Collision Tectonics between the Tarim Block(Basin)and the Northwestern Tibet Plateau:New Observations from a Multidisciplinary Geoscientific Investigation in the Western Kunlun Mountains

New results from deep seismic reflection profiling, wide-angle reflection-refraction profiling and broadband seismic experiments reveal that a series of south-dipping reflectors occur on the southern margin of the Tarim block (basin). However, it is these south-dipping structures that are intercepted by another series of north-dipping reflectors at depths from 30 to about 150 km beneath the foreland of the W Kunlun Mountains. No evidence from the above geophysical data as well as geochemical and surface geological data indicate the southward subduction of the Tarim block beneath the W Kunlun Mountains (NW Tibet plateau), forming the so-called “two-sided subduction” model for the Tibet plateau as proposed by previous studies. So the authors infer that the tectonic interaction between the Tarim block and the W Kunlun block was chiefly affected by a “horizontal compression in opposite directions”, which brought about “face-to-face contact” between these two lithospheric blocks and led to the thickening, shortening and densifying of the lithosphere. Hence a “delamination” was formed due to the gravitational instability created by the thickening and densifying; then alkaline basic volcanic rocks (mainly shoshonite series) was erupted along the northern margin of the Tibet plateau owing to the delamination. This inference for the formation of the alkaline basic volcanics has been confirmed by recent geochemical and petrological studies in Tibet, indicating that different contacts control different magmatic activities: the alkali basalts are always developed in the “horizontal shortening boundary (contact)” on the northern margin of the Tibet plateau, while the muscovite granite and two-mica granite (leucogranite) in the “subductional contact” on the southern margin of the Tibet plateau.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PALEOGEOTHERMAL TECTONIC HISTORY ON DONGPU DEPRESSION AND OIL/GAS FORMATION BY FISSION-TRACK METHOD

Dongpu depression is a fault basin at residual-mobility period of Diwa stage, it developed on the strata of the Mesozoie and Pre-Mesozoie. It is one of the important oil/gas- bearing basin during Cenozoie era along the East China. The strueture in Dongpu geodepression is very complex. There exists a strueture pattern with east- and west-depression belts and one central swell belt, it is divided into the southern- and northern-division by Gaopingji (orMeng Ju ) -Xieheng fault.

Investigation of the epidemiology,pathogenicity and immunogenicity of Bordetella bronchiseptica isolated from cats and dogs in China from 2021 to 2023

Bordetella bronchiseptica(Bb)is recognized as a leading cause of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats.However,epidemiological data on Bb in dogs and cats in China are still limited,and there is no commercially available vaccine.Live vaccines containing Bb that are widely used abroad are generally efective but can establish latency and potentially reactivate to cause illness in some immunodefcient vaccinated recipients,raising safety concerns.In this study,34 canine-derived and two feline-derived Bb strains were isolated from 1809 canine and 113 feline nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from eight provinces in China from 2021 to 2023.The PCR results showed that the percentage of positive Bb was 22.94%(441/1922),and more than 90%of the Bb isolates had four virulence factor-encoding genes(VFGs),namely,fhaB,prn,betA and dnt.All the isolated strains displayed a multidrug-resistant phenotype.The virulence of 10 Bb strains isolated from dogs with respiratory symptoms was tested in mice,and we found that eight isolates were highly virulent.Furthermore,the eight Bb isolates with high virulence were inactivated and intramuscularly injected into mice,and three Bb strains(WH1218,WH1203 and WH1224)with the best protective efcacy were selected.Dogs immunized with these three strains exhibited strong protection against challenge with the Bb feld strain WH1218.Ultimately,the WH1218 strain with the greatest protection in dogs was selected as the vaccine candidate.Dogs and cats that received a vaccine containing 109 CFU of the inactivated WH1218 strain showed complete protection against challenge with the Bb feld strain WH1218.This study revealed that Bb is an important pathogen that causes respiratory diseases in domestic dogs and cats in China,and all the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance.The present work contributes to the current understanding of the prevalence,antimicrobial resistance,and virulence genes of Bb in domestic dogs and cats.Additionally,our results suggest that the WH1218 strain is a promising candidate safe and efcacious inactivated Bb vaccine.

