Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The ...Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The east-west dextral-slip Gangdise fault system merges eastward into the northeast-trending, southeast-dipping Nyainqentanglha thrust system that swings eastward farther north into the dextral-slip North Damxung shear zone and Jiali faults. These faults were took shape by the Early Miocene, and the large Nyainqentanglha granitic batholith formed along the thrust system in 18.3-11.0 Ma as the western block drove under the eastern one. The dextral-slip movement ended at -11 Ma and the batholith rose, as marked by gravitational shearing at 8.6-8.3 Ma, and a new fault system developed. Northwest-trending dextral-slip faults formed to the northwest of the raisen batholith, whereas the northeast-trending South Damxung thrust faults with some sinistral-slip formed to the southeast. The latter are replaced farther to the east by the west-northwest-trending Lhtinzhub thrust faults with dextral-slip. This relatively local uplift that left adjacent Eocene and Miocene deposits preserved was followed by a regional uplift and the initiation of a system of generally north-south grabens in the Late Miocene at -6.5 Ma. The regional uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau thus appears to have occurred between 8.3 Ma and 6.5 Ma. The Gulu, DamxungYangbajain and Angan graben systems that pass east of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are locally controlled by the earlier northeast-trending faults. These grabens dominate the subsequent tectonic movement and are still very active as northwest-trending dextral-slip faults northwest of the mountains. The Miocene is a time of great tectonic change that ushered in the modern tectonic regime.展开更多
Dextral-slip thrust movement of the Songpan-Garze terrain over the Sichuan block caused the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008 and offset the Central Longmenshan Fault （CLF） along a distance of -250 km. Disp...Dextral-slip thrust movement of the Songpan-Garze terrain over the Sichuan block caused the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008 and offset the Central Longmenshan Fault （CLF） along a distance of -250 km. Displacement along the CLF changes from Yingxiu to Qingchuan. The total oblique slip of up to 7.6 m in Yingxiu near the epicenter of the earthquake, decreases northeastward to 5.3 m, 6.6 m, 4.4 m, 2.5 m and 1.1 m in Hongkou, Beichuan, Pingtong, Nanba and Qingchuan, respectively. This offset apparently occurred during a sequence of four reported seismic events, EQ1-EQ4, which were identified by seismic inversion of the source mechanism. These events occurred in rapid succession as the fault break propagated northeastward during the earthquake. Variations in the plunge of slickensides along the CLF appear to match these events. The Mw 7.5 EQ1 event occurred during the first 0-10 s along the Yingxiu-Hongkou section of the CLF and is characterized by 1.7 m vertical slip and vertical slickensides. The Mw 8.0 EQ2 event, which occurred during the next 10-42 s along the Yingxiu-Yanziyan section of the CLF, is marked by major dextralslip with minor thrust and slickensides plunging 25°-35° southwestward. The Mw 7.5 EQ3 event occurred during the following 42-60 s and resulted in dextral-slip and slickensides plunging 10° southwestward in Beichuan and plunging 73° southwestward in Hongkou. The Mw 7.7 EQ4 event, which occurred during the final 60-95 s along the Beichuan-Qingchuan section of the CLF, is characterized by nearly equal values of dextral and vertical slips with slickensides plunging 45°-50° southwestward. These seismic events match and evidently controlled the concentrations of landslide dams caused by the Wenchuan earthquake in Longmenshan Mountains.展开更多
Selected geological data on Early Cretaceous strata, structures, magmatic plutons and volcanic rocks from the Kunlun to Himalaya Mountains reveal a new view of the Early Cretaceous paleo-tectonics and the related geod...Selected geological data on Early Cretaceous strata, structures, magmatic plutons and volcanic rocks from the Kunlun to Himalaya Mountains reveal a new view of the Early Cretaceous paleo-tectonics and the related geodynamic movement of the Tibetan Plateau. Two major paleo- oceans, the Mid-Tethys Ocean between the Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks, and the Neo-Tethys Ocean between the Lhasa and Himalayan blocks, existed in the Tibetan region in the Early Cretaceous. The Himalayan Marginal and South Lhasa Seas formed in the southern and northern margins of the