Formation and Evolution of the Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic Ruo'ergai Basin,Northeastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Middle Triassic Ladinian-Upper Triassic Norian series in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Ruo’ergai basin of Songpan area is characterized of large thick shallow marine-deep marine fine grained clastic.The strata are regionally unconformable between each adjacent two of the Middle-Late Triassic fine grained clastic,the Jurassic coal-containing clastic,the Cretaceous-Paleogene variegated coarse clastic。

Insights into some large-scale landslides in southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(SMQTP)is of a typical large landslide-prone area due to intense tectonic activity,deeply incised valleys,high geostress and frequent earthquakes.To gain insights into large landslides in southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an area covering 3.34×105 km2 that extends 80e150 km on both sides of the Sichuan-Tibet traffic corridors(G318)was used to examine the spatial distribution and corresponding characteristics of landslides.The results showed that the study area contains at least 629 large landslides that are mainly concentrated on 7 zones(zones IeVII).Zones IeVII are in the southern section of the Longmenshan fault zone(with no large river)and sections with Dadu River,Jinsha River,Lancang River,Nujiang River and Yarlung Zangbo River.There are more landslides in the Jinsha River section(totaling 186 landslides)than the other sections.According to the updated Varnes classification,408 large landslides(64.9%)were recognized and divided into 4 major types,i.e.flows(275 cases),slides(58 cases),topples(44 cases)and slope deformations(31 cases).Flows,which consist of rock avalanches and iceerock avalanches,are the most common landslide type.Large landslide triggers(178 events,28.3%)are also recognized,and earthquakes may be the most common trigger.Due to the limited data,these landslide type classifications and landslide triggers are perhaps immature,and further systematic analysis is needed.

The geological structure background and the crustal structure in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

The geological structure background, the crustal structure and the shape of Moho in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau are studied. Based on artificial seismic sounding profile as well as geological data. The main results are summarized as follows: (1) The geotectonic subdivisions and the characteristics of main deep and large faults in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau are presented; (2) The general features of the Moho are obtained mainly based on artificial seismic sounding data; (3) There exists well corresponding relation between surface faults and some features of the Moho, which suggests that such complex crustal structure might be the preparation environment of strong earthquakes.

Numerical simulation of temporal and spatial evolution of fold-thrust belts in the northern and northeastern margins of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Fold-thrust belts are common structural styles under the background of long-term regional tectonic shortening.The northern and northeastern margins of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are located on the edge of the growth and expansion of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.Since nearly 10 Ma,some significant and typical fold thrust belt have been formed.The spatial-temporal evolution of these fold-thrust belts and the characteristics of surface deformations are significant issues in geodynamics.In this paper,we use the elastoplastic finite element model with considering the contact nonlinearity to study the spatialtemporal evolution of the fold-thrust belts in the northern and northeastern margins of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,with particular attention to the details of the relationship between the depth and the shallow,the spatialtemporal order,and the characteristics of the surface deformation,etc.,in order to make a relatively complete mechanical interpretation of the spatial-temporal evolution of the foldthrust belts in the northern and northeastern margins of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from the perspective of geodynamics.

Gravity evidence of underplating in the northeastern margin area of Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Based on leveling data in 1972 -2011 and relative-gravity data in 1993 -2011, we obtained a longterm vertical crustal-deformation rate of 1.62mm/a and a relative-gravity variation rate of 0.62 × 10^-8 ms^-2a^-1 for the northeastern margin area of Qinghai-Tibet plateau. After removing the contributions from the observed vertical movement and inferred surface denudation, we obtain a gravity-variation rate of 0.73 × 10^-8 ms^-2a^-1 attributable to the mass changes beneath the crust. This positive change suggests that the total mass under the observation stations was gradually increasing. We consider this result to be the gravitational evidence of underplating beneath the study area, and propose that the underplating was caused by collision betwen the Indian plate and Tibetan plateau and by gravitation-potential induced deviatoric stress.

