Mesozoic and Cenozoic uplift and exhumation of the Bogda Mountain,NW China: Evidence from apatite fission track analysis

Apatite fission track （AFT） analysis on samples collected from a Paleozoic series is used to constrain the cooling history of the Bogda Mountain, northwest China. AFT ages range from 136.2 to 85.6 Ma and are younger than rock depositional ages and the mean confined track lengths （11.0 13.2 μm） mostly showing unimodal distribution are shorten, indicating significant track-annealing. Thermal histories modeling based on the distribution of fission-track lengths combined with the regional geological data show that two rapid cooling phases occurred in the latest Jurassic-early Cretaceous and the Oligocene-Miocene. Those new data together with previous published data show that the AFT ages become younger from the southwest to northeast in the western Bogda Mountain and its adjacent areas. The fission-track ages of the southwest area are relatively older （〉100 Ma）, recording the earlier rapid uplift phase during the late Jurassic-Cretaceous, while the ages in the north pied- mont of the Bogda Mountain （namely the northeast part） are younger （〈60 Ma）, mainly reflecting the later rapid uplift phase in the Oligocene-Miocene. The trend of younger AFT ages towards the northeast might be explained by post-Cretaceous large-scale crustal tilting towards the southwest. In the thrust fault-dominated northern limbs of the Bogda Mountain, AFT ages reveal a discontinuous pattern with age-jumps across the major fault zones, showing a possible strata tilting across each thrust faults due to the thrust ramps during the Cenozoic. The two rapid uplift stages might be related to the accretion and collision in the southern margin of the Asian continent during the late Jurassic and late Cenozoic, respectively.

Age and Thermal History of the East Ore Section,Bayan Obo Deposit-A Fission Track Study

Considerable attention has been paid in recent years to the study of geothermal histo-ry by using spontaneous fission tracks of 238U recorded in minerals. Apatite and zircon were used for fission track study in this paper because apatite has been widely used as a natural geothermometer (Wang Shicheng et al., 1994) to reveal the thermal evolution of sedimentary rocks based on its low annealing temperature of fission tracks and zircon is characterized by a closing temperature above 700℃. The samples were collected from ferruginous, siliceous slate wall rock at the upper levels of the orebody and Nb-REE-Fe ores from deep tunnels. The age and thermal evolution of the orebody were discussed in terms of fission track characters and their length variations observed in the coexisting apatite and zircon in the same specimen.

Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic Multi-Stage Denudation at the Western Ordos Block： Constraints by the Apatite Fission Track Dating on the Langshan

The apatite fission track dating of samples from the Dabashan （i.e., the Langshan in the northeastern Alxa Block） by the laser ablation method and their thermal history modeling of AFT ages are conducted in this study. The obtained results and lines of geological evidence in the study region indicate that the Langshan has experienced complicated tectonic-thermal events during the the Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic. Firstly, it experienced a tectonic-thermal event in the Late Cretaceous （-90-70 Ma）. The event had little relation with the oblique subduction of the Izanagi Plate along the eastern Eurasian Plate, but was related to the Neo-Tethys subduction and compression between the Lhasa Block and Qiangtang Block. Secondly, it underwent the dextral slip faulting in the Eocene （-50-45 Ma）. The strike slip fault may develop in the same tectonic setting as sinistral slip faults in southern Mongolia and thrusts in West Qinling to the southwest Ordos Block in the same period, which is the remote far-field response to the India-Eurasia collision. Thirdly, the tectonic thermal event existed in the late Cenozoic （since -10 Ma）, thermal modeling shows that several samples began their denudation from upper region of partial annealing zone （PAZ）, and the denudation may have a great relationship with the growth of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to the northeast. In addition, the AFT ages of Langshan indicate that the main body of the Langshan may be an upper part of fossil PAZ of the Late Cretaceous （-70 Ma）. The fossil PAZ were destroyed and deformed by tectonic events repeatedly in the Cenozoic along with the denudation.

