滇西瑶山杂岩变形特征与新生代剥露隆升的磷灰石裂变径迹证据

瑶山杂岩是位于哀牢山-红河剪切带(ASRR)上最南端的一个杂岩体,即瑶山-大象山杂岩的中国境内部分。为了揭示杂岩体的低温热演化与浅部剥露历史,并正确理解ASRR变质杂岩的剥露与构造演化,本文开展了杂岩体的宏观构造以及深入的显微构造分析,并在平行杂岩延伸方向上和垂直杂岩延伸方向上进行了磷灰石裂变径迹分析。结果显示,瑶山杂岩作为一个宏观线性穹窿,自渐新世以来经历了多阶段热演化过程。磷灰石的热历史反演结果表明,在约30Ma的时候,瑶山杂岩就已经剥露到距地表4.3km处,继而存在三次抬升过程:30~25Ma,是一个快速的抬升过程,冷却速率为8~8.9℃/Myr;25~12.5Ma,是一个相对缓慢的抬升过程,冷却速率为1.5~1.9℃/Myr;从中新世约13Ma至今,抬升速度又开始加快,但小于第一阶段的速度,冷却速率为3.4~4.1℃/Myr。根据磷灰石裂变径迹年龄的分布,在平行杂岩体的延伸方向上,剥露过程不是整体抬升的,而是一个不均匀的剥露过程;而在垂直杂岩体延伸方向上,是一个整体的均匀的剥露过程。区域尺度上,沿着瑶山-大象山杂岩体延伸方向上,从南东到北西,磷灰石年龄有逐渐变新的趋势,说明剥露具有穿时性;而在瑶山杂岩局部,剥露具有不均匀性,类似于波瓦状剥露特点。     

阿尔金断裂带东端40Ar/39Ar和裂变径迹定年及其地质意义

通过对酒西盆地北缘阿尔金构造岩中3件钾长石加40Ar/39Ar同位素和沿赤金堡到下天津卫石油河剖面花岗岩磷灰石、锆石裂变径迹定年研究,获得了断裂带内构造岩220～207Ma的钾长石40Ar/39Ar激光探针概率年龄,其中锆石裂变径迹定年也获得了233±19Ma以及192±26Ma的近似同时的年龄,代表了晚三叠世到早侏罗世快速的冷却事件,其可能与羌塘和昆仑地块的碰撞有关.锆石裂变径迹定年记录的149～135Ma年龄,也可能反映了晚侏罗世到早白垩世的冷却事件的存在,这一冷却剥露伴随而来的早白垩世的广泛沉积作用.磷灰石裂变径迹中值年龄主要介于42～28Ma,这一年龄结果和热史模拟表明晚始新世到渐新世,40～30Ma的冷却事件.研究区经历了类似于青藏高原北缘地区的冷却降温历史,其隆升和剥露演化受控于欧亚板块南部昆仑、羌塘、拉萨地体的碰撞拼合和印度碰撞后持续挤压作用.     

冈底斯构造带西段帮布勒铅锌铜矿床的剥露和保存：来自裂变径迹热年代学的证据

帮布勒铅锌铜矿床是近年在冈底斯构造带西段新发现的大型矽卡岩型矿床。采用低温热年代学方法,揭示帮布勒矿区的冷却和剥露历史,评估矿床保存情况,完善冈底斯构造带西段隆升剥露记录。结果显示,石英斑岩磷灰石裂变径迹年龄为24±2～32±3 Ma(1σ),记录了矿区在渐新世时的冷却和剥露时间。热演化历史模拟表明,帮布勒矿区存在3期冷却事件：Ⅰ始新世—渐新世晚期(48～24 Ma),冷却速率为4.56～10.64℃/Ma,与印度-欧亚大陆碰撞及碰撞后的地壳增厚有关;Ⅱ渐新世晚期—中新世中期(24～14 Ma),冷却速率为0.38～1.9℃/Ma,与印度俯冲板块折返、断离有关;Ⅲ中新世中期至今(14 Ma至今),冷却速率为2.28～9.88℃/Ma,与冈底斯构造带发育的南北向裂谷有关;其中5 Ma时,与冈底斯构造带普遍隆升有关。帮布勒矿区自始新世以来的剥露厚度为1.5～2.5 km,典中组火山岩的覆盖为矿床保存至今起到了保护作用。     