Neo- Tethys Ocean, the Central Tibet Sea and the Qiangtang Marginal Sea formed in the southern and northern margins of the Mid-Tethys Ocean, respectively. An arm of the sea extended into the southwestern Tarim basin in the Early Cretaceous. Early Cretaceous intensive thrusting, magmatic emplacement and volcanic eruptions occurred in the central and northern Lhasa Block, while strike- slip formed along the Hoh-Xil and South Kunlun Faults in the northern Tibetan region. Early Cretaceous tectonics together with magmatic K20 geochemistry indicate an Early Cretaceous southward subduction of the Mid-Tethys Oceanic Plate along the Bangoin-Nujiang Suture which was thrust ~87 km southward during the Late Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic. No intensive thrust and magmatic emplacement occurred in the Early Cretaceous in the Himalayan and southern Lhasa Blocks, indicating that the spreading Neo-Tethys Oceanic Plate had not been subducted in the Early Cretaceous. To the north, terrestrial basins of red-beds formed in the Hoh-Xil, Kunlun, Qilian and the northeastern Tarim blocks in Early Cretaceous, and the Qiangtang Marginal Sea disappeared after the Qiangtang Block uplifted in the late Early Cretaceous.展开更多
Early Miocene stratigraphy,major structural systems,magmatic emplacement,volcanic eruption,vegetation change and paleo-elevation were analyzed for the Tibetan Plateau after regional geological mapping at a scale of 1...Early Miocene stratigraphy,major structural systems,magmatic emplacement,volcanic eruption,vegetation change and paleo-elevation were analyzed for the Tibetan Plateau after regional geological mapping at a scale of 1：250,000 and related researches,revealing much more information for tectonic evolution and topographic change of the high plateau caused by Indian-Asian continental collision.Lacustrine deposits of dolostone,dolomite limestone,limestone,marl,sandstone and conglomerate of weak deformation formed extensively in the central Tibetan Plateau,indicating that vast lake complexes as large as 100,000-120,000 km2 existed in the central plateau during Early Miocene.Sporopoilen assemblages contained in the lacustrine strata indicate the disappearance of most tropical-subtropical broad-leaved trees since Early Miocene and the flourishing of dark needle-leaved trees during Early Miocene.Such vegetation changes adjusted for latitude and global climate variations demonstrate that the central Tibetan Plateau rose to ca.4,000-4,500 m and the northeastern plateau uplifted to ca.3,500-4,000 m before the Early Miocene.Intensive thrust and crustal thickening occurred in the areas surrounding central Tibetan Plateau in Early Miocene,formed Gangdise Thrust System （GTS） in the southern Lhasa block,Zedong-Renbu Thrust （ZRT） in the northern Himalaya block,Main Central Thrust （MCT） and Main Boundary Thrust （MBT） in the southern Himalaya block,and regional thrust systems in the Qaidam,Qilian,West Kunlun and Songpan-Ganzi blocks.Foreland basins formed in Early Miocene along major thrust systems,e.g.the Siwalik basin along MCT,Yalung-Zangbu Basin along GTS and ZRT,southwestern Tarim depression along West Kunlun Thrust,and large foreland basins along major thrust systems in the northeastern margin of the plateau.Intensive volcanic eruptions formed in the Qiangtang,Hoh-Xil and Kunlun blocks,porphyry granites and volcanic eruptions formed in the Nainqentanglha and Gangdise Mts.,and leucogranites and granites formed in the Himalaya and Longmenshan Mts.in Early Miocene.The K2O weight percentages of Early Miocene magmatic rocks in the Gangdise and Himlayan Mts.are found to increase with distance from the MBT,indicating the genetic relationship between regional magmatism and subduction of Indian continental plate in Early Miocene.展开更多
A new method for determining the partial melting depth of mantle-derived magma and lithospheric thickness in continental regions is derived from REE geochemistry. This effective technique uses variations in the Ce/Yb ...A new method for determining the partial melting depth of mantle-derived magma and lithospheric thickness in continental regions is derived from REE geochemistry. This effective technique uses variations in the Ce/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios found in mainly volcanic rocks in continental China. The ratios change with the depth of origin consistent with the correlation between lithospheric thickness and the Ce/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios found in oceanic basalt. These ratios increase exponentially with the depth of origin, the lithospheric thickness, of a wide