Cenozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the northeastern Pamir revealed by zircon and apatite fission-track thermochronology

Neogene Source-to-Sink Relations between the Pamir and Tarim Basin: Insights from Stratigraphy, Detrital Zircon Geochronology, and Whole-Rock Geochemistry

“…Geological correlations at the ends of the KYTS yield ∼280 km displacement (Cowgill et al 2010), for which the timing is loosely constrained from late Eocene-early Miocene times (Burtman and Molnar 1993;Sobel and Dumitru 1997;Cowgill et al 2010;Sun and Jiang 2013). Detailed structural and thermochronological analyses across the fault zone of the KYTS revealed a nascent fault of this system was active in the early Eocene (Yin et al 2002;Cao et al 2013b), and the thrust sheets possibly formed in the late Miocene (Cao et al 2013b). Subsequently, most of the KYTS was no longer active (Sobel et al 2011).…”

“…Note present-day northward movement velocities of 23 ‫ע‬ 2 mm/yr and 20 ‫ע‬ 2 mm/yr for the north Pamir and Tarim Basin, respectively, relative to the Eurasia determined by GPS (Zubovich et al 2010 and Liu 2006;Bosboom et al 2011;Bershaw et al 2012;Sun and Jiang 2013), the Pamir has been an area of significant research over the past few decades. Some researchers have focused on tectonic deformation and rock exhumation within the Pamir hinterland (e.g., Arnaud et al 1993;Strecker et al 1995;Sobel and Dumitru 1997;Robinson et al 2004Robinson et al , 2007Amidon and Hynek 2010;Cowgill 2010;Sobel et al 2011Sobel et al , 2013Lukens et al 2012;Cao et al 2013aCao et al , 2013bStü bner et al 2013aStü bner et al , 2013b. However, relatively less attention has been given to understand the linkage between mountain building, sediment routing, and basin growth throughout the Cenozoic (Brookfield 2008;Bershaw et al 2012;Sun and Jiang 2013;Zheng et al 2000Wei et al 2013).…”

“…Figure 2. A, Simplified geological maps of the Pamir and adjacent Tibetan Plateau, and southwest Tarim Basin, presenting Paleozoic-Cenozoic magmatic belts, Cenozoic crystalline domes, major Cenozoic faults, and wellexposed Cenozoic deposits, based on Cowgill et al (2003), Jin et al (2003), Schwab et al (2004), Robinson et al (2007Robinson et al ( , 2012, Jiang et al (2012), Cao et al (2013b), and our own observations. Rectangle highlights the targeted Qimugan section.…”

Early middle Miocene tectonic uplift of the northwestern part of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau evidenced by geochemical and mineralogical records in the western Tarim Basin

“…The addition of sedimentary sources must, besides being rich in chemical weathering products, be rich in Co, Cr, and Ni, and in calcite and kaolinite, of which the latter two were found in the Paleogene sediments of the Qimugan section. This new sedimentary source might be combined eolian sediments and Paleogene sediments, as, firstly, eolian input is reported to initiate in the Tarim Basin during the latest Miocene to Pliocene (Sun and Liu 2006;Sun et al 2009) and, secondly, increases in calcite and kaolinite could be related to a continued uplift of surrounding mountains exposing and reworking the older Paleogene sediment during the latest Miocene Cao et al 2013a).…”

“…Zircon and apatite fission-track chronological data have documented that the Kashgar-Yecheng transfer system was reactive during the latest Miocene 10-6 Ma (Cao et al 2013a). This fault located near the south of the Qimugan section deforms older Paleogene sediments, which were exposed and reworked producing the kaolinite and calcite re-deposition after 6.5 Ma.…”