Experimental investigation on coal pore-fracture variation and fractal characteristics synergistically affected by solvents for improving clean gas extraction

Chemical solvents instead of pure water being as hydraulic fracturing fluid could effectively increase permeability and improve clean methane extraction efficiency.However,pore-fracture variation features of lean coal synergistically affected by solvents have not been fully understood.Ultrasonic testing,nuclear magnetic resonance analysis,liquid phase mass spectrometry was adopted to comprehensively analyze pore-fracture change characteristics of lean coal treated by combined solvent(NMP and CS_(2)).Meanwhile,quantitative characterization of above changing properties was conducted using geometric fractal theory.Relationship model between permeability,fractal dimension and porosity were established.Results indicate that the end face fractures of coal are well developed after CS2and combined solvent treatments,of which,end face box-counting fractal dimensions range from 1.1227 to 1.4767.Maximum decreases in ultrasonic longitudinal wave velocity of coal affected by NMP,CS_(2)and combined solvent are 2.700%,20.521%,22.454%,respectively.Solvent treatments could lead to increasing amount of both mesopores and macropores.Decrease ratio of fractal dimension Dsis 0.259%–2.159%,while permeability increases ratio of NMR ranges from 0.1904 to 6.4486.Meanwhile,combined solvent could dissolve coal polar and non-polar small molecules and expand flow space.Results could provide reference for solvent selection and parameter optimization of permeability-enhancement technology.

Investigation of Terraces along the Luoyunshan Piedmont Fault Zone and Its Tectonic Implications

Located at the west of the Linfen basin, the Luoyunshan piedmont fault zone controls the western boundary of the basin. According to the measurements of the terraces in eight gullies along the Luoyunshan fault zone, five levels of terraces, namely T1～T5 have developed in these gullies. The heights of terraces T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 are about 3m, 8～10m, about 20m, about 30m and 40～50m, respectively. The dating data of the terraces and investigation of the faulted landforms show that the Luoyunshan fault zone has experienced much activity since the Late Quaternary. The uplift rate of the terraces was 0.41mm/a since the Middle-Late Pleistocene, and 0.75mm/a since the Holocene. The increasing trend of uplift rate of the terraces along the Luoyunshan fault zone from the Middle-Late Pleistocene to Holocene indicates the tendency of gradual tectonic uplift of the fault zone since the late Quaternary. This is in good agreement with the increasing trend of subsidence rate of the Linfen basin from the Late Pleistocene to Holocene.

Magmatic-tectonic response of the South China Craton to the Paleo-Pacific subduction during the Triassic:a new viewpoint based on Well NK-1