阿尔泰山南缘白垩纪以来的剥露历史和古地形恢复

应用裂变径迹技术研究阿尔泰山南缘中新生代以来的隆升剥露历史,并对古地形进行恢复。对所获得的11个磷灰石样品的裂变径迹年龄分析表明,裂变径迹年龄变化分布于99.1~43.7 Ma之间。该地区晚白垩世以来平均视剥露速率为0.050 mm/a。热史模拟结果表明,阿尔泰山南缘自白垩纪以来经历了多期冷却剥露历史:早白垩世至晚白垩世晚期(约120~75 Ma),剥露速率为0.044 mm/a;晚白垩世晚期至始新世(约75-70~50 Ma),剥露速率为0.070 mm/a;中新世以来(约20-15 Ma~现今),剥露速率为0.081 mm/a。对研究区进行古地形恢复显示,自白垩纪(120 Ma)至今,平均剥露幅度达约5 km,古地形海拔降低约0.8 km。阿尔泰山南缘白垩纪以来古地形海拔仅在17.5~50 Ma期间保持基本稳定,其他阶段均有降低的趋势。早白垩世的构造抬升与蒙古-鄂霍茨克海最后阶段的闭合以及西伯利亚板块和中朝-蒙古板块的最终收敛和碰撞有关;晚白垩世晚期至始新世的构造活动则是受拉萨地块、Kohistan-Dras岛弧增生的远距离影响;中新世以来快速隆升可能与印度板块与欧亚板块碰撞的远程效应有关。     

新疆西准噶尔苏云河斑岩型钼矿的剥露和保存条件:来自裂变径迹和(U-Th)/He热年代学的约束

斑岩型矿床多形成于汇聚型板块边界。由于其较浅的就位深度,大部分古老的斑岩型矿床很容易受到后期的剥蚀而消失殆尽。研究斑岩型矿床成矿后的埋藏和去顶过程对于深入理解矿床的保存条件和区域找矿前景至关重要。新疆西准噶尔西部的苏云河斑岩型钼矿床形成于晚石炭世,是一处保存良好的斑岩型矿床,为我们研究前中生代斑岩成矿系统的保存条件提供了天然的实验室。本文首次针对该矿床开展了锆石和磷灰石裂变径迹与锆石(U-Th)/He低温热年代学分析,结合热历史反演模拟以及前人的年代学数据显示,苏云河斑岩钼矿的蚀变过程至少持续了55Myr。在早二叠世到中三叠世,矿区接受5.2～8.1km厚的沉积物覆盖。中三叠世至早白垩世(240～120Ma),矿床经历了快速剥露作用,剥露速率为49.0～56.7m/Myr,去顶量为7.4～9.2km。早白垩世(120Ma)至今为缓慢剥露阶段,剥露速率为6.7～21.7m/Myr,去顶量为0.8～2.6km。中三叠世至早白垩世的快速冷却事件可能并不是特定构造事件(比如:南部羌塘和昆仑-柴达木碰撞或者羌塘和拉萨碰撞)远程效应的产物,而与区域内走滑断层的活化密切相关。而矿床早期沉积的巨厚盖层以及早白垩世以来干旱气候和缓慢剥露,为石炭-二叠纪斑岩型钼矿得以保存提供了条件。     

哀牢山-红河剪切带渐新世的构造体制转换与剥露历史:来自哀牢山南段磷灰石裂变径迹的证据

哀牢山-红河剪切带是东南亚重要的构造边界,其记录了青藏高原东南缘新生代以来的陆内变形和地貌演化。本次研究对该剪切带哀牢山南段开展了基于LA-ICPMS法测试的磷灰石裂变径迹低温年代学分析。磷灰石裂变径迹年龄数据和热史反演模拟揭示哀牢山段存在晚始新世-早中新世(40～20Ma)的快速剥露事件,而早中新世(大约20Ma)之后处于稳定的慢速剥露过程。磷灰石裂变径迹年龄-海拔分布曲线特征暗示:快速剥露机制存在差异,早期阶段(40～26Ma)的剥露过程受控于伸展为主的左旋走滑体制影响;晚阶段(26～20Ma)的快速剥露归因于简单剪切为主的左旋走滑剪切体制,上述结果暗示哀牢山-红河构造带在晚渐新世发生了一次重要的构造体制转换,即从走滑伸展变形转换为简单剪切变形。哀牢山杂岩带北段、中段、南段冷却路径对比,表明北-中段可能存在两阶段快速冷却作用,而南段只发生单一快速冷却作用;结合青藏高原东南缘低温热年代学数据,暗示自中-晚中新世,青藏高原中、下地壳物质可能向东南缘扩展,并已到达哀牢山中段,同时诱发哀牢山杂岩带以北广大地区的抬升和快速冷却。     