Episodes of Cenozoic Gold Mineralization on the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:40Ar/39Ar Dating and Implication for Geodynamic Events

A lot of new gold deposits have been found on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the past two decades. Among them, three main types of gold deposits have been recognized, including quartz-vein-type, shear- zone-type and porphyry-type. The former two types of gold deposits are mainly hosted within metamorphic rocks, while the latter is related to Cenozoic magmatism. Although all of these gold deposits are believed to have been formed during the uplift process of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the Cenozoic era (Wang et al., 2002b), precise isotopic age constraints have still been lacking until quite recently. This paper presents new 40Ar/39Ar data of some gold deposits on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which indicate that gold mineralization in the region occurred in response to the episodic stages of the orogenies. Recently obtained 40Ar/39Ar data on quartz and feldspars from several gold deposits, such as the Sandiao deposit, the Baijintaizi deposit, the Pusagang deposits, provide new constraints on gold mineralization on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Geochronological studies of gold deposits along the Daduhe River indicate that there are three stages of gold mineralization. The early two stages occurred as early as 65.1 Ma in the Shuibaiyang deposit and 58.95 Ma in the Ruoji deposit, while the latter stage occurred as late as 25.35 Ma in Baijintaizi and 24.70 Ma in Sandiao. Isotopic dating of three plagioclases from the Beiya deposit, Zhifanggou deposit and Luobodi deposit and a K-feldspar from the Jinchangqing deposit in Yunnan Province indicates that these deposits were formed at two stages. The Zhifanggou and Jinchangqing deposits have early stage records as old as 58.82 Ma in Zhifanggou and 55.49 Ma in Jinchangqing, but all of the above four deposits in Yunnan have late stage records of 23.18 Ma in Jinchangqing, 24.54 Ma in Zhifanggou, 24.60 Ma in Luobodi and 24.56 Ma in Hongnitang. The above results suggest that the gold deposits on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were formed concentratedly at two main episodes, i.e. the end of the Paleocene (about 58 Ma) and the boundary between the Paleogene and the Neogene (about 25 Ma). The later episode appears to be looks like more important and was coupled with the Sichuan movement, which was extensively activated at that period. The beginning of the Cenozoic Era (about 65 Ma) might be another episode of gold mineralization, but only one deposit (Shuibaiyang) in this study has been proved to have been be formed at this stage and might be earlier than the initial collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasia Plate. In view of geology, the above three episodes of gold mineralization are associated with three events of tectonic- magmatism and/or fluid events. Even though the gold deposits (for example, the Shuibaiyang deposit, Ruoji deposit and Pusagang deposit) were formed at different episodes, all of them are genetically related to tectonic movements in large- scale shear zones. It looks like theat tectonic events (including large-scale strike-slip) between Paleogene and Neogene had a wide influence upon gold mineralization, with new deposits formed and old deposits enriched or superimposed to be a higher grade by new stage of mineralization. The above data suggest that gold deposits were not only concentrated in some areas, but also formed mainly at different boundaries of geological times, indicating that there existed some peak stages of gold mineralization (metallogenic episodes), and that the gold deposits were formed mainly by episodic mineralization.

Electrical Structure and Fault Features of Crust and Upper Mantle beneath the Western Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:Evidence from the Magnetotelluric Survey along Zhada-Quanshui Lake Profile

The magnetotelluric （MT） survey along the Zhada （札达）-Quanshui （泉水） Lake profile on the western margin of the Qinghai （青海）-Tibet plateau shows that the study area is divided into three tectonic provinces by the Yalung Tsangpo and Bangong （班公）-Nujiang （怒江） sutures. From south to north these are the Himalayan terrane, Gangdise terrane, and Qiangtang （羌塘） terrane. For the study area, there are widespread high-conductivity layers in the mid and lower crust, the top layers of which fluctuate intensively. The high-conductivity layer within the Gangdise terrane is deeper than those within the Qiangtang terrane and the Himalaya terrane, and the deepest high-conductivity layer is to the south of the Bangong-Nujiang suture. The top surface of the high-conductivity layer in the south of the Bangong-Nujiang suture is about 20 km lower than that in the north of it. The high-conductivity layer within the Gangdise terrane dips toward north and there are two high-conductivity layers within the crust of the southern Qiangtang terrane. In the upper crust along the profile, there are groups of lateral electrical gradient zones or distortion zones of different scales and occurrence indicating the distribution of faults and sutures along the profile. According to the electrical structure, the structural characteristics and space distribution of the Yalung Tsangpo suture, Bangong.Nujiang suture, and the major faults of Longmucuo （龙木错） and Geerzangbu are inferred.