The Nansha Block(NB)is one of the blocks separated from the southern margin of the South China Craton(SCC)by the western Pacific subduction,which contains rich information of geodynamic and tectonic transformation.To reveal the essence of western Paleo-Pacific subduction during the Triassic period,Well NK-1 in this block was selected for petrographic study,and published research data from other cooperative teams were compared.A double-cycle pattern of basic to neutral magmatic volcanism was established,and 36 lithological rhythmic layers and representative cryptoexplosive breccia facies and welded tuff bands were identified.Combined with a reanalysis of published geochronological data,geochemical elements,and isotope geochemistry,we found that the rock assemblages could be divided into an intermediate-acid dacite(DA)series(SiO_(2)>65%)and basaltic(BA)series(Co<40μg/g),which was formed during the early Late Triassic((218.6±3.2)–(217.9±3.5)Ma).BA exhibits obvious calc-alkaline island-arc magmatic properties:(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_i ratio ranging 0.70377–0.71118(average:0.70645),^(147)Sm/^(144)Nd ratio ranging 0.119–0.193(average:0.168),and chondrite-normalized rare earth element(REE)curves being flat,while DA exhibits remarkable characteristics of subducted island-arc andesitic magma:(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_i ratio(0.70939–0.71129;average:0.71035),εNd(t)value(-6.2–-4.8;average:-5.6)andε_(Hf)(t)value(-2.9–-1.7,average:-2.2)show obvious crust-mantle mixing characteristics.BA and DA reveal typical characteristics of island-arc magma systems and typeⅡenriched mantle(EM-Ⅱ)magma.BA magma was likely resulted from the process whereby the continental crust frontal accretionary wedge was driven by the Paleo-Pacific slab subduction into the deep and began to melt,resulting in a large amount of melt(fluid)joined the asthenosphere on the side of the continental margin.In contrast,DA magma was likely resulted from the process whereby the plate front was forced to bend with increasing subduction distance,which triggered the upwelling of the asthenosphere near the continent and subsequently led to the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle and lower crust due to continuous underplating.The lithospheric thinning environment in the study area at the end of Triassic created suitable conditions for the separation between the NB and SCC,which provided an opportunity for the formation of the early intracontinental rift during the later expansion of the South China Sea(SCS).

The Discovery of the Banda Bend,a>2000 km-wide Tectonically Formed Extensional Bend in Eastern Indonesia,Southeast Asia

The Weber Deep represents a widespread crustal extension system in eastern Indonesia with a huge submarine normal fault system,the Banda Detachment,related to the slab rollback tectonic model(Spakman and Hall,2010;Cummins et al.,2020).However,the cause of tectonic extension remains debated(e.g.,Audley-Charles et al.,1972;McCaffrey,1988;Das,2004;Spakman and Hall,2010;Pownall et al.,2013;Cummins et al.,2020;Hutchings and Mooney,2021;Shah et al.,2023).

Palaeogene Sandstones of the Manika Plateau in Kolwezi (DR Congo): Sedimentological and Geochemical Characterization, Provenance, Palaeoalteration and Tectonic Context

This work presents a study of the Paleogene sandstones of the Manika plateau in Kolwezi, DR Congo. These sandstones belong to the “Grès polymorphes” group, which together with the overlying “Sables ocre” makes up the Kalahari Supergroup. Sedimentological and geochemical analyses have enabled us to characterize these sandstones and determine their origin, the conditions of their formation and the tectonic context in which they were developed. The results show that the sandstones are quartz arenites with a high level of mineralogical, textural and chemical maturity. They are recycled sandstones, formed in an intracratonic sedimentary basin, in the context of a passive continental margin, after a long fluvial transport of sediments. These sandstones initially come from intense alteration of magmatic rocks with felsic composition, mainly tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) complexes, in hot, humid palaeoclimatic conditions and oxidizing environments.

Numerical investigation of friction-heating-pressurization and its control parameters in the shear band of high-speed landslides

High-speed sliding often leads to catastrophic landslides,many of which,in the initial sliding phase before disintegration,experience a friction-induced thermal pressurization effect in the bottom shear band,accelerating the movement of the overlying sliding mass.To quantitatively investigate this complex multiphysical phenomenon,we established a set of equations that describe the variations in temperature and excess pore pressure within the shear band,as well as the conservation of momentum equation for the overlying sliding mass.With a simplified landslide model,we investigated the variations of temperature and excess pore pressure within the shear band and their impacts on the velocity of the overlying sliding mass.On this basis,we studied the impact of seven key parameters on the maximum temperature and excess pore pressure in the shear band,as well as the impact on the velocity of the overlying sliding mass.The simulation results of the standard model show that the temperature and excess pore pressure in the shear band are significantly higher than those in the adjacent areas,and reach the maximum values in the center.Within a few seconds after the start,the maximum excess pore pressure in the shear zone is close to the initial stress,and the shear strength loss rate exceeds 90%.The thermal pressurization mechanism significantly increases the velocity of the overlying sliding mass.The results of parameter sensitivity analysis show that the thermal expansion coefficient has the most significant impact on the temperature and excess pore pressure in the shear band,and the sliding surface dip angle has the most significant impact on the velocity of the overlying sliding mass.The results of this study are of great significance for clarifying the mechanism of thermal pressurization-induced high-speed sliding.