新疆天山造山带新生代多期次剥露作用过程

天山造山带新生代剥露过程一直受到普遍关注.对沿横穿天山的乌鲁木齐-库尔勒公路胜利达坂以南段采集的基岩样品进行了详细的磷灰石裂变径迹分析.热史模拟结果显示,该段天山的新生代剥露历史分为两个阶段,即古近纪期间的缓慢剥露阶段和中新世以来的快速剥露阶段,其剥露速率分别为＜30m/Ma和70～ 160m/Ma.综合分析前人在东天山、北天山以及南天山等天山不同区域取得的低温热年代学数据,我们认为,新生代天山造山带可能经历了4次快速剥露过程,分别开始于新生代早期(67 ～ 65Ma)、始新世中期(约40±5Ma)、渐新世末-中新世中期(约20±5Ma)以及中新世中晚期(约10±2Ma).这4次快速剥露过程分别发生于造山带的某一或某些区域,表明新生代天山地区的剥露过程存在明显的空间差异性.从整个天山造山带来看,渐新世末-中新世中期开始的快速剥露影响范围可能最广,是新生代天山地区一次重要的剥露作用过程.     

黑龙江省东部佳木斯隆起多期隆升剥露历史的热年代学研究

黑龙江省东部佳木斯隆起是佳木斯地块重要组成部分,经历了多期板块碰撞闭合事件的影响,对其隆升剥露历史的热年代学研究有助于加深对东北各地块的碰撞拼贴历史以及古亚洲洋东端构造演化的认识。本文通过对黑龙江省东部佳木斯隆起老平岗花岗岩岩体中的锆石LA-ICP-MS、独居石Th-U-Pb化学法(CHIME)以及(钾长石、黑云母)~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar法同位素年龄的测定,恢复了佳木斯隆起多期隆升剥露的构造热演化历史。研究结果显示佳木斯隆起晚三叠世之前主要存在三个隆升阶段,分别为早古生代早期(511~494Ma)和晚二叠世-中三叠世早期(260~240Ma)的快速隆升阶段以及期间的相对慢速隆升阶段。511~494Ma快速隆升阶段,冷却速率为11.76℃/Myr,隆升速率为0.294mm/a,17Myr隆升总幅度达5.00km,代表了佳木斯地块与松嫩地块的碰撞拼贴事件;494~260Ma相对慢速隆升阶段,冷却速率为1.51℃/Myr,隆升速率为0.038mm/a,234Myr隆升总幅度仅有8.80km;260~240Ma快速隆升阶段,冷却速率平均为8.44℃/Myr,隆升速度平均为0.211mm/a,20Myr隆升幅度平均达4.22km,该事件应与佳木斯地块与华北板块在晚二叠世-中三叠世的碰撞拼接事件有关。     

新疆博格达--哈尔里克山白垩纪以来剥露历史的裂变径迹证据

对新疆博格达-哈尔里克山火山岩和花岗岩的15个磷灰石样品和5个锆石样品的裂变径迹年龄测定表明,磷灰石的裂变径迹年龄变化于109.3～11.9 Ma之间,锆石的裂变径迹年龄变化于81.7～56.8 Ma之间.矿物对法计算得到,该地区晚白垩世至新生代中期的视剥露速率为0.157～0.222 mm/a.热史模拟结果表明,博格达-哈尔里克山自白垩纪以来经历了多期冷却剥露,分别是早白垩世(119～105 Ma)、晚白垩世晚期(67～65 Ma)、新生代早中期(47～31 Ma)和新生代晚期(12～7 Ma).白垩纪以来的天山变形作用,与亚洲南缘多期的地体碰撞增生有关.     