Latest Triassic to Early Jurassic Thrusting and Exhumation in the Southern Ordos Basin, North China: Evidence from LA-ICP-MS-based Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology

The contractional structures in the southern Ordos Basin recorded critical evidence for the interaction between Ordos Basin and Qinling Orogenic Collage. In this study, we performed apatite fission track （AFT） thermochronology to unravel the timing of thrusting and exhumation for the Laolongshan-Shengrenqiao Fault （LSF） in the southern Ordos Basin. The AFT ages from opposite sides of the LSF reveal a significant latest Triassic to Early Jurassic time-temperature discontinuity across this structure. Thermal modeling reveals at the latest Triassic to Early Jurassic, a ~50~C difference in temperature between opposite sides of the LSF currently exposed at the surface. This discontinuity is best interpreted by an episode of thrusting and exhumation of the LSF with -1.7 km of net vertical displacement during the latest Triassic to Early Jurassic. These results, when combined with earlier thermochronological studies, stratigraphic contact relationship and tectono-sedimentary evolution, suggest that the southern Ordos Basin experienced coeval intense tectonic contraction and developed a north-vergent fold-and-thrust belt. Moreover, the southern Ordos Basin experienced a multi-stage differential exhumation during Mesozoic, including the latest Triassic to Early Jurassic and Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous thrust-driven exhumation as well as the Late Cretaceous overall exhumation. Specifically, the two thrust-driven exhumation events were related to tectonic stress propagation derived from the latest Triassic to Early Jurassic continued compression from Qinling Orogenic Collage and the Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous intracontinental orogeny of QinUng Orogenic Collage, respectively. By contrast, the Late Cretaceous overall exhumation event was related to the collision of an exotic terrain with the eastern margin of continental China at -100 Ma.

Late Mesozoic Thermotectonic Evolution of the Jueluotage Range,Eastern Xinjiang,Northwest China:Evidence from Apatite Fission Track Data

Although many authors have emphasized the Cenozoic history of deformation, exhumation and cooling in the Tiaushan area related to the India-Asia collision, very little is known about the Mesozoic history of compression and uplift within the Tianshan. In order to obtain information about the Mesozoic exhumation history and processes of cooling in eastern Tianshan, fission track methods on apatite were used. Sampling was made in the Jueluotage Range. Three samples （Z001-Z003） were taken from granite in borehole ZK6301 of Yandong pluton; the ages range from 97.0 to 87.6 Ma that are much younger than the pluton age which was dated by U-Pb zircon at 334±2 Ma. Two samples in northern piedmont of the Jueluotage Range were collected from Jurassic strata in Dikaner （DK001） and Dananhu （D001） whose ages are 91.5 and 93.4 Ma respectively. The average apparent exhumation rate is 0.039 nun/a calculated by extrapolation on the basis of Yandong samples, indicating an extremely slow exhumation in the Jueluotage Range since the Late Cretaceous. Two Jurassic samples reached the maximum depths after deposition and experienced the maximum temperatures of ca. 105 and 108℃ until the late Early Cretaceous before a period of cooling and exhumation occurred at 114 and 106 Ma.

Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology of Granite from the Xiazhuang Uranium Ore Field,South China:Implications for Exhumation History and Ore Preservation

Xiazhuang uranium ore field,located in the southern part of the Nanling Metallogenic Belt,is considered one of the largest granite-related U regions in South China.In this paper,we contribute new apatite fission track data and thermal history modeling to constrain the exhumation history and evaluate preservation potential of the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field.Nine Triassic outcrop granite samples collected from different locations of Xiazhuang Uranium ore field yield AFT ages ranging from 43 to 24 Ma with similar mean confined fission track lengths ranging from 11.8±2.0 to 12.9±1.9μm and Dpar values between 1.01 and 1.51μm.The robustness time-temperature reconstructions of samples from the hanging wall of Huangpi fault show that the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field experienced a time of monotonous and slow cooling starting from middle Paleocene to middle Miocene(~60-10 Ma),followed by relatively rapid exhumation in the late Miocene(~10-5 Ma)and nearly thermal stability in the Pliocene-Quaternary(~5-0 Ma).The amount of exhumation after U mineralization since the Middle Paleogene was estimated as~4.3±1.8 km according to the integrated thermal history model.Previous studies indicate that the ore-forming ages of U deposits in the Xiazhuang ore field are mainly before Middle Paleocene and the mineralization depths are more than 4.4±1.2 km.Therefore,the exhumation history since middle Paleocene plays important roles in the preservation of the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field.

