Abstract
Using provenance analysis to build an accurate source-to-sink relationship is the key to infer mountain building scenarios around the Qaidam Basin, and also important to understanding the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan Plateau. However, some conflicting provenance inferences are caused by different interpretations for the prevalent existence of the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic age group in detrital zircon U‒Pb age spectra of the Paleogene strata at the northern Qaidam Basin, and these need to be resolved. In this article, an integrated study of sediment distribution, heavy mineral assemblages, and detrital zircon U‒Pb geochronology is carried out to analyze provenance of the Paleogene strata at the northern Qaidam Basin. The decreasing trends of the net sand to gross thickness ratios and conglomerate percentages away from the Qilian Mountains and Altyn Tagh range to basin interior clearly support they are the provenance areas. Sedimentation of materials from the Altyn Tagh range is spatially confined to a small area in front of the mountains. A large sandy body with a uniform distribution of detrital zircon ages (containing a lot of the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic zircon ages) and heavy mineral assemblages in the Xiaganchaigou Formation is supplied by the Qilian Mountains.
Highlights
IntroductionAs the largest Cenozoic intermontane basin in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau, the Qaidam Basin accumulates a thick and continuous sedimentary succession and preserves important information to infer tectonic activities of its surrounding orogenic belts
Tectonic activities of the northwestern Tibetan Plateau provide significant evidence for understanding the formation and evolution of the Tibetan Plateau
Heavy mineral analysis and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of nine samples were conducted to infer the provenance. These results show that the provenance of the Paleogene strata in the northern Qaidam Basin is from the neighbouring Altyn Tagh range and Qilian Mountains, and that materials from the Altyn Tagh range are not southwardly transported to the Dahonggou area
Summary
As the largest Cenozoic intermontane basin in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau, the Qaidam Basin accumulates a thick and continuous sedimentary succession and preserves important information to infer tectonic activities of its surrounding orogenic belts. Using provenance analysis to construct a reasonable source-to-sink relationship is the prerequisite to interpret the information of the sedimentary archive. The anan intermontane basin surrounded geographically by the Tagh The Qaidam. QaidamBasin, Basin,which whichis is intermontane basin surrounded geographically byAltyn the Altyn. Tagh Range to the northwest, the Qilian Mountains to the northeast, and the eastern Kunlun to the southto(Figure.
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