variety of Cenozoic volcanic basalt and Paleozoic kimberlite in the North China Craton, northeastern China continent and vicinity. This functional relationship with depth is shown in a plot of the ratios that forms a concordia curve, which is closely expressed by formulas using 8–degree polynomials. These provide a more accurate gage in measuring the lithospheric thickness than the traditional geophysical methods. When applied to volcanic rock of different ages it also reveals how the thickness has changed over time and thus, greatly aids the understanding of the tectonic history. Relations between the COcontent, mineral reactions and pressure in the upper asthenosphere beneath the base of the lithosphere appears to affect the proportions of REE in partial melts and brings about a close correlation between lithospheric thickness and the Ce/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios in mantle–derived magmatic rock. This thickness gauge, for both continental and oceanic lithosphere, provides a new approach in analyzing the lithospheric thickness in different tectonic settings and geologic times.展开更多
Earthquake prediction thus far has proven to be a very difficult task, but changes in situ stress appear to offer a viable approach for forecasting large earthquakes in Tibet and perhaps other continental regions. Hig...Earthquake prediction thus far has proven to be a very difficult task, but changes in situ stress appear to offer a viable approach for forecasting large earthquakes in Tibet and perhaps other continental regions. High stress anomalies formed along active faults before large earthquakes and disappeared soon after the earthquakes occurred in the Tibetan Plateau. Principle stress increased up to ~2 -?5 times higher than background stress to form high stress anomalies along causative faults before the Ms 8.1 West Kunlun Pass earthquake in November 2001, Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in May 2008, Ms 6.6 Nimu earthquake in October 2009, Ms 7.1 Yushu earthquake in April 2010 and the Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake in April 2013. Stress near the epicenters rapidly increased 0.10 - 0.12 MPa over 45 days, ~8 months before the Ms 6.6 Nimu earthquake occurred. The high principle stress anomalies decreased quickly to the normal stress state in ~8 -?12 months after the Ms 8.1 West Kunlun Pass and the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquakes. These high stress anomalies and their demise appear directly related to the immediate stress rise along a fault prior to the earthquakes and the release during the event. Thus, the stress rise appears to be a viable precursor in prediction of large continental earthquakes as in the Tibetan Plateau.展开更多
文摘Dextral-slip in the Nyainqentanglha region of Tibet resulted in oblique underthrusting and granite generation in the Early to Middle Miocene, but by the end of the epoch uplift and extensional faulting dominated. The east-west dextral-slip Gangdise fault system merges eastward into the northeast-trending, southeast-dipping Nyainqentanglha thrust system that swings eastward farther north into the dextral-slip North Damxung shear zone and Jiali faults. These faults were took shape by the Early Miocene, and the large Nyainqentanglha granitic batholith formed along the thrust system in 18.3-11.0 Ma as the western block drove under the eastern one. The dextral-slip movement ended at -11 Ma and the batholith rose, as marked by gravitational shearing at 8.6-8.3 Ma, and a new fault system developed. Northwest-trending dextral-slip faults formed to the northwest of the raisen batholith, whereas the northeast-trending South Damxung thrust faults with some sinistral-slip formed to the southeast. The latter are replaced farther to the east by the west-northwest-trending Lhtinzhub thrust faults with dextral-slip. This relatively local uplift that left adjacent Eocene and Miocene deposits preserved was followed by a regional uplift and the initiation of a system of generally north-south grabens in the Late Miocene at -6.5 Ma. The regional uplift of the southern Tibetan Plateau thus appears to have occurred between 8.3 Ma and 6.5 Ma. The Gulu, DamxungYangbajain and Angan graben systems that pass east of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains are locally controlled by the earlier northeast-trending faults. These grabens dominate the subsequent tectonic movement and are still very active as northwest-trending dextral-slip faults northwest of the mountains. The Miocene is a time of great tectonic change that ushered in the modern tectonic regime.