Experimental investigation on the permeability of gap-graded soil due to horizontal suffusion considering boundary effect

The boundary condition is a crucial factor affecting the permeability variation due to suffusion.An experimental investigation on the permeability of gap-graded soil due to horizontal suffusion considering the boundary effect is conducted,where the hydraulic head difference(DH)varies,and the boundary includes non-loss and soil-loss conditions.Soil samples are filled into seven soil storerooms connected in turn.After evaluation,the variation in content of fine sand(ΔR_(f))and the hydraulic conductivity of soils in each storeroom(C_(i))are analyzed.In the non-loss test,the soil sample filling area is divided into runoff,transited,and accumulated areas according to the negative or positive ΔR_(f) values.ΔR_(f) increases from negative to positive along the seepage path,and Ci decreases from runoff area to transited area and then rebounds in accumulated area.In the soil-loss test,all soil sample filling areas belong to the runoff area,where the gentle-loss,strengthened-loss,and alleviated-loss parts are further divided.ΔR_(f) decreases from the gentle-loss part to the strengthened-loss part and then rebounds in the alleviated-loss part,and C_(i) increases and then decreases along the seepage path.The relationship between ΔR_(f) and Ci is different with the boundary condition.Ci exponentially decreases with ΔR_(f) in the non-loss test and increases with ΔR_(f) generally in the soil-loss test.

Sedimentological evidence of climate-tectonic interaction in the upper Satluj catchment of NW Himalaya

Quaternary valley fill deposits in the Upper Satluj Valley of NW Himalaya act as archives of changing climate-tectonic dynamics in a region.Quaternary landforms help in decoding the relationship between climate and tectonics.Kinnaur region is traversed by several active faults and thrusts such as the Kaurik-Chango Fault(KCF)and Sangla Detachment(SD),thereby making upper Satluj Valley tectonically active.Morphotectonic parameters such as width of valley floor(Vfw),Normalized Steepness Index(KSn)and geomorphological evidences such as the presence of huge strath terraces,narrowing of the river valley and palaeolake deposits point towards the tectonically active nature of the terrain.This arid,high elevation region is also climatically sensitive as it falls in a transient climatic zone which receives rainfall only during abnormal monsoon months.Excessive rainfall causes outburst floods,a common phenomenon in the area due to the blocking of headwater in the upper reaches of the Satluj valley.As a result,the Quaternary sequence is modified from time to time.The transition from hypo concentrated deposits to channel deposits and ponding events are prominent in the depositional sequence,resulting from a response to climate.The studied Quaternary sediments reveal that the Trans-Himalayan region of the upper Satluj valley is affected by tectonic-climate variability,making it vulnerable to geohazards.

Magnetotelluric Investigation of the Geo-Tectonic Stability of Campo-Ma’an Area in South Cameroon