Investigation of plateau basin crustal structures and thickening mechanisms in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau

This paper uses deep seismic sounding （DSS） data to contrast and analyze the crustal structures of three plateau basins （Songpan-Garze, Qaidam, Longzhong） in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang （Tibetan） plateau, as well as two stable cratonic basins （Ordos, Sichuan） in its peripheral areas. Plateau basin crustal structures, lithological variations and crustal thickening mechanisms were investigated. The results show that, compared to the peripheral stable cratonic basins, the crystalline crusts of plateau basins in the northeastern margin are up to 10 15 km thicker, and the relative medium velocity difference is about 5% less. The medium velocity change in crustal layers of plateau basin indicates that the upper crust undergoes brittle deformation, whereas the lower crust deforms plastically with low velocity. The middle crust shows a brittle-to-plastic transition zone in this region. Thickening in the lower crust （about 5 10 km）, and rheological characteristics that show low- medium velocity （relatively reduced by 7%）, suggest that crustal thickening mainly takes place in lower crust in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau. The crust along the northeastern margin shows evidence of wholesale block movement, and crustal shortening and thickening seem to be the main deformation features of this region. The GPS data show that the block motion modes and crustal thickening in the Tibetan plateau is closely related to the peripheral tectonic stress field and motion direction of the Indian plate. The Mani-Yushu- Xianshuihe fold belt along the boundary between the Qiangtang block and the Bayan Har block divides the different plateau thickening tectonic environments into the middle-western plateau, the northeastern margin and the southeastern plateau.

Analysis of Doppler Radar Data about a Super Monomer Hailstorms in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

[Objective] The Doppler radar data about a super monomer hailstorms in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the Zhongchuan Airport in the Lanzhou City on September 6,2010 was studied.[Method] By dint of routine data and radar data,the low vortex shear line type and the super monomer hailstorm around the Zhongchuan Airport in the Lanzhou City on September 6,2010 were expounded.Basic product and secondary product of Doppler radar were used in this process to reflect the characteristics of strong convection weather.Some characteristics of this process shall be explored.[Result] A small gush of cold air from the cold vortex of 500 hPa in the middle and high layer provided impacts.The warm shear line provided water vapor and energy in the 700 hPa.There was strong convective weather in the upper air.Such 10 minutes of hailstorm was rarely seen in the drought land in the northwest.The characteristics of the strong convection were distinct and typical.The front showed no echo form.However,it can not be reflected in 'strong wedge' in another form.In this process,characteristics of BWER and middle scale cyclone were distinct.And this was a typical hailstorm process caused by super monomer.[Conclusion] The study provided some helpful references for the forecast of strong convection weather in the Zhongchuan Airport in Lanzhou City.

Modeling the Dynamic Gravity Variations of Northeastern Margin of Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau by Using Bicubic Spline Interpolation Function

In this paper, the spatial-temporal gravity variation patterns of the northeastern margin of Qinghal-Xizang （Tibet） Plateau in 1992 - 2001 are modeled using bicubic spline interpolation functions and the relations of gravity change with seismicity and tectonic movement are discussed preliminarily. The results show as follows： ① Regional gravitational field changes regularly and the gravity abnormity zone or gravity concentration zone appears in the earthquake preparation process; ②In the significant time period, the gravity variation shows different features in the northwest, southeast and northeast parts of the surveyed region respectively, with Lanzhou as its boundary;③The gravity variation distribution is basically identical to the strike of tectonic fault zone of the region, and the contour of gravity variation is closely related to the fault distribution.