基金supported by Sino-Probe project and Ministry of Science and Technology of China undergrant 2006DFB21330
文摘Dextral-slip thrust movement of the Songpan-Garze terrain over the Sichuan block caused the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008 and offset the Central Longmenshan Fault （CLF） along a distance of -250 km. Displacement along the CLF changes from Yingxiu to Qingchuan. The total oblique slip of up to 7.6 m in Yingxiu near the epicenter of the earthquake, decreases northeastward to 5.3 m, 6.6 m, 4.4 m, 2.5 m and 1.1 m in Hongkou, Beichuan, Pingtong, Nanba and Qingchuan, respectively. This offset apparently occurred during a sequence of four reported seismic events, EQ1-EQ4, which were identified by seismic inversion of the source mechanism. These events occurred in rapid succession as the fault break propagated northeastward during the earthquake. Variations in the plunge of slickensides along the CLF appear to match these events. The Mw 7.5 EQ1 event occurred during the first 0-10 s along the Yingxiu-Hongkou section of the CLF and is characterized by 1.7 m vertical slip and vertical slickensides. The Mw 8.0 EQ2 event, which occurred during the next 10-42 s along the Yingxiu-Yanziyan section of the CLF, is marked by major dextralslip with minor thrust and slickensides plunging 25°-35° southwestward. The Mw 7.5 EQ3 event occurred during the following 42-60 s and resulted in dextral-slip and slickensides plunging 10° southwestward in Beichuan and plunging 73° southwestward in Hongkou. The Mw 7.7 EQ4 event, which occurred during the final 60-95 s along the Beichuan-Qingchuan section of the CLF, is characterized by nearly equal values of dextral and vertical slips with slickensides plunging 45°-50° southwestward. These seismic events match and evidently controlled the concentrations of landslide dams caused by the Wenchuan earthquake in Longmenshan Mountains.
基金supported by the China Geological Survey under grants No.1212011120185 and 1212011221111the Ministry of Land and Resources of China under a grant Sinoprobe-02the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under a grant 2006DFB21330
文摘Selected geological data on Early Cretaceous strata, structures, magmatic plutons and volcanic rocks from the Kunlun to Himalaya Mountains reveal a new view of the Early Cretaceous paleo-tectonics and the related geodynamic movement of the Tibetan Plateau. Two major paleo- oceans, the Mid-Tethys Ocean between the Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks, and the Neo-Tethys Ocean between the Lhasa and Himalayan blocks, existed in the Tibetan region in the Early Cretaceous. The Himalayan Marginal and South Lhasa Seas formed in the southern and northern margins of the Neo- Tethys Ocean, the Central Tibet Sea and the Qiangtang Marginal Sea formed in the southern and northern margins of the Mid-Tethys Ocean, respectively. An arm of the sea extended into the southwestern Tarim basin in the Early Cretaceous. Early Cretaceous intensive thrusting, magmatic emplacement and volcanic eruptions occurred in the central and northern Lhasa Block, while strike- slip formed along the Hoh-Xil and South Kunlun Faults in the northern Tibetan region. Early Cretaceous tectonics together with magmatic K20 geochemistry indicate an Early Cretaceous southward subduction of the Mid-Tethys Oceanic Plate along the Bangoin-Nujiang Suture which was thrust ~87 km southward during the Late Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic. No intensive thrust and magmatic emplacement occurred in the Early Cretaceous in the Himalayan and southern Lhasa Blocks, indicating that the spreading Neo-Tethys Oceanic Plate had not been subducted in the Early Cretaceous. To the north, terrestrial basins of red-beds formed in the Hoh-Xil, Kunlun, Qilian and the northeastern Tarim blocks in Early Cretaceous, and the Qiangtang Marginal Sea disappeared after the Qiangtang Block uplifted in the late Early Cretaceous.
