the NeoProterozoic, to “Altyn Ocean” and trencharcbasin system in the Early Paleozoic plate subduction, collisional orogeny and arc magmatism (with a peak activity at 443 Ma) occurred through the Ordovician and the Early Silurian. After the closing of “Altyn Ocean” in the Carboniferous, the eastern Altyn Tagh entered into the stage of continental tectonic development, and had undergone two major tectonic events since then, which are Mesozoic extension appeared as Lapeiquan detachment faulting and Cenozoic strikeslip faulting on Altyn Tagh Fault. The regional thermal cooling history of the eastern Altyn Tagh was controlled by these tectonic events and the tectonic events developed there were recorded by the thermal cooling history. Various massifs developed in different time had experienced different cooling histories which are well depicted by the geothermochronologic data. Therefore, geothermochronology is a helpful method for understanding the regional tectonic evolution of eastern Altyn Tagh area.

Key words:

Key words: Altyn Tagh; tectonic system; geothermochronology; cooling history; tectonic evolution

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