Mesozoic Tectonic Evolution and Thermal History of the Yuanba Area of Northeast Sichuan Basin-Low-Temperature Thermochronology of Apatite and Zircon

By means of the vitrinite reflectance and U-Th/He dating of apatite and zircon in cut- ting samples from the T3x-K1j formations in the Yuanba （元坝） area of Northeast Sichuan （四川） Basin, a correlation has been established between the He-derived age and depth/temperature in this area assuming helium closure temperature of apatite in this area being 95 ℃. Mesozoic strata （T3x-Kd＇） experienced helium closure temperature of apatite approaching 95 ℃, but didn＇t reach the helium closure temperature of zircon （ca. 170-190 ℃） although some reached the highest pa- laeogeothermal temperature of about 170 ℃. The Mesozoic strata in the Yuanba area experienced an important uplift and denudation during Paleogene-Neogene periods （0.2-36.4 Ma）, the erosion rate being about 109.9 m/Ma. The K1] Formation and overlying strata experienced a maximum de- nudation loss of about 4 000 m. Geotemperatures gradually fell to the helium closure temperature of apatite and then fell further to the current temperature. The thermal evolution history of this area indicates that the maximum palaeogeothermal temperature of Mesozoic strata was close to 170- 190 ℃, prior to the strata being uplifted. During the period between 176 and 36 Ma, the palaeogeo- thermal temperature fell to 95-170 ℃. and after 36 Ma, it continued to fall to the present geotem- perature of less than 95 ℃.

Exhumation History and Exploration Potential of Gold Deposits in the NE Jiaodong Peninsula,North China:Evidence from Apatite and Zircon Fission Track Thermochronology

As the most important gold producer in China,the Northwest Jiaodong Peninsula is famous for its large gold deposits.In recent years,the discovery of gold mineralization has reached a depth of 4000 m below the surface in this region.It has attracted significant interest from explorers about the prospecting potential at greater depths.Besides,the current deep drilling shows that the prospecting effect in the west portion is better than the region to the east.Does it imply that there is a difference in prospecting potential between the east and the west?This paper seeks to address the issue through fission track thermochronology on apatite and zircon to reveal the temperature-time evolution relationship of rock mass and to inverts their thermal evolution history.In addition,this study analyzes the transformation of ore deposits after mineralization,quantitatively calculates the uplift-erosion rate of rock mass,and summarizes the preservation law of ore deposits.Based on the thermal history simulation of the apatite fission track,our results show that the Guocheng gold belt has experienced three stages of thermal evolution:108-74,74-27,and 27-0 Ma.The uplift and cooling processes of the threestage tectonic uplift events are the results of multi-stage Pacific plate accretion.The calculated total denudation depth of the gold deposit in the Guocheng gold belt from Cretaceous to the present is about 3.4-5.3 km.The metallogenic depth of the ore body in the gold belt is 5.6-8.0 km,which indicates that the ore body in the Guocheng gold belt has suffered a significant degree of denudation.It is speculated that the location with less denudation in the southwest has greater prospecting potential.Our results quantitatively identify the uplift and denudation of the deposit after mineralization,which provides a new theoretical reference for regional mineralization,deep prospecting and exploration.

Thermal History of Rocks in the Shiwandashan Basin, Southern China: Evidence from Apatite Fission Track Analysis

Based on interpretations of the apatite fission track analysis data for 10 outcrop samples and forward modeling of confined fission track length distributions, the thermal history of rocks in the Shiwandashan basin and its adjacent area, southern China, has been qualitatively and semi quantitatively studied. The results reflect several features of the thermal history. Firstly, all the samples have experienced temperatures higher than 60-70 ℃. Secondly, the time that the basement strata (T 1 b ) on the northwestern side of the Shiwandashan basin were uplifted and exhumed to the unannealed upper crust (with a paleogeotemperature of below 60-70 ℃) is much earlier than the basement rocks ( γ 1 5) on the southeastern side of the basin. Thirdly, the thermal history of samples from the basin can be divided into six stages, i.e., the fast burial and heating stage (220-145 Ma), the transient cooling stage (145-135 Ma), the burial and heating stage (135-70 Ma), the rapid cooling stage (70-50 Ma), the relatively stable stage (50-20 Ma) and another rapid cooling stage (20 Ma to present).

