Recent rapid shortening of crust across the Tianshan Mts. and relative motion of tectonic blocks in the north and south

Wang, Qi; Ding, Guoqiang; Qiao, Xuejun; Wang, Xiaoqiang; You, Xinzhao

doi:10.1007/bf02909695

Cited by 28 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Usually, the lithosphere deformation in the orogenic belts takes place along the direction perpendicular to the mountain strike. We have the same case in the Tianshan range [6][7][8][9]22] . Since the array observational profile along Kuqa-Kuitun is almost perpendicular to the mountain strike, this will be in favour of not only investigating the upper mantle deformation movement along the profile, but also understanding the influence of the upper mantle convection on the Tianshan orogeny.…”

Section: Model and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 83%

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Small-scale upper mantle convection and orogeny of Tianshan Mountains in China

Liu

Guo

et al. 2007

SCI CHINA SER D

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In this study, from the travel time data recorded in the Tianshan passive seismic array experiment, we present the P-wave velocity structure of the upper mantle down to 660 km along the Kuqa-Kuitun profile in terms of seismic tomography technique. Based on the P-wave velocity model, we derive the corresponding 2D upper mantle density model. The 2D small-scale convection of the upper mantle underneath the Tianshan Mountains in China driven by the density anomalies is simulated using the hybrid finite element method combining with the marker-in-cell technique. The main features of the upper mantle convection and the reciprocation between the convection and mountain building are investigated. The results manifest that (1) in the upper mantle underneath the Junggar basin and North Tianshan exists a counterclockwise convection, which scale is ~ 500 km; (2) underneath the Tarim basin and South Tianshan exists a clockwise northward convection, which is relatively weak; (3) the convective velocity at the top of the upper mantle underneath the Tianshan Mountains in China should not be less than 20 mm/a, while considering the dependent of convective velocity on the viscosity; (4) the northward extrusion of the Tarim block plays a key role in the Cenozoic Tianshan mountain building and the present-day tectonic deformation of the Tianshan range is related closely to the upper mantle convection; and (5) the northward subduction of the Tarim block does not influence obviously the upper mantle convection.Tianshan orogeny, mantle convection, orogeny, finite element method, marker-in-cell method

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Section: Model and Boundary Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…From the GPS data, Wang et al [22] proposed that the Tarim basin moves northward and the Tianshan crust has a shortening rate of 4-20 mm/a. Their results manifest that the shortening rate of the Tianshan crust becomes smaller from west to east and it is 7-8 mm/a in the Kuqa-Kuitun profile.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Small-scale upper mantle convection and orogeny of Tianshan Mountains in China

Liu

Guo

et al. 2007

SCI CHINA SER D

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“…They visually show the positions of recently tectonic activity in the Kalpin nappe structure, though they are small in size. If the shortening rate of the 4 active folds since the late Pleistocene is simply summed, its value is 1.07 mm/a, apparently less than the crustal shortening rate of above 10 mm/a reflected by folding deformation and thrust faults between the northwestern margin of Tarim basin and Southwest Tianshan [16,24] and also less than that of about 20 mm/a across the western section of Tianshan Mountains from GPS observations and result of geological modeling [5,6] . The shortening of the studied small anticlines is only a small part of the crustal shortening of the Kalpin nappe structure.…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Cenozoic tectonic deformation is intense in west and weak in east, and intense in south and weak in north [8,13] . Result of GPS measurement shows also a trend of eastward reducing crustal shortening rate at present [5] .Precise geodesic measurement and geochronological study of the deformed terraces in the squeezed active tectonic region can more reliably yield crustal shorten- …”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The Tianshan Mountains far away from the plate boundary (1000-2000 km) are one of the youngest, most grandiose intracontinental orogenic belts and are also a region with most frequent and strong seismicity in Middle Asia. Latest GPS measurements across the western section of Tianshan Mountains indicate that the recent crustal shortening rate is about 20 mm/a [4,5] , approximately one half of the present northward squeezing of Indian Plate. Many scientists have related the intracontinental deformation of Tianshan Mountains to the Cenozoic collision between Indian and Eurasian plates and the subsequent northward strong squeezing.…”

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confidence: 98%

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Measurement of terrace deformation and crustal shortening of some renascent fold zones within Kalpin nappe structure

et al. 2007

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The Kalpin nappe structure is a strongest thrust and fold deformation belt in front of the Tianshan Mountains since the Cenozoic time. The tectonic deformation occurred in 5 -6 striking Mesozoic-Cenozoic fold zones, and some renascent folds formed on the recent alluvial-proluvial fans in front of the folded mountains. We used the total station to measure gully terraces along the longitudinal topographic profile in the renascent fold zones and collected samples from terrace deposits for age determination. Using the obtained formation time and shortening amount of the deformed terraces, we calculated the shortening rate of 4 renascent folds to be 0.1±0.03 mm/a, 0.12±0.04 mm/a, 0.59±0.18 mm/a, and 0.26±0.08 mm/a, respectively. The formation time of the renascent folds is some later than the major tectonic uplift event of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau 0.14 Ma ago. It may be the long-distance effect of this tectonic event on the Tianshan piedmont fold belt.Tianshan Mountains, Kalpin nappe structure, active folds, terrace folding, crustal shortening.The collision between Indian and Eurasian plates produced about 2000-3000 km crustal shortening since the late Cretaceous [1] . Up to now, the two plates are still in convergence at a rate of 35-60 mm/a [2,3] . The Tianshan Mountains far away from the plate boundary (1000-2000 km) are one of the youngest, most grandiose intracontinental orogenic belts and are also a region with most frequent and strong seismicity in Middle Asia. Latest GPS measurements across the western section of Tianshan Mountains indicate that the recent crustal shortening rate is about 20 mm/a [4,5] , approximately one half of the present northward squeezing of Indian Plate. Many scientists have related the intracontinental deformation of Tianshan Mountains to the Cenozoic collision between Indian and Eurasian plates and the subsequent northward strong squeezing. The starting time of the Cenozoic deformation of Tianshan Mountains, deformation mode, amplitude and spatial distribution are still in controversy [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] . Preliminary geological and seismological investigations indicate that during the late Cenozoic and at present, Tianshan Mountains have been undergoing mainly compressional tectonic deformation, the strain spread out in many sub-latitudinal thrust-fold zones within the orogenic belt and in the piedmont zone. This tectonic deformation is inhomogeneous in space and displays an eastward reducing crustal shortening [6] . The Cenozoic tectonic deformation is intense in west and weak in east, and intense in south and weak in north [8,13] . Result of GPS measurement shows also a trend of eastward reducing crustal shortening rate at present [5] .Precise geodesic measurement and geochronological study of the deformed terraces in the squeezed active tectonic region can more reliably yield crustal shorten-

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Current crustal movement in Chinese mainland

Wang

2003

Acta Seismol. Sin.

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Recent rapid shortening of crust across the Tianshan Mts. and relative motion of tectonic blocks in the north and south

Cited by 28 publications

References 10 publications

Small-scale upper mantle convection and orogeny of Tianshan Mountains in China

Small-scale upper mantle convection and orogeny of Tianshan Mountains in China

Measurement of terrace deformation and crustal shortening of some renascent fold zones within Kalpin nappe structure

Current crustal movement in Chinese mainland

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