南祁连哈拉湖地区早古生代岩浆侵入事件及其构造热演化历史SCIEI北大核心CSCD

南祁连增生杂岩带作为祁连造山带的构造单元之一,是研究祁连造山带与柴达木地块构造演化及二者耦合关系的关键地区,得到了国内外学者的广泛关注。前人对南祁连增生杂岩早古生代以来的构造热演化历史研究相对较少,且缺少相对准确的年代学数据约束。本文通过对南祁连增生杂岩带哈拉湖地区阿腊郭勒岩体二长花岗岩开展LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年、岩石地球化学特征、锆石和磷灰石裂变径迹年龄测试及热历史模拟,并结合野外地质调查和构造演化特征,揭示南祁连增生杂岩带哈拉湖地区的构造热演化历史和山脉隆升过程。结果显示:(1)南祁连哈拉湖地区在中志留世发生一期岩浆侵入事件(425~429Ma),其形成的岩体具有壳源花岗岩特征,产出于同碰撞的构造环境,说明该期岩浆事件是与祁连洋洋壳俯冲结束后的柴北缘地区大陆碰撞过程中的岩浆活动有关;(2)该岩体经历了中志留世至晚泥盆世的岩浆侵位与快速冷却阶段以及晚泥盆世-侏罗纪的构造平稳与缓慢冷却阶段;(3)早白垩世以来的中低温冷却和快速隆升的构造热演化历史。此外,祁连山地区自始新世以来经历了多期与印度欧亚-板块碰撞有关的构造变形。     

低温热年代对黄陵隆起中新生代古地形的约束

低温热年代技术已经广泛应用于造山带的剥露作用和古地形演化的研究。本文对黄陵隆起进行了裂变径迹和(U-Th)/He热年代学研究,分析计算其隆升剥露速率和厚度,恢复黄陵隆起中新生代古地形。依据岩石样品冷却历史计算出的剥露速率以及剥露厚度结果,综合黄陵隆起现今地形起伏,均衡回弹作用以及古海平面变化情况,获得了黄陵隆起早侏罗世、早白垩世、晚白垩世、晚始新世以及现今5个时期的古地形变化情况。结果表明黄陵隆起地形表现为持续降低的趋势,并存在两期剧烈的隆升剥露阶段。分析认为,白垩纪(140~80 Ma±),黄陵隆起的快速隆升剥露作用与秦岭大别造山带大规模的挤压作用密切相关,晚始新世以来(40~0 Ma)黄陵隆起的快速抬升剥露作用则是对喜山期构造运动的响应。     

青海东昆仑东山根矿区构造活动的磷灰石裂变径迹分析

对青海东昆仑东山根矿区所采集的7个磷灰石样品进行分析,所获得的磷灰石裂变径迹年龄分布在136~67 Ma,具体分为136~112 Ma、101~95 Ma和74~67 Ma 3个年龄组,这较好地体现了该地区所经历的构造隆升事件。东山根矿区热历史可分为4个阶段：第1阶段(160~80 Ma),是羌塘地块与拉萨地块发生向欧亚板块挤压拼贴作用的响应阶段;第2阶段(120~80 Ma),经历了阿尔金断裂走滑,青藏高原北部隆升,以及燕山晚期冈底斯地体向北俯冲运动,直到早白垩世晚期发生快速冷却抬升;第3阶段(80~23 Ma),构造事件相对平稳,整体呈轻微抬升,样品随地质体隆升缓慢降温;第4阶段(23 Ma至今),快速冷却抬升,对应印度板块对欧亚板块的碰撞作用。     

Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic Exhumation History of the Lüliang Mountains, North China Craton: Constraint from Fission-track Thermochronology

The Lüliang Mountains, located in the North China Craton, is a relatively stable block, but it has experienced uplift and denudation since the late Mesozoic. We hence aim to explore its time and rate of the exhumation by the fission-track method. The results show that, no matter what type rocks are, the pooled ages of zircon and apatite fission-track range from 60.0 to 93.7 Ma and 28.6 to 43.3 Ma, respectively; all of the apatite fission-track length distributions are unimodal and yield a mean length of ~13?μm; and the thermal history modeling results based on apatite fission-track data indicate that the time-temperature paths exhibit similar patterns and the cooling has been accelerated for each sample since the Pliocene (c.5 Ma). Therefore, we can conclude that a successive cooling, probably involving two slow (during c.75-35 Ma and 35-5 Ma) and one rapid (during c.5 Ma-0 Ma) cooling, has occurred through the exhumation of the Lüliang Mountains since the late Cretaceous. The maximum exhumation is more than 5 km under a steady-state geothermal gradient of 35°C/km. Combined with the tectonic setting, this exhumation may be the resultant effect from the surrounding plate interactions, and it has been accelerated since c.5 Ma predominantly due to the India-Eurasia collision.     