Low Temperature Thermal History Reconstruction Based on Apatite Fission-Track Length Distribution and Apatite U-Th/He Age Using Low-T Thermo

Low temperature thermochronology plays a key role in the study of the tectonic evolution of the upper crust.History modeling of apatite fission-track requires the apparent age and the confined track-length distribution of spontaneous tracks.Obtaining length data does not require either thermal neutron irradiation or LA-ICP-MS measurements of the uranium content of the grains.This paper attempts to decouple the apatite fission-track age from the apatite fission-track length,but to combine the fission-track lengths with the respective apatite U-Th/He age to model the thermal history.The experiments were designed and conducted using a new Mathematica®modeling software“Low-T Thermo”.Results of this modeling show that the thermal history modeling of apatite U-Th/He and fission-track ages can constrain the apatite fission-track length thermal history in the He partial retention zone and fission-track partial annealing zone,respectively.It implies that this combination of apatite fissiontrack length and apatite U-Th/He age has not been implemented before but is presented here as an alternative way of determining thermal histories without the addition of apatite fission-track age.

Cenozoic Exhumation History of the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt Constrained by Apatite Fission-Track Thermochronology

Objective The East Kunlun Orogenic belt constitutes the first marked change in the topographic reliefs north of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of this orogenic belt is crucial for understanding the remote deformational effects of the Eurasian plate collision and the migration track at the northern margin of the plateau.However,when and how the uplift occurred remains

Apatite Fission Track Evidence of Uplift Cooling in the Qiangtang Basin and Constraints on the Tibetan Plateau Uplift

The Qiangtang basin is located in the central Tibetan Plateau. This basin has an important structural position, and further study of its tectonic and thermal histories has great significance for understanding the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and the hydrocarbon potential of marine carbonates in the basin. This study focuses on low temperature thermochronology and in particular conducted apatite fission track analysis. Under constraints provided by the geological background, the thermal history in different tectonic units is characterized by the degree of annealing of samples, and the timing of major （uplift-erosion related） cooling episodes is inferred. The cooling history in the Qiangtang basin can be divided into two distinct episodes. The first stage is mainly from the late Early Cretaceous to the Late Cretaceous （69.8 Ma to 108.7 Ma）, while the second is mainly from the Middle- Late Eocene to the late Miocene （10.3 Ma to 44.4 Ma）. The first cooling episode records the uplift of strata in the central Qiangtang basin caused by continued convergent extrusion after the Bangong- Nujiang ocean closed. The second episode can be further divided into three periods, which are respectively 10.3 Ma, 22.6-26.1 Ma and 30.8-44.4 Ma. The late Oligocene-early Miocene （22.6-26.1 Ma） is the main cooling period. The distribution and times of the earlier uplift-related cooling show that the effect of extrusion after the collision between Eurasian plate and India plate obviously influenced the Qiangtang basin at 44.4 Ma. The Qiangtang basin underwent compression and started to be uplifted from the middle-late Eocene to the early Oligocene （45.0-30.8 Ma）. Subsequently, a large-scale and intensive uplift process occurred during the late Oligocene to early Miocene （26.1-22.6 Ma） and the basin continued to undergo compression and uplift up to the late Miocene （10.3 Ma）. Thus, uplift-erosion in the Qiangtang basin was intensive from 44.5 Ma to about 10 Ma. The timing of cooling in the second episode shows that the uplift of the Qiangtang basin was caused by the strong compression after the collision of the Indian plate and Eurasian plate. On the whole, the new apatite fission-track data from the Qiangtang basin show that the Tibetan Plateau started to extrude and uplift during 45-30.8 Ma. The main period of uplift and formation of the Tibetan Plateau took place about 22.6-26.1 Ma, and uplift and extrusion continued until the late Miocene （10.3 Ma）.