Joint Inversion of the 3D P Wave Velocity Structure of the Crust and Upper Mantle under the Southeastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau Using Regional Earthquake and Teleseismic Data

The special seismic tectonic environment and frequent seismicity in the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau show that this area is an ideal location to study the present tectonic movement and background of strong earthquakes in China's Mainland and to predict future strong earthquake risk zones. Studies of the structural environment and physical characteristics of the deep structure in this area are helpful to explore deep dynamic effects and deformation field characteristics, to strengthen our understanding of the roles of anisotropy and tectonic deformation and to study the deep tectonic background of the seismic origin of the block＇s interior. In this paper, the three-dimensional （3D） P-wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle under the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is obtained via observational data from 224 permanent seismic stations in the regional digital seismic network of Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces and from 356 mobile China seismic arrays in the southern section of the north-south seismic belt using a joint inversion method of the regional earthquake and teleseismic data. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of the P-wave velocity anomalies in the shallow upper crust is closely related to the surface geological structure, terrain and lithology. Baoxing and Kangding, with their basic volcanic rocks and volcanic clastic rocks, present obvious high-velocity anomalies. The Chengdu Basin shows low-velocity anomalies associated with the Quaternary sediments. The Xichang Mesozoic Basin and the Butuo Basin are characterised by low- velocity anomalies related to very thick sedimentary layers. The upper and middle crust beneath the Chuan-Dian and Songpan-Ganzi Blocks has apparent lateral heterogeneities, including low-velocity zones of different sizes. There is a large range of low-velocity layers in the Songpan-Ganzi Block and the sub-block northwest of Sichuan Province, showing that the middle and lower crust is relatively weak. The Sichuan Basin, which is located in the western margin of the Yangtze platform, shows high-velocity characteristics. The results also reveal that there are continuous low-velocity layer distributions in the middle and lower crust of the Daliangshan Block and that the distribution direction of the low-velocity anomaly is nearly SN, which is consistent with the trend of the Daliangshan fault. The existence of the low-velocity layer in the crust also provides a deep source for the deep dynamic deformation and seismic activity of the Daliangshan Block and its boundary faults. The results of the 3D P-wave velocity structure show that an anomalous distribution of high-density, strong-magnetic and high-wave velocity exists inside the crust in the Panxi region. This is likely related to late Paleozoic mantle plume activity that led to a large number of mafic and ultra-mafic intrusions into the crust. In the crustal doming process, the massive intrusion of mantle-derived material enhanced the mechanical strength of the crustal medium. The P-wave velocity structure also revealed that the upper mantle contains a low-velocity layer at a depth of 80-120 km in the Panxi region. The existence of deep faults in the Panxi region, which provide conditions for transporting mantle thermal material into the crust, is the deep tectonic background for the area＇s strong earthquake activity.

华北克拉通中西部及周边地区瑞利面波相速度方位各向异性

利用“中国科学台阵探测”项目的密集流动台站以及区域固定台站的地震面波记录,采用程函面波成像方法,得到了华北克拉通中西部及周边地区14~100 s周期高分辨率的瑞利面波相速度方位各向异性分布图像.结果显示,鄂尔多斯块体内部中长周期(20~100 s)为大范围高速和弱各向异性分布特征,但在块体西南部区域各向异性明显增强,向东可一直延伸至108°E附近.我们认为,受青藏高原影响,鄂尔多斯块体西南部岩石圈已发生明显变形,高原扩张对鄂尔多斯块体的影响超出了止于六盘山逆冲推覆带的传统认识.在鄂尔多斯块体内部,长周期(80~100 s)的相速度显示高速区向中部和东南部区域收缩,各向异性强度在高速区外围明显增强,揭示了块体边界带的岩石圈在后期构造活动过程中已遭受不同程度的变形改造,厚度发生了不同程度的减薄.山西断陷带北部大同火山区附近,在20 s以上周期为显著低速异常,不同周期段各向异性存在明显差异,我们推测该区不同深度的各向异性差异与鄂尔多斯块体东北部岩石圈不同深度的几何形态以及青藏高原远程挤压效应有关.山西断陷带中南部区域,在20~60 s周期显示高速和近EW向快波方向,与鄂尔多斯块体中东部高速区具有较好的连续性,认为该区岩石圈仍保留部分原有华北克拉通岩石圈的属性.青藏高原东北缘地区不同周期相速度表现为明显的低速异常,快波方向呈现较为一致的NWW-SEE向分布特征,揭示了在高原下方壳幔介质变形连续一致,符合岩石圈垂直连贯变形模式.