The magnetotelluric prospection method has been widely used in Cameroon not only as a reconnaissance method for geophysical investigations but also to determine the nature of the subsurface and the structural settings of the various geological formations in the country that resulted from the global geo-tectonic movements. The present study is aimed at employing the magnetotelluric method to provide evidence on major tectonic dislocations which might have led to the presence of plutonic intrusions in the cratonic structure of the Ntem Complex as well as determining the nature of the contact between the sedimentary Campo Basin and the metamorphic cratonic Ntem Complex. The analyses and interpretations of iso-resistivity maps and geoelectric sections from magnetotelluric data has enabled us to show that tectonic forces at contact between the sedimentary Campo Basin and the metamorphic Ntem Complex were of three different categories: gravity gliding, magmatic upwelling and lateral compressions. The results of the action of these forces were the development of vertical and sub-vertical faulting systems at Craton-Sedimentary Basin contact and subsidence of overburden that appears to have also paved the way for the setting-up of the Ntem River bed and its flood plains. This river bed and its flood plains have been characterized as having a sedimentary deposit depth of 500 m and width of 20 km. Meanwhile, the deep-seated contact faulting systems within the two identified formations have varied fault magnitudes with a maximum of 60 km. The relatively high apparently resistivity values (up to1.0 kΩ&bull;m) for the sedimentary and the very high values for the metamorphic formations (up to and above 10.0 kΩ&bull;m) suggest that the whole area is at present relatively geo-tectonically stable.

Tectonic Evolution and Lithospheric Structure of the Beishan Orogen:Insights from Magnetotelluric Studies

The Beishan orogen,located in the central segment of the Tianshan–Solonker suture within the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB),is crucial for understanding the accretionary processes and continental growth in Central Asia.This orogen developed through the episodic amalgamation and accretion of continental margin arcs,island arcs,ophiolites,and accretionary wedges,undergoing a complex process of accretion and evolution.Since the Phanerozoic,the Beishan orogen has experienced multiple phases of magmatic and collision events.The intricate distribution of magmatic arc rocks has obscured the complete basement traces,and the spatial superposition of multiple magmatic arc phases has complicated the study of its evolutionary history.

Geomorphic signatures and active tectonics in western Saurashtra,Gujarat,India

Active tectonics in an area includes ongoing or recent geologic events.This paper investigates the tectonic influence on the subsidence,uplift and tilt of western Saurashtra through morphotectonic analysis of ten watersheds along with characteristics of relief and drainage orientation.Watersheds 7-9 to the north(N)are tectonically active,which can be linked with the North Kathiawar Fault System(NKFS)and followed by watersheds 6,10,1,4 and 5.Stream-length gradient index and sinuosity index indicate the effect of tectonic events along the master streams in watersheds 6-9.Higher R^(2)values of the linear curve fit for watershed 7 indicate its master stream is much more tectonically active than the others.The R^(2)curve fitting model and earthquake magnitude/depth analysis confirm the region to be active.The reactivation of the NKFS most likely led to the vertical movement of western Saurashtra.

Phanerozoic Tectonic Evolution,Metallogenesis and Formation of Mineral Systems in China

The continental Asia is mainly composed of three major tectonic regimes,the Tethys,Paleo Asian Ocean,and West Pacific.It underwent multi-stage plate convergences,ocean-continent transformations,and subductions,collisions and/or collages,and post collisional(orogenic)extensions in Phanerozoic.Tectonic evolution of the Asia brings up a unique fault system and tectonic geomorphological features in the China's Mainland.Also,it provides a geodynamic background for the formation and evolution of metallogeneses and mineral systems,resulting in nonuniform distribution of tectono-metallogenic systems and metallogenic belts.The spatiotemporal distribution of mineral deposits in China and adjacent areas exhibits periodic variation under controlling of the full life Wilson cycle and tectonic evolution,forming the plate convergence-related mineral system in East Asia.Porphyry Cu deposits are mainly related to compressional systems in Paleozoic and early Mesozoic,and more closely related to post-collision extensional settings in late Mesozoic and Cenozoic.Orogenic Au deposits mainly formed in post-orogeny extensional setting.Alkaline rock related rare earth element deposits formed mainly at margins of the North China and Yangtze cratons.Granite-pegmatite Li and other rare metal deposits formed mainly in early Mesozoic,related to Indosinian post-orogeny extension.Tectono-metallogenic systems provide important basis for the prospecting of mineral resources.