Zircon and apatite fission track analyses on mineralization ages and tectonic activities of Tuwu-Yandong porphyry copper deposit in northern Xinjiang, China

The mineralization ages reported in the past in the Tuwu-Yandong copper district not only are different,but also fall into the Hercynian epoch.This study has achieved 9 zircon and 7 apatite fission track analysis results.The zircon fission track ages range from 158 Ma to 289 Ma and the apatite ages are between 64 Ma and 140 Ma.The mineralization accords with the regional tectonics in the copper district.We consider that the zircon fission track age could reveal the mineralization age based on annealing zone temperature of 140―300℃ and retention temperature of ～250℃ for zircon fission track,and metallogenetic temperature of 120―350℃ in this ore district.Total three mineralization epochs have been identified,i.e.,289―276 Ma,232―200 Ma and 165―158 Ma,and indicate occurrence of the min-eralization in the Indosinian and Yanshan epochs.Corresponding to apatite fission track ages,the three tectonic-mineralizing epochs are 140―132 Ma,109―97 Ma and 64 Ma,which means age at about 100℃ after the mineralization.The three epochs lasted 146 Ma,108 Ma and about 100 Ma from ～250℃ to ～100℃ and trend decrease from early to late.It is shown by the fission track modeling that this district underwent three stages of geological thermal histories,stable in Cretaceous and cooling both before Cretaceous and after 20 Ma.

Chronological constraints on multi-staged rapid cooling of the Tianshan Mountains inferred from apatite fission track analysis of modern river sands

The extreme modern elevation of the Tianshan Mountains reflects the Cenozoic deformation. Apatite Fission Track （AFI） chronometry is widely used to study the latest cooling stages caused by tectonic process or by exhumation in the uppermost crust. However, uncertainties remain over timing constraints on thermal history of the Tianshan Mountains since the Cenozoic though a great mount of dating work had been done in this area. To address this issue, modern river sands from the drainage basin on the piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains were sampled to integrate regional information. Single grains were dated with the AFT method, and then different grain-age components were identified to provide thermochronological constraints of their sources. Combined with discussion of previous dataset, our results show the multi-staged rapid cooling cluster at 46-32, 25-24, 19-13, 8-6, and -3 Ma, respectively. We interpreted these cooling events as a result of interplays between the Cenozo- ic tectonic uplift of the mountains and regional climate change.

Fission track evidence on thermal history of Jiama polymetallic ore district,Tibet

It is a new attempt to study thermal evolution related to mineralization using the fission track (FT) method. Apatite and zircon fission track data are reported for 6 samples collected from Jiama ore district as well as its periphery. The FT ages of apatites in the ore district are (16.1±0.9) Ma and (18.8±1.1) Ma and reflect the age of late period of hydrothermal mineralizing event. Apatite FT age of (22.0±4.3) Ma and zircon FT age of (20.9±2.0) Ma are related to the early period of mineralization. Another zircon FT age of (341.6±79.1) Ma, inheriting mineral source characteristic, has no connection with the mineralization. Based on the thermal history analysis, the mineralization began before 25-22 Ma. Cooling rate in the ore district is 5-6℃/Ma averagely, in which a slow cooling occurred at 90-80℃. About 2.7 km has been denuded and the denudation rate is higher than the uplifting rate.

Fission Track Thermochronology Evidence for the Cretaceous and Paleogene Tectonic Event of Nyainrong Microcontinent, Tibet

Fission track dating was applied to analyze the 20 samples from Nyainrong microcontinent, and we obtained 20 apatite and 15 zircon fission track ages. The results show single population grain ages with a single mean age and associated central ages mainly ranging from 108±7Ma to 35±4Ma.Their mean track lengths are 12.2-13.9 μm with a single peak. Zircon fission track age range from 78±3 Ma to 117±4 Ma. The results represented the two tectonic uplift events in the study area, namely the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. According to thermal history modeling results, uplifting rates of two tectonic events is 0.31-0.1 mm/a and 0.07-0.04 mm/a respectively. Combined with field condition and study results, it is suggested that the Cretaceous tectonic uplift event was related to the closure ocean basin caused by Qaingtang-Lhasa collision, and the Paleogene tectonic uplift event was related to the south to thrust system caused by Indo-Asian collision.

