The Lajishan area, located in the South Qilian orogenic Belt, north‐eastern Tibetan Plateau, contains a compositionally diverse range of Cambrian to early Ordovician felsic intrusions that reflect the early Palaeozoic tectonic evolution of the Central Qilian Belt. This paper presents new geochemical, Sr─Nd and Lu─Hf isotopic, and zircon U─Pb data for the Tadong, Huangcaoshan, and Yindonggou plutons in the eastern Lajishan area. LA‐ICPMS U─Pb ages of 517.4 ± 1 Ma for the Tadong pluton which is the first find Late Cambrian granitoids in this area, 467 ± 1 Ma for the Huangcaoshan pluton and 446 ± 1 Ma for the Yindonggou pluton. The new data indicate that the Tadong pluton and Huangcaoshan pluton belong to I‐type granite. Their A/CNK values range from 0.82 to 1.03, suggesting a close relationship with I‐type granitoids. Their trace‐element geochemical characteristics include enrichments in the LILEs, pronounced depletions in Nb and Ta, enrichment of the LREEs relative to the HREEs, and Eu anomalies. These features are similar to those of I‐type volcanic‐arc magmas. Combined with Hf and Sr─Nd isotopic data, The Tadong pluton generated by the mixing of melts was derived from the partial melting of the Precambrian basement and mantle‐derived magmas. The Huangcaoshan pluton was derived from juvenile crust with contamination. The Yindonggou pluton shows A‐type characteristics, their A/NCK is 0.88–1.07, and 10000 × Ga/Al is higher than 2.6. They were characteristic with high Sr, low Y, low Yb, and enriched LREE. Combined with Hf and Sr─Nd isotopic data, the Yindonggou pluton was generated by the partial melting of oceanic slab material and was crustally contaminated associated with slab breakoff. Combined previous research suggests that Tadong pluton and Huangcaoshan pluton formed from southern subduction of the South Qilian ocean into the Central Qilian Belt; the Yindonggou pluton formed in collisional setting.

Daluo Mountains lie at front of the arcuate tectonic belt at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and are the landform boundary zone between the active Tibetan Plateau and the stable North China Craton. Studying of the late Cenozoic uplift evolution of Daluo Mountains is important for understanding the expansion mechanism of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and its influence on the western North China Craton. In this study, the late Cenozoic uplift of Daluo Mountains is constructed from the development of the late Cenozoic alluvial fan around Daluo Mountains. The entire sedimentary sequence and framework of the fan was revealed by the newly obtained drilling core data. The cosmogenic nuclide, optically stimulated luminescence, and detrital zircon U‐Pb dating results provide new evidences for discussion about the initial timing of the late Cenozoic uplift of Daluo Mountains and the key stages of uplift during the Pleistocene. The late Cenozoic alluvial fan at front of Daluo Mountains overlies a set of fluvial‐facies strata; therefore, development of the alluvial‐fan marks the start of late Cenozoic uplift of Daluo Mountains. The timing of this event can be constrained to ∼4.64 Ma. Two extensive gravel layers (dated to ca. 0.76–0.6 Ma and ∼0.05 Ma) developed during the Pleistocene, indicating two episodes of considerable uplift. This study provides a new time scale for the uplift and expansion of the arcuate tectonic belt at the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau.

The northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is the youngest part of the Tibetan Plateau where tectonic activity is intense and climate change is complex. In this study, combined with field investigations, we explored accelerator mass spectrometry 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dating and palynological analysis of the sedimentary sequence in the Qingshuihe Basin to explain the origin of soft‐sediment deformation layer. Dating and palynological results from the Sanchahe section in the basin revealed a detailed history of vegetation variation and associated climate change from ∼18 to ∼5 ka BP. The results indicate that the permafrost developed at ∼18–11.7 ka BP, and the soft‐sediment deformation structures formed at ∼11.7–5 ka BP. Together with the characteristics of the deformation (meter‐scale, continuous symmetrical wave) and paleoclimate, we suggest that the soft‐sediment deformation layer in the late Pleistocene was cryoturbated under climatic conditions. The discovery of a series of cryoturbations in the Qingshuihe Basin has further enriched the regional distribution of periglacial phenomena in the west of the Ordos Plateau, expanded the distribution range of periglacial phenomena, and provided evidence for exploring the temporal and spatial changes in permafrost in northern China at the end of the late Pleistocene.

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