Experimental investigation of dynamic characteristics of leaching tubing for solution mining of salt cavern carbon and energy storage

Salt caverns are extensively utilized for storing various substances such as fossil energy,hydrogen,compressed air,nuclear waste,and industrial solid waste.In China,when the salt cavern is leached through single-well water solution mining with oil as a cushion,engineering challenges arise with the leaching tubing,leading to issues like damage and instability.These problems significantly hinder the progress of cavern construction and the control of cavern shape.The primary cause of this is the flowinduced vibration instability of leaching tubing within a confined space,which results in severe bending or damage to the tubing.This study presents a model experimental investigation on the dynamic characteristics of leaching tubing using a self-developed liquid-solid coupling physical model experiment apparatus.The experiment utilizes a silicone-rubber pipe(SRP)and a polycarbonate pipe(PCP)to examine the effects of various factors on the dynamic stability of cantilevered pipes conveying fluid.These factors include external space constraint,flexural rigidity,medium outside the pipe,overhanging length,and end conditions.The experiments reveal four dynamic response phenomena:water hammer,static buckling,chaotic motion,and flutter instability.The study further demonstrates that the length of the external space constraint has a direct impact on the flutter critical flow velocity of the cantilevered pipe conveying fluid.Additionally,the flutter critical flow velocity is influenced by the end conditions and different external media.

U-Pb zircon ages and petrogeochemistry and tectonic implications of gabbro and granite in southwest Lahad Datu area of Sabah, Malaysia

The southwest Lahad Datu felsic rocks were previously thought to have formed in the late Triassic as part of the microcontinental crystalline basement.Based on U-Pb ages,geochemistry,and the Hfisotopes of zircon from the southeastern Sabah gabbro and granite,in this study,the tectonic properties of the Sabah area during the Triassic were investigated.The weighted average U-Pb zircon ages of the gabbro and granite samples were determined to be(230.9±2.5)Ma and(207.1±3.3)Ma,respectively.The granite had SiO_(2) contents of 66.54%-79.47%,low TiO_(2) contents of 0.08%-0.3%,Al_(2)O_(3) contents of 10.97%-16.22%,Na_(2)O contents of 5.91 %-6.39%,and low K_(2)O contents of 0.15%-0.65%.The chondrite-normalized rare earth element(REE) patterns exhibit light REE enrichment,with right-sloping curves.The primitive mantle-normalized trace element spider diagrams exhibit Th,U,La,Sr,and Zr enrichment and Nb,Ta,P and Ti depletions,i.e.,the geochemical characteristics of typical island arc igneous rocks.The tectonic discriminant diagram indicates that the granite is a volcanic arc granite.The Hf isotopic an alysis of gabbro zircon revealed that the zircons have ε_(Hf)(t)values of 12.08-16.24(mean of 14.32) and two-stage model ages(t_(DM2)) of 223-491 Ma(mean of 347 Ma).This indicates that the diagenetic magma of the gabbro was mainly derived from melting of newly formed crustal materials.The ophiolite in southeast Sabah has existed since the early Late Triassic.The crystalline basement granite in southeastern S abah was emplaced lasted from late Triassic to early Cretaceous.Based on previous studies and global plate reconstruction models,it is speculated that the southeastern Sabah granite may have been formed in an island arc setting,i.e.,where the oceanic crust of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean collided with the oceanic crust of the Panthalassa Ocean.

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of the Silurian adakitic granitoids in the eastern segment of the Qilian Orogenic Belt,Northwest China