柴北缘骆驼泉剖面新生代地层磁组构特征及其构造意义

青藏高原东北部新生代构造演化对理解高原隆升和变形模式具有重要意义,而目前对于该地区挤压应力方向转变过程仍存在很大争议.本文对柴北缘逆冲带北西部骆驼泉剖面新生代地层开展系统磁组构(本文特指磁化率各项异性)研究,以揭示该地区挤压应力方向的转变特征.系统岩石磁学结果表明,骆驼泉剖面新生代样品中主要磁性矿物是顺磁性组分和赤铁矿以及少量磁铁矿.通过对磁组构特征分析及其与古水流方向对比表明,骆驼泉剖面新生代地层磁组构主要为初始变形磁组构,可用于指示沉积成岩时期的挤压应力方向.磁组构结果揭示,骆驼泉地区挤压应力方向在上干柴沟组下部沉积时期为NNE-SSW向,而上干柴沟组上部和油砂山组沉积时期转变为NE-SW向.结合柴北缘逆冲带已有磁组构结果指出,该地区早期N-S向或NNE-SSW向挤压应力可能与印度—欧亚板块早新生代以来近N-S向碰撞挤压过程有关,指示印度—欧亚碰撞的挤压应力自下干柴沟组下部沉积时期就已传播至高原东北部地区;而后期NE-SW向挤压应力方向与该地区现今GPS揭示的上地壳运动方向一致,可能与该时段高原东北部巨型走滑断裂构造体系(尤其是阿尔金断裂)有关.此外,柴北缘逆冲带新生代挤压应力方向转变在其北西部起始于上干柴沟组下部沉积时期,而南东部起始于上油砂山组下部沉积时期,与地震反射剖面揭示的断裂活动等地质证据共同揭示柴北缘逆冲带新生代的构造活动自靠近阿尔金断裂的北西部向南东部传播和扩展.综合分析青藏高原东北部地区挤压应力方向转变和其他地质证据发现,挤压应力方向转变显示出自柴北缘逆冲带北西部向东、西和南向扩展特征,与阿尔金断裂在上干柴沟组下部-上油砂山组下部沉积时期剪切应力集中于断裂本身,而上油砂山组下部沉积以来开始散布于高原东北部内部地区的两阶段走滑活动相关.

2023年12月18日甘肃省积石山6.2级地震的控震构造及特征

2023年12月18日23时59分在甘肃省临夏州积石山县发生6.2级地震,造成了严重人员伤亡,及时了解此次地震的发震构造及其特征,对于分析区域未来强震危险性具有重要意义。综合区域地震构造、地质、震源机制、地震烈度和余震重定位等资料,对此次地震的控震构造及特征进行综合分析后认为,此次强震是发生在西宁—兰州断块内部的一次北北西向逆冲断层作用事件,距震中最近的拉脊山逆冲断裂带构成了此次地震的控震构造。该断裂带处于北西向日月山右旋走滑断层与北西西向西秦岭北缘左旋走滑断层交汇部位,整体呈北西至北北西向弧形展布,包含了南缘与北缘两条倾向相反的分支断裂带。震中位置、余震及烈度分布等数据指示此次地震的具体发震断层为拉脊山北缘逆冲断裂带南段的东支断层带,余震分布和极震区范围等符合逆断层型地震的上盘效应特征,但是否引起同震地表变形,还需进一步的现场调查确定。综合研究认为,此次积石山地震是在印度与欧亚板块持续陆陆碰撞作用下,青藏高原东北缘的西宁—兰州断块沿海原左旋走滑断裂向东侧向滑移过程中,在北东向挤压构造应力场下,引发日月山断层与西秦岭北缘断层构成的区域共扼走滑断裂系交汇挤压部位发生逆断层活动的结果。此次强震进一步指示青藏高原东缘的向东挤出构造体系仍是近年来我国陆内强震活动的主要控震构造,并警示应重视活断层相对发育的断块内部城镇密集区的强震灾害风险。