中新生代天山剥蚀与塔里木盆地北缘沉积耦合过程:新疆库车河剖面的低温热年代学证据

天山造山带中新生代快速剥露对于了解天山构造演化过程意义重大.然而,人们对于中新生代精确的冷却时间还一直存在争议.本文报道了塔里木盆地北缘库车河剖面中生界砂岩中碎屑磷灰石裂变径迹数据和早二叠世流纹岩热史演化模拟结果. 热年代学年龄趋势显示碎屑磷灰石裂变径迹的主要年龄组分为143.0~148.9 Ma和35.7~38.1 Ma,其中较年轻的组分已经完全重置,揭示了库车坳陷的剥露信息. 热史模拟结果显示了160~140 Ma的快速冷却事件. 结合库车河剖面前人的碎屑锆石U-Pb和重矿物数据,笔者认为欧亚南缘拉萨地体的拼贴是通过刚性的塔里木将挤压应力传递至天山,导致其在晚侏罗世?早白垩世强烈隆升剥蚀,大量碎屑被搬运沉积在塔里木盆地北缘,造成库车坳陷中广泛发育的早白垩世亚格列木组砾岩及其与晚侏罗世地层之间的角度不整合. 在欧亚板块南缘多块体持续拼贴的远程效应下,天山经历始新世快速隆升变形,变形持续向南扩展,导致库车坳陷在晚始新世遭受变形和抬升.      

Cenozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the Gangdese batholith constrained by low-temperature thermochronology

Gangdese batholith in the southern Lhasa block is a key location for exploring the Tibetan Plateau uplift and exhumation history. We present the new low-temperature thermochronological data from two north–south traverses in the central Gangdese batholith to reveal their cooling histories and corresponding controls. Zircon fission track ages show prominent clusters ranging from 23.7 to 51.6 Ma, apatite fission track ages from 9.4 to 36.9 Ma, apatite (U–Th)/He ages between 9.5 and 12.3 Ma, and one zircon (U–Th)/He age around 77.8 Ma. These new data and thermal modeling, in combination with the regional geological data, suggest that the distinct parts of Gangdese batholith underwent different cooling histories resulted from various dynamic mechanisms. The Late Eocene–Early Oligocene exhumation of northern Gangdese batholith, coeval with the magmatic gap, might be triggered by crust thickening followed by the breakoff of Neotethyan slab, while this stage of exhumation in southern Gangdese batholith cannot be clearly elucidated probably because the most of plutonic rocks with the information of this cooling event were eroded away. Since then, the northern Gangdese batholith experienced a slow and stable exhumation, while the southern Gangdese batholith underwent two more stages of exhumation. The Late Oligocene–Early Miocene rapid cooling might be a response to denudation caused by the Gangdese Thrust or related to the regional uplift and exhumation in extensional background. By the early Miocene, the rapid exhumation was associated with localized river incision or intensification of Asian monsoon, or north–south normal fault.     

New apatite fission track evidence from the northern Qiangtang terrane reveal two‐phase evolution of central Tibet

The growth of central Tibet remains elusory, albeit important in evaluating different topographic growth models accounting for the Tibetan Plateau development. Thermochronological records in the northern Qiangtang terrane (QT) provide valuable information for investigating the cooling and exhumation history in central Tibet. New apatite fission track data, assisted by inverse thermal modelling, reveal two stages of accelerated cooling. The Early Cretaceous cooling is related with refrigeration of the QT and exhumation probably induced by crustal shortening. The Eocene‐Oligocene renewed cooling reflects the far‐field contraction after the onset of the India‐Asia collision and Cenozoic crustal shortening deformation in the QT, coupled with thermal relaxation and transient lithospheric removal. Our data support models indicating that Cretaceous crustal shortening produced a thickened crust in the QT, whereas the present‐day elevation was established during Eocene‐Oligocene due to crustal shortening, continental subduction and lithospheric delamination.     