Geodynamic mechanism responsible for the generation of Silurian granitoids and the tectonic evolution of the Qilian orogenic belt remains controversial. In this study, we report the results of zircon U–Pb age, and systematic whole-rock geochemical data for the Haoquangou and Liujiaxia granitoids within the North Qilian orogenic belt and the Qilian Block, respectively, to constrain their petrogenesis, and the Silurian tectonic evolution of the Qilian orogenic belt. Zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the Haoquangou and Liujiaxia intrusions were emplaced at423 ± 3 Ma and 432 ± 4 Ma, respectively. The Haoquangou granodiorites are calc-alkaline, while the Liujiaxia granites belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series.Both are peraluminous in composition and have relatively depleted Nd isotopic [ε_(Nd)(t) =(-3.9 – + 0.6)] characteristics compared with regional basement rocks, implying their derivation from a juvenile lower crust. They show adakitic geochemical characteristics and were generated by partial melting of thickened lower continental crust. Postcollisional extensional regime related to lithospheric delamination was the most likely geodynamic mechanism for the generation of the Haoquangou granodiorite, while the Liujiaxia granites were generated in a compressive setting during continental collision between the Qaidam and Qilian blocks.

Serological Investigation into the Infected Genotypes of Patients with Japanese Encephalitis in the Coastal Provinces of China

Objective Genotypes(G)1,3,and 5 of the Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV)have been isolated in China,but the dominant genotype circulating in Chinese coastal areas remains unknown.We searched for G5 JEV-infected cases and attempted to elucidate which JEV genotype was most closely related to human Japanese encephalitis(JE)in the coastal provinces of China.Methods In this study,we collected serum specimens from patients with JE in three coastal provinces of China(Guangdong,Zhejiang,and Shandong)from 2018 to 2020 and conducted JEV cross-neutralization tests against G1,G3,and G5.Results Acute serum specimens from clinically reported JE cases were obtained for laboratory confirmation from hospitals in Shandong(92 patients),Zhejiang(192 patients),and Guangdong(77 patients),China,from 2018 to 2020.Seventy of the 361 serum specimens were laboratory-confirmed to be infected with JEV.Two cases were confirmed to be infected with G1 JEV,32 with G3 JEV,and two with G5 JEV.Conclusion G3 was the primary infection genotype among JE cases with a definite infection genotype,and the infection caused by G5 JEV was confirmed serologically in China.

Tectonic framework of Qilian orogen: reveal from an aeromagnetic anomaly feature

The Qilian Orogenic belt is one of the typical orogenic belts globally and a natural laboratory for studying plate tectonics.Many researchers have studied the ophiolite and high pressure and ultra-high pressure metamorphic rocks in the Qilian orogen and obtained valuable achievements.However,a hot debate exists on the basement property,the distribution of ophiolite,and the boundaries of tectonic units.Large-scale high-precision aeromagnetic surveys have recently been conducted in the Qilian Orogenic belt and adjacent areas.In this study,we are trying to analysis the tectonic framework of the Qilian Orogen using 1:500,000 aeromagnetic data.The results provide geophysical perspectives for studying the structural framework and deformation of this area.According to the aeromagnetic∆T anomaly map,the central and Southern Qilian have the same magnetic anomaly feature that noticeably differs from the North Qilian Orogenic belt and the Qaidam Block.This result indicates that the central and Southern Qilian have a unified magnetic basement and differ from the North Qilian orogenic belt and Qaidam Block.The map shows the distribution of ophiolite in the North Qilian orogenic belt.Linear magnetic anomalies represent the ophiolites because the mafic–ultramafic rocks usually have high magnetic susceptibility.The ophiolite belts are continuously distributed in the western part of North Qilian orogenic belt and have a large scale.However,the scale of the ophiolite belt and the outcropping of mafic–ultramafic rocks reduces when they pass through Qilian County to the east.The results indicate differences in the evolution process between the eastern and western parts of North Qilian,with Qilian County as the transition zone.This study also systematically defines the geophysical boundaries of the Qaidam Block,Qilian Block,North Qilian Orogenic belt,and Alxa block.It is proposed that the sinistral displacement of the Altun Fault is adjusted and absorbed by the series of NE-trending faults in the Qilian orogen and merge into the Longshoushan–Gushi Fault.The extension of the North Qilian Orogenic belt is strengthened by the neotectonics movement along the shearing direction,which separated the North Qilian Orogenic belt into several segments and formed a series of northeast-trending faults.