Transfer Structures in the Northern Tarim Basin, Northwest China

Abstract

The fold-thrust tectonics in the Northern Tarim Basin, oriented roughly parallel to the South Tianshan orogenic belt, consists of two large-scale tectonic regimes: (1) the foreland-basin, thin-skinned deformation belt; and (2) the foreland-craton, thick-skinned-dominated (i.e., basement-involved) deformation belt. Variations in the degree of deformation in these tectonic belts and style along the regional tectonic strike can be accounted for by longitudinal (progressive) transfer or transverse (abrupt) transfer. Longitudinal transfer maintains the overall displacement or shortening within the fold-thrust belts as uniform or with gradual change along the tectonic strike. This includes the tectonic transfer between en echelon master thrusts and from the individual master thrust to terminal fold (s) or distributive thrusts. Transverse transfer resulted from an abrupt change in overall displacement or shortening along the tectonic strike. Within the transverse transfer zone, various tectonics—such as strike-s...