循化-化隆盆地晚白垩世以来盆山耦合过程: 来自物源与磷灰石裂变径迹年代学分析的证据

循化-化隆盆地新生代沉积及盆地基底和周缘山系磷灰石裂变径迹年代学分析揭示了青藏高原东北缘晚白垩世以来经历过3期隆升剥露事件: (1)盆地基底及拉脊山和西秦岭北缘构造带磷灰石裂变径迹年龄分析普遍记录了晚白垩世-始新世中期相对快速的区域性的隆升剥露事件, 西秦岭北缘快速抬升的起始时间为84Ma, 受控于向北的逆冲抬升; 向北到循化-化隆盆地中部的拉目峡抬升的起始时间为69Ma; 更北的拉脊山一带快速抬升期主要为40~50Ma, 从而反映晚白垩世-始新世中期的快速抬升由南向北逐渐扩展.这一期构造隆升事件导致循化-化隆盆地和临夏盆地缺失了北部西宁-民和盆地古近纪所具有的西宁群沉积.隆升剥露结束于31Ma左右, 此时化隆-循化盆地向东与同时期的临夏盆地相连为一个统一的大型西秦岭山前盆地, 两者具有相同的构造、沉积演化史, 因此循化-化隆盆地他拉组底部地层年龄最老不会超过临夏盆地最老地层的古地磁年龄, 即29Ma.(2)渐新世晚期约26Ma拉脊山开始双向逆冲隆升, 并可能延续到中新世早期约21Ma, 隆升作用使循化-化隆盆地成为挟持于拉脊山逆冲带和西秦岭构造带之间的山前挤压型前陆盆地, 循化-化隆盆地开始大规模沉积巨厚的他拉组冲积扇相粗碎屑岩.(3)通过循化-化隆盆地咸水河组和临夏组的沉积相分析、古流方向和砾石成分分析, 揭示出拉脊山构造带在中新世8Ma左右发生的最大规模的双向逆冲隆升事件, 这次事件直接导致循化-化隆盆地由前陆挤压盆地转变为山间盆地, 形成现今青藏高原东北缘的盆山地貌基本格局.      

Late Mesozoic Thermotectonic Evolution of the Jueluotage Range,Eastern Xinjiang, Northwest China: Evidence from Apatite Fission Track Data

Although many authors have emphasized the Cenozoic history of deformation, exhumation and cooling in the Tiaushan area related to the India-Asia collision, very little is known about the Mesozoic history of compression and uplift within the Tianshan. In order to obtain information about the Mesozoic exhumation history and processes of cooling in eastern Tianshan, fission track methods on apatite were used. Sampling was made in the Jueluotage Range. Three samples （Z001-Z003） were taken from granite in borehole ZK6301 of Yandong pluton; the ages range from 97.0 to 87.6 Ma that are much younger than the pluton age which was dated by U-Pb zircon at 334±2 Ma. Two samples in northern piedmont of the Jueluotage Range were collected from Jurassic strata in Dikaner （DK001） and Dananhu （D001） whose ages are 91.5 and 93.4 Ma respectively. The average apparent exhumation rate is 0.039 nun/a calculated by extrapolation on the basis of Yandong samples, indicating an extremely slow exhumation in the Jueluotage Range since the Late Cretaceous. Two Jurassic samples reached the maximum depths after deposition and experienced the maximum temperatures of ca. 105 and 108℃ until the late Early Cretaceous before a period of cooling and exhumation occurred at 114 and 106 Ma.     

Thermo-tectonic history of the Junggar Alatau within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(SE Kazakhstan,NW China):Insights from integrated apatite U/Pb,fission track and(U-Th)/He thermochronology

The Junggar Alatau forms the northern extent of the Tian Shan within the Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) at the border of SE Kazakhstan and NW China.This study presents the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic post-collisional thermo-tectonic history of this frontier locality using an integrated approach based on three apatite geo-/thermochronometers:apatite U-Pb,fission track and(U-Th)/He.The apatite U-Pb dates record Carboniferous-Permian post-magmatic cooling ages for the sampled granitoids,reflecting the progressive closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean.The apatite fission track(AFT) data record(partial)preservation of the late Palaeozoic cooling ages,supplemented by limited evidence for Late Triassic(~230-210 Ma) cooling and a more prominent record of(late) Early Cretaceous(~150-110 Ma) cooling.The apatite(U-Th)/He age results are consistent with the(late) Early Cretaceous AFT data,revealing a period of fast cooling at that time in resulting thermal history models.This Cretaceous rapid cooling signal is only observed for samples taken along the major NW-SE orientated shear zone that dissects the study area(the Central Kazakhstan Fault Zone),while Permian and Triassic cooling signals are preserved in low-relief areas,distal to this structure.This distinct geographical trend with respect to the shear zone,suggests that fault reactivation triggered the Cretaceous rapid cooling,which can be linked to a phase of slab-rollback and associated extension in the distant Tethys Ocean.Similar conclusions were drawn for thermochronology studies along other major NW-SE orientated shear zones in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt,suggesting a regional phase of Cretaceous exhumation in response to fault reactivation at that time.