青藏高原东北缘清水河流域地貌特征及其构造意义

新生代以来,受印度板块与欧亚板块剧烈碰撞汇聚的影响,青藏高原快速隆起,其构造变形不断向北东扩展、挤出,造就了清水河流域及其周缘独特的构造地貌格局。通过对清水河流域构造地貌的研究,可以揭示新生代晚期以来青藏高原东北缘变形机制和地貌演化过程。本文基于30 m分辨率DEM数据,利用ArcGIS 10.2软件对清水河流域地貌参数进行提取,精确计算了22条子流域的河长坡降指标(SL)及Hack剖面、面积-高程积分(HI)、流域不对称度(AF)以及盆地延伸率(Re)这4种地貌形态指数,定量获取了清水河流域的地貌形态特征,再结合4个参数求得各子流域的相对活动构造指数(Iat),对研究区的相对构造活动性程度进行分析。得到以下结论:(1)研究区SL值分布在70.1~353.9之间,表明整个流域内构造活动性存在区域差异且整体活动变形程度较高;(2)受海原断裂带和香山-天景山断裂带的影响,研究区西岸流域HI和AF指数的平均值大于东岸,Re指数的平均值小于东岸,表明西岸构造活动性大于东岸;(3)研究区相对活动构造指数(Iat)处于第一、二级的面积达到80%,主要分布在西岸,表明整个流域的构造活动性强烈,且展现由东向西活动性逐渐增强的趋势。同时结合相关地质资料综合评估流域构造活动状态,并据此对河流发育阶段以及构造运动进行分析。

六盘山地区新生代构造演化:来自锆石和磷灰石裂变径迹的证据

青藏高原的隆升与扩展不仅导致欧亚大陆内部发生强烈的构造变形,亦对高原周缘的地貌格局及气候变化产生了重大影响.青藏高原东北缘新生代以来的隆升时代与响应过程一直备受争议,而界定青藏高原东北缘构造带隆升时序是解决争议的关键之一.本研究围绕青藏高原东北缘,在陇中盆地、六盘山褶皱逆冲带和鄂尔多斯地块西南缘地区进行了磷灰石和锆石裂变径迹测试分析和热史模拟.测试分析结果表明研究区样品的磷灰石裂变径迹年龄范围分布于136~16 Ma,裂变径迹的长度范围介于11.9~13.3μm;锆石裂变径迹年龄结果为258~79 Ma,但多数样品的年龄介于160~99 Ma;热史模拟结果揭示了研究区新生代以来至少经历了两期隆升和冷却降温事件,即始新世期间(55~30 Ma)和中中新世(17~12 Ma)以来.始新世期间(55~30 Ma)发生的隆升事件可能是印度大陆与欧亚大陆陆陆碰撞远程效应的直接响应,表明印度与欧亚大陆碰撞之初或不久,其应力即已传导至东北缘边界;中中新世(17~12 Ma)以来的隆升剥露冷却事件奠定了青藏高原东北缘现今构造格局.

Numerical simulation of tectonic stress and strain rate fields in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau in association with major fault zones

A series of large strike-slip and thrust faults have developed in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau since the Late Cenozoic,with strong and active tectonic activity and frequent occurrences of large earthquakes.Modulation of regional tectonic stress distribution,strain fields,and seismic hazards has not been well studied.This study introduces a three-dimensional viscoelastic finite element numerical model to calculate crustal stress and strain rate fields under current tectonic loading.The preliminary results show that the direction of the horizontal principal compressive stress rate and compressive horizontal principal strain rate in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau rotate clockwise as a whole,and this rotation is more significant in the southeast direction because of the block of the Alxa and the Ordos blocks.The NE-SW horizontal principal compressive stress rate and SE horizontal tensile stress rate dominate the entire study region.The maximum value of the horizontal principal compressive strain rate at a depth of 0 km in the model is approximately 4×10^(-8)yr^(-1)near the East Kunlun fault and is smaller in the stable Alxa and Ordos blocks at approximately 1×10^(-8)yr^(-1).The calculated regional stress state is in good agreement with the actual focal mechanism solution,indicating that strike-slip and thrust stress fields dominate the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.The Altyn Tagh,East Kunlun,and Haiyuan faults demonstrate that the maximum shear strain rate gradually decreases eastward,and the decrease in the maximum shear strain rate value is absorbed by orogenic uplift and crustal shortening at its boundaries.The western section of the Altyn Tagh fault,west-to-middle sections of the East Kunlun fault,and west-to-middle sections of the Haiyuan fault will have high seismic hazards in the future.

