Thermochronological Evidence of the Cenozoic Differential Uplift Processes of the West Kunlun and Its Adjacent Area

CAO Kai; WANG Guo-can; LIU Chao; MENG Yan-ning

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1000-2383.2009.06.003

Abstract：Thermochronological data suggests that spatial-temporal differences of uplift obviously exist in West Kunlun and its adjacent area. Firstly, the uplift history falls into three distinct stages: The partial uplift stage from Late Oligocene to Early Miocene (25-16 Ma), the rapid uplift stage during Middle Miocene (14-8 Ma) and the holistic and strong uplift stage since Late Miocene (after 6 Ma). Secondly, the uplift of the study area shows obvious spatial differences. The uplift of Kongur-Tash Gurgan area mainly occurred after 9 Ma; the uplift of Hongqilapu-Kuda area mainly occurred during 25-16 Ma, and the uplift of Kangxiwar-Pulu area mainly occurred after 9 Ma (especially 9-2 Ma) and during 25-12 Ma In the east/west direction, the uplift is earlier near the syntaxises (western Himalayan Syntaxis and West Kunlun-Altyn Syntaxis) than that in the middle area. Near the syntaxises the uplift mainly occurred after 9 Ma and yet in the middle area mainly before 9 Ma. In the south/ north direction, the rapid uplift of northern West Kunlun terrane roughly occurred at 20 Mas the rapid uplift of southern West Kunlun terrane mainly occurred during 9-5 Ma; the rapid uplift of Tianshuihai terrane mainly occurred during 5-2 Ma. The rapid uplift of southern West Kunlun and its adjacent area is later than that in the north, and it varies from old to new.