基金supported by the China Geological Survey under grants Nos.1212011120185 and 1212011221111the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under grant 2006DFB21330
文摘Early Miocene stratigraphy,major structural systems,magmatic emplacement,volcanic eruption,vegetation change and paleo-elevation were analyzed for the Tibetan Plateau after regional geological mapping at a scale of 1：250,000 and related researches,revealing much more information for tectonic evolution and topographic change of the high plateau caused by Indian-Asian continental collision.Lacustrine deposits of dolostone,dolomite limestone,limestone,marl,sandstone and conglomerate of weak deformation formed extensively in the central Tibetan Plateau,indicating that vast lake complexes as large as 100,000-120,000 km2 existed in the central plateau during Early Miocene.Sporopoilen assemblages contained in the lacustrine strata indicate the disappearance of most tropical-subtropical broad-leaved trees since Early Miocene and the flourishing of dark needle-leaved trees during Early Miocene.Such vegetation changes adjusted for latitude and global climate variations demonstrate that the central Tibetan Plateau rose to ca.4,000-4,500 m and the northeastern plateau uplifted to ca.3,500-4,000 m before the Early Miocene.Intensive thrust and crustal thickening occurred in the areas surrounding central Tibetan Plateau in Early Miocene,formed Gangdise Thrust System （GTS） in the southern Lhasa block,Zedong-Renbu Thrust （ZRT） in the northern Himalaya block,Main Central Thrust （MCT） and Main Boundary Thrust （MBT） in the southern Himalaya block,and regional thrust systems in the Qaidam,Qilian,West Kunlun and Songpan-Ganzi blocks.Foreland basins formed in Early Miocene along major thrust systems,e.g.the Siwalik basin along MCT,Yalung-Zangbu Basin along GTS and ZRT,southwestern Tarim depression along West Kunlun Thrust,and large foreland basins along major thrust systems in the northeastern margin of the plateau.Intensive volcanic eruptions formed in the Qiangtang,Hoh-Xil and Kunlun blocks,porphyry granites and volcanic eruptions formed in the Nainqentanglha and Gangdise Mts.,and leucogranites and granites formed in the Himalaya and Longmenshan Mts.in Early Miocene.The K2O weight percentages of Early Miocene magmatic rocks in the Gangdise and Himlayan Mts.are found to increase with distance from the MBT,indicating the genetic relationship between regional magmatism and subduction of Indian continental plate in Early Miocene.
基金supported by the Ministry of Land and Resources of China under grant No.201211095
文摘A new method for determining the partial melting depth of mantle-derived magma and lithospheric thickness in continental regions is derived from REE geochemistry. This effective technique uses variations in the Ce/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios found in mainly volcanic rocks in continental China. The ratios change with the depth of origin consistent with the correlation between lithospheric thickness and the Ce/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios found in oceanic basalt. These ratios increase exponentially with the depth of origin, the lithospheric thickness, of a wide variety of Cenozoic volcanic basalt and Paleozoic kimberlite in the North China Craton, northeastern China continent and vicinity. This functional relationship with depth is shown in a plot of the ratios that forms a concordia curve, which is closely expressed by formulas using 8–degree polynomials. These provide a more accurate gage in measuring the lithospheric thickness than the traditional geophysical methods. When applied to volcanic rock of different ages it also reveals how the thickness has changed over time and thus, greatly aids the understanding of the tectonic history. Relations between the COcontent, mineral reactions and pressure in the upper asthenosphere beneath the base of the lithosphere appears to affect the proportions of REE in partial melts and brings about a close correlation between lithospheric thickness and the Ce/Yb and Sm/Yb ratios in mantle–derived magmatic rock. This thickness gauge, for both continental and oceanic lithosphere, provides a new approach in analyzing the lithospheric thickness in different tectonic settings and geologic times.
文摘Earthquake prediction thus far has proven to be a very difficult task, but changes in situ stress appear to offer a viable approach for forecasting large earthquakes in Tibet and perhaps other continental regions. High stress anomalies formed along active faults before large earthquakes and disappeared soon after the earthquakes occurred in the Tibetan Plateau. Principle stress increased up to ~2 -?5 times higher than background stress to form high stress anomalies along causative faults before the Ms 8.1 West Kunlun Pass earthquake in November 2001, Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in May 2008, Ms 6.6 Nimu earthquake in October 2009, Ms 7.1 Yushu earthquake in April 2010 and the Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake in April 2013. Stress near the epicenters rapidly increased 0.10 - 0.12 MPa over 45 days, ~8 months before the Ms 6.6 Nimu earthquake occurred. The high principle stress anomalies decreased quickly to the normal stress state in ~8 -?12 months after the Ms 8.1 West Kunlun Pass and the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquakes. These high stress anomalies and their demise appear directly related to the immediate stress rise along a fault prior to the earthquakes and the release during the event. Thus, the stress rise appears to be a viable precursor in prediction of large continental earthquakes as in the Tibetan Plateau.