Discovery of rhyolitic tuffaceous slate in the southwestern margin of Yangtze Craton:Zircon U-Pb ages(2491 Ma)and tectonic-thermal events

The Mesoproterozoic Dongchuan Group that is widely exposed in Yimen area,central Yunnan Province is a series of sedimentary sort of low-grade metamorphic rocks interbedded with volcanic rocks,which are closely related to the early tectonic evolution of the Earth.However,its formation era,sedimentary filling sequence,and geotectonic characteristics have always been in dispute.In this study,several rhyolitic tuffaceous slate interlayers with a centimeter-level thickness were found in the previously determined Heishan Formation of the Dongchuan Group located to the western part of Yimen-Luoci fault zone.This paper focuses on the study of the rhyolitic tuffaceous slate in Qifulangqing Village,Tongchang Township,Yimen County.LA-ICP-MS zircon dating was conducted,achieving the crystallization age of magma of 2491±15 Ma and the metamorphic ages of about 2.3 Ga,2.0 Ga,and 1.8 Ga for the first time.Meanwhile,according to in-situ Hf isotope analysis,the zirconεHf(t)values were determined to range from−3.0 to 7.6,with an average of 2.7.Furthermore,the first-stage Hf model age(TDM1)was determined to be 2513−2916 Ma,indicating that the provenance of the rhyolitic tuffaceous slate is the depleted mantle or juvenile crust between the Middle Mesoarchean and the Late Neoarchean.Therefore,it is believed that the strata of the slate were deposited in the Late Neoarchean,instead of the Mesoproterozoic as determined by previous researchers.Accordingly,it is not appropriate to group the strata into the Mesoproterozoic Dongchuan Group.Instead,they should be classified as the Maolu Formation of the Neoarchean Puduhe Group given the lithologic association and regional information.Furthermore,the magma ages of 2491±15 Ma are highly consistent with the eras of the large-scale Late Neoarchean orogenic magmatic activities on the northern margin of the Yangtze Craton,and thus reflect the orogenic process consisting of subduction and collision from Late Neoarchean to Early Paleoproterozoic.The magmatic activities during this period were possibly caused by the convergence of the supercontinent Kenorland.Meanwhile,the metamorphic ages of 2.3 Ga,2.0 Ga,and 1.8 Ga are highly consistent with three metamorphic ages of 2.36 Ga,1.95 Ga,and 1.85 Ga of the northern margin of the Yangtze Craton,indicating that the strata experienced Paleoproterozoic tectonic-thermal events.The study area is located on the eastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and thus was possibly re-transformed by magmatism subjected to the subduction of the Meso-Tethys Ocean during the Early Cretaceous.The discoveries made in this study will provide strong petrological and chronological evidence for analyzing the early crustal evolution of the Yangtze block.