Mesozoic–Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution and Uplift in Pamir:Application of Fission Track Thermochronology

The Pamir Plateau can be divided into three secondary tectonic units from north to south:the North,the Middle and the South Pamir Blocks.The North Pamir Block belonged to the southern margin of Tarim-Karakum,thermochronological study of the Pamir structural intersection indicates that accretion of the Middle Pamir Block to the Eurasian Continental Margin and its subduction and collision with the North Pamir Block occurred in the Middle–Late Jurassic.Due to the Neo-Tethys closure in the Early Cretaceous,the South Pamir Block began to collide with the accretion(the Middle Pamir Block)of the Eurasian Continental Margin.Affected by the collision and continuous convergence between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate since the Cenozoic,Pamir is in a multi-stage differential uplift process.During 56.1–48.5 Ma,North Pamir took the lead in uplifting,that is,the first rapid uplift in the Pamir region began there.The continuous compression and contraction of the Indian and Eurasian plates during 22.0–15.1 Ma forced the Pamir tectonic syntaxis to begin its overall uplift,i.e.Pamir began to enter the second rapid uplift stage in the Early Oligocene,which lasted until the Middle Miocene.During 14.6–8.5Ma,South Pamir was in a rapid uplift stage,while North Pamir was in a relatively stable state,showing asymmetry of tectonic deformation in the Pamir region in space.Since 6.5 Ma,Pamir began to rapidly uplift again.

Free Radicals in Organic Matter for Thermal History Reconstruction of Carbonate Succession

Geothermometer is one of the most useful methods to reconstruct the thermal history of sedimentary basins. This paper introduces the application of free radicals concentration of organic matter as a thermal indicator in the thermal history reconstruction of carbonate succession, based on anhydrous thermal simulation results of type I and H1 kerogen. A series of free radicals data are obtained under thermal simulation of different heating temperatures and times, and quantitative modds between free radical concentration （Ng） of organic matter and time-temperature index （TTI） for types I and type H1 kerogen are also obtained. This Ng.TTI relation was used to model the Ordovician thermal gradients of Well TZ12 in the Tarim Basin. The modeling result is corresponding to the results obtained by apatite fission track data and published data. This new method of thermal history reconstruction will be benefit to the hydrocarbon generation and accumulation study and resource assessment of carbonate succession.

Fission track evidence for the Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic uplift of Mt. Bogda, Xinjiang, Northwest China

Fission-track dating evidence from 5 apatite samples and 4 zircon samples, and modeled time-temperature thermal history indicate that since Late Jurassic-Cretaceous (150-106 Ma), the uplift process of Mt. Bogda can be divided into four stages of thermal evolution: 150-106, 75-65, 44-24 and 13-9 Ma. Before 44-24 Ma, the cooling rate and uplifting rate of the southern and northern segments of Mt. Bogda are almost the same, showing that the uplifting of Mt. Bogda is an overall process. Since 44-24 Ma, the uplifting of the southern and northern segments of Mt. Bogda has shown differences. During 42-11 Ma, the northern segment of Mt. Bogda was at a steady stage, with the cooling rate being {0.03℃/Ma} and the uplifting rate being {0.001} mm/a. From 11 Ma to the present, the northern segment of Mt. Bogda was at a rapid cooling and uplifting stage, with the cooling rate being {5.72℃/Ma} and the uplifting rate being {0.19} mm/a. However, the southern segment of Mt. Bogda has been at a rapid cooling and uplifting stage since 26 Ma, with the cooling rate being {1.24℃/Ma} and the uplifting rate being {0.041} mm/a during 26-9 Ma; {4.88℃/Ma} and {0.163} mm/a from 9 Ma till now.

Constraining the stepwise migration of the eastern Tibetan Plateau margin by apatite fission track thermochronology

Granites sampled from Garzê-Litang thrust, Longmen Shan thrust, Garzê and Litang strike-slip faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau have been analyzed with apatite fission track thermochronological method in this study. The measured fission track apparent ages, combined with the simulated annealing mod- eling of the thermal history, have been used to reconstruct the thermal evolutionary histories of the samples and interpret the active history of the thrusts and faults in these areas. Thermal history mod- eling shows that earlier tectonic cooling occurred in the Garzê-Litang thrust in Miocene (~20―16 Ma) whereas the later cooling occurred mainly in the Longmen Shan thrust since ~5 Ma. Our study sug- gests that the margin of eastern Tibetan Plateau was extended by stages: through strike-slip faults deformations and related thrusts, the upper crust formed the Garzê-Litang margin in the Miocene epoch and then moved to the Longmen Shan margin since ~5 Ma. During this process, the deformations of different phases in the eastern Tibetan Plateau were absorbed by the thrusts within them and conse- quently the tectonic events of long-distance slip and extrusion up to hundreds of kilometers have not been found.