Crustal P-wave velocity structure in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and insights into crustal deformation

The transitional area between the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ordos Block and Alxa Block, also being the northern segment of the North-South Seismic Belt, is characterized by considerably high seismicity level and high risk of strong earthquakes. In view of the special tectonic environment and deep tectonic setting in this area, this study used two seismic wide-angle reflection/refraction cross profiles for double constraining, so as to more reliably obtain the fine-scale velocity structure characteristics in both the shallow and deep crust of individual blocks and their boundaries in the study area, and further discuss the seismogenic environment in seismic zones with strong historical earthquakes. In this paper, the P-wave data from the two profiles are processed and interpreted, and two-dimensional crustal velocity structure models along the two profiles are constructed by travel time forward modeling. The results show that there are great differences in velocity structure, shape of intra-crustal interfaces and crustal thickness among different blocks sampled by the two seismic profiles. The crustal thickness along the Lanzhou-Huianbu-Yulin seismic sounding profile （L1） increases from -43 km in the western margin of Ordos Block to -56 km in the Qilian Block to the west. In the Ordos Block, the velocity contours vary gently, and the average velocity of the crust is about 6.30 km s^-1; On the other hand, the velocity structures in the crust of the Qilian Block and the arc-like tectonic zone vary dramatically, and the average crustal velocities in these areas are about 0.10 km s^-1 lower than that of the Ordos Block. In addition, discontinuous low-velocity bodies （LVZ1 and LVZ2） are identified in the crust of the Qilian Block and the arc-like tectonic zone, the velocity of which is 0.10-0.20 krn s^-1 lower than that of the surroundings. The average crustal thickness of the Ordos Block is consistently estimated to be around 43 km along both Profile L2 （Tongchuan-Huianbu-Alashan left banner seismic sounding profile） and Profile L1. In contrast to the gently varying intra-crustal interfaces and velocity contours in the Ordos Block along Profile L 1, which is a typical structure characteristic of stable cratons, the crustal structure in the Ordos Block along Profile L2 exhibits rather complex variations. This indicates the presence of significant structural differences in the crust within the Ordos Block. The crustal structure of the Helan Mountain Qilian Block and the Yinchuan Basin is featured by ＂uplift and depression＂ undulations, showing the characteristics of localized compressional deformation. Moreover, there are low-velocity zones with altemative high and low velocities in the middle and lower crust beneath the Helan Mountain, where the velocity is about 0.15-0.25 km s^-1 lower than that of the surrounding areas. The crustal thickness of the Alxa Block is about 49 kin, and the velocity contours in the upper and middle-lower crust of the block vary significantly. The complex crustal velocity structure images along the two seismic sounding profiles L1 and L2 reveal considerable structural differences among different tectonic blocks, their coupling relationships and velocity structural features in the seismic zones where strong historical earthquakes occurred. The imaging result of this study provides fine-scale crustal structure information for further understanding the seismogenic environment and mechanism in the study area.

青藏高原东北缘弧形构造带新生代地层沉积序列及年代学研究进展

青藏高原东北缘弧形构造带新生代的构造变形和沉积充填过程既受到了太平洋板块俯冲的远程效应影响,也受到了青藏高原北东向扩展的控制。确定新生代地层的沉积时代是深入理解青藏高原东北缘弧形构造带内构造变形和沉积充填过程的重要前提,但是目前弧形构造带内新生代地层序列和沉积时代仍存在诸多争议。文章系统研究了弧形构造带内古近纪至新近纪沉积序列和地层时代,结果显示弧形构造带内寺口子组、清水营组、彰恩堡组和干河沟组的沉积时代分别为中晚渐新世、晚渐新世—早中新世、中中新世—晚中新世和晚中新世—上新世。综合分析了古近纪至新近纪不整合界面的形成时代,重新厘定了古近纪—新近纪两期不整合及其大地构造意义,第一期不整合发育在清水营组与彰恩堡组之间,时代为早中新世,指示了青藏高原的北东向扩展到达弧形构造带;第二期不整合发育在彰恩堡组与干河沟组之间,时代为晚中新世,指示了青藏高原北东向扩展对弧形构造带的改造达到高峰。讨论了弧形构造带沉积充填过程与构造演化的耦合关系,新生代盆地的沉积演化过程主要经历了三个阶段:自中渐新世至早中新世,弧形构造带主要受控于早期的滨太平洋伸展构造体系域,处于伸展构造背景;早中新世至晚中新世,构造变形和盆地演化开始受到青藏高原北东向扩展的影响,处于挤压构造背景;晚中新世至上新世,弧形构造带持续快速隆升,并且走滑断裂体系的发育分割了新生代盆地。