Differential surface uplift: Cenozoic paleoelevation history of the Tibetan Plateau

The surface uplift history of the Tibetan Plateau has provided a key boundary criterion for various geological, climatic, and environmental events since the Cenozoic. The paleoelevation history of the plateau is organically associated with interactions amongst deep geodynamics, earth surface processes, and climate change. Understanding of plateau uplift history has been advanced by the development of a number of paleoaltimetries and their application to studies of the Tibetan Plateau: the paleogeomorphic scenario for the Early Eocene Tibetan Plateau is thought to include two high mountains, the ca. 4500 m Gangdese Mountains to the south, and the ca. 5000 m Qiangtang Center Watershed Mountains to the north. Between these ranges, a low-elevation basin (ca. 2500 m) is thought to have been present. The Himalayas in the southern Tibetan Plateau was close to sea level at this time, while the Hoh Xil Basin in the north reached an elevation of no more than 1500 m. Thus, the so-called “Roof of the World” Tibetan Plateau formed subsequent to the Miocene. Nevertheless,, the uplift histories of the different terranes that comprise this plateau currently remain unclear, which constrains the uplift history reconstruction of the entire Tibetan Plateau. Additional paleoelevation data from different areas, obtained using multi-paleoaltimeters, is required to resolve the forms and processes of Tibetan Plateau uplift and extension.     

Fossil leaves of Berhamniphyllum (Rhamnaceae) from Markam,Tibet and their biogeographic implications

A new occurrence of buckthorn fossil leaves is reported from the upper Eocene strata of Markam Basin,southeastern Tibet,China.The leaf margin is either entire or slightly sinuous.Secondary veins are regularly spaced,forming eucamptodromous venation.These secondaries exist as straight lines from midvein to near margin and then arch abruptly upward and enter into a margin vein.The tertiary veins are densely spaced and parallel,and are percurrent to secondary veins.This leaf architecture conforms with Berhamniphyllum Jones and Dilcher,an extinct fossil genus reported from America.Our fossils are characterized by their dense secondaries,with secondary veins on the upper half portion of the blade accounting for over 40%of all secondaries.A new species,Berhamniphyllum junrongiae Z.K.Zhou,T.X.Wang et J.Huang sp.nov.,is proposed.Further analysis shows that confident assignment among Rhamnidium,Berchemia,and Karwinskia cannot be made based on leaf characters alone.Berhamniphyllum might represent an extinct common ancestor of these genera.In this study,several fossil Berchemia from Yunnan and Shandong are emended and reassigned to Berhamniphyllum.A new complex,namely the Berchemia Complex,is proposed based on morphology,molecular evidence,and the fossil record.This complex contains the fossil leaves of Rhamnidium,Karwinskia,Berchemia,and Berhamniphyllum.The historical biogeography of the Berchemia Complex is also discussed in this paper.This complex might have originated in the late Cretaceous in Colombia,South America,and dispersed to North America via Central America during the Eocene.Subsequently,the complex moved from North America to East Asia via the Bering Land Bridge no later than the late Eocene.Besides,the complex migrated from North America to Europe via the North Atlantic Land Bridge and then migrated further to Africa.In East Asia,it first appeared in Markam on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,and then dispersed to other regions of Asia.     

History and possible mechanisms of prehistoric human migration to the Tibetan Plateau

Prehistoric human history on the Tibetan Plateau is a hotly debated topic. Archaeological research on the plateau during the past few decades has enormously improved our understanding of the topic and makes it possible for us to consider the processes and mechanisms of prehistoric human migration to the region. By reviewing the published archaeological research on the Tibetan Plateau, we propose that the first people on the plateau initially spread into the He-Huang region from the Chinese Loess Plateau, and then moved to the low elevation Northeastern Tibetan Plateau and perhaps subsequently to the entire plateau. This process consisted of four stages.(1) During the climatic amelioration of the Last Deglacial period(15–11.6 ka BP), Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers with a developed microlithic technology first spread into the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau.(2) In the early-mid Holocene(11.6–6 ka BP), Epipaleolithic microlithic hunter-gatherers were widely distributed on the northeastern plateau and spread southwards to the interior plateau, possibly with millet agriculture developed in the neighboring low elevation regions.(3) In the mid-late Holocene(6–4 ka BP), Neolithic millet farmers spread into low elevation river valleys in the northeastern and southeastern plateau areas.(4) In the late Holocene(4–2.3 ka BP), Bronze Age barley and wheat farmers further settled on the high elevation regions of the Tibetan Plateau, especially after 3.6 ka BP. Finally, we suggest that all of the reported Paleolithic sites earlier than the LGM on the Tibetan Plateau need further examination.     

Sensitivity of the central Asian climate to uplift of the Tibetan Plateau in the coupled climate model (MRI-CGCM1)

Abstract   The relationship between the altitude of the Tibetan Plateau and climate change in central Asia was investigated through a numeric experiment using the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model I (MRI-CGCM1). The results suggest that summer precipitation in central Asia decreased significantly as the Tibetan Plateau rose in height. Spring precipitation, however, increased during initial growth stages when the plateau height was up to 40% of its present-day height, and then decreased with further plateau growth. During the Tibetan Plateau uplift, the difference between precipitation and evaporation was minimal during spring. When the plateau attained a height exceeding 60% of its present height, relatively low precipitation but high evaporation in spring led to a lower amount of ground moisture. In the case of the high plateau, sensible heat flux during summer and fall largely exceeded latent heat flux. Change was particularly significant for cases when the plateau reached 40–60% of its present-day height. The duration of the predominant sensible heat flux became longer with the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The period in which latent heat exceeded sensible heat seems to have been restricted to winter and early spring. The numeric experiments suggest that a significant drying of central Asia corresponded to the period in which the Tibetan Plateau exceeded approximately half its present-day height.     

GEOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHIC EVIDENCE FOR DEXTRAL STRIKE SLIP OF THE HELAN SHAN WEST-PIEDMONT FAULT AND ITS TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS

The horizontal movement of the Helan Shan west-piedmont fault is important to determination of the present-day boundary between the Alashan and North China blocks as well as to the exploration of the extent of the northeastward expansion of the Tibetan plateau. Field geological surveys found that this fault cuts the west wing of the Neogene anticline, which right-laterally offset the geological boundary between Ganhegou and Qingshuiying Formations with displacement over 800m. The secondary tensional joints (fissures)intersected with the main faults developed on the Quaternary flood high platform near the fault, of which the acute angles indicate its dextral strike slip. The normal faults developed at the southern end of the Helan Shan west-piedmont fault show that the west wall of this fault moves northward, and the tensional adjustment zone formed at the end of the strike slip fault, which reflects that the horizontal movement of the main fault is dextral strike slip. The dextral dislocation occurred in the gully across the fault during different periods. Therefore, the Helan Shan west-piedmont fault is a dextral strike slip fault rather than a sinistral strike slip fault as previous work suggested. The relationship between the faulting and deformation of Cenozoic strata demonstrates that there were two stages of tectonic deformation near the Helan Shan west-piedmont fault since the late Cenozoic, namely early folding and late faulting. These two tectonic deformations are the result of the northeastward thrust on the Alashan block by the Tibet Plateau. The influence range of Tibetan plateau expansion has arrived in the Helan Shan west-piedmont area in the late Pliocene leading to the dextral strike slip of this fault as well as formation of the current boundary between the Alashan and North China blocks, which is also the youngest front of the Tibetan plateau.     

Sedimentary and geochemical evidence of Eocene climate change in the Xining Basin,northeastern Tibetan Plateau

The northeastern Tibetan Plateau began to grow during the Eocene and it is important to understand the climatic history of Asia during this period of so-called ‘doubthouse' conditions. However, despite major advances in the last few decades,the evolutionary history and possible mechanisms of Eocene climate change in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau remain unclear.The Xining Basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau contains a continuous sequence of Early to Late Eocene non-marine sediments which provides the opportunity to resolve long-term climate changes during this period. In this study, we report the results of analyses of lithofacies, sediment color and geochemistry of bulk samples collected from the Xijigou section of the Xining Basin. An abrupt lithofacies change between the Early(~52–40 Ma) and Late Eocene(~40–34 Ma) indicates a change in the depositional environment from a shallow lake to a playa lake in response to a significant climatic shift. During ~52–40 Ma,higher values of sediment redness(a*), redness/lightness(a*/L*) and higher modified Chemical Index of Weathering(CIW′)indicate a relatively warm and humid climate, while from ~40–34 Ma the lower values of a*, a*/L*and lower CIW′ imply subhumid to semi-arid climatic conditions. The paleoclimatic records indicate a long-term(~52–34 Ma) trend of decreasing chemical weathering, consistent with global climate change. An abrupt sharp excursion of the proxy records during ~42–40 Ma suggests a relatively brief warm interval, corresponding to the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum(MECO). We suggest that global cooling substantially reduced humidity in inner Asia, resulting in sub-humid to semi-arid climatic conditions after 40 Ma in the Xining Basin, which may have been responsible for the long-term trend of decreasing chemical weathering during the Eocene.     

上新世以来构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响

大量地质证据表明,上新世以来(最近5 MaB.P.)青藏高原北部及非洲东部和南部地区出现过显著的构造隆升,而与此同时亚洲季风也经历了显著变化,这两者之间是否存在着因果联系一直是地学界所关心和争论的一个重要科学问题.本文利用美国国家大气研究中心(NCAR)的公用大气模式(CAM 3.1)就上新世以来青藏高原北部及东-南非高原的构造隆升对亚洲夏季风气候变化的影响进行了数值试验研究.结果表明,上新世以来亚洲夏季风的增强与两地构造隆升密切相关,但两者隆升对于亚洲季风子系统的作用是有区别的.青藏高原北部隆升主要造成东亚北部夏季风的增强及季风降水的增多,但对南亚夏季风的作用较小;东-南非高原的隆升明显增强南亚夏季风,但对东亚北部夏季风的影响有限.     

青藏高原腹地东西分区和界带的地球物理场特征与动力学响应

青藏高原是东亚大陆一个特殊的块体,无论是介质属性,还是构造格局在深部与浅部都是不均匀的和各向异性的,其演化进程也是非线性的.基于综合地球物理场研究发现:青藏高原在NS向挤压和EW向扩张错综力系作用下,形成了东、西分区的构造格局,它们的界带位于90o±2oE的范围内,即表明青藏高原基本上为由三块(西、中、东)组成.在此界...     

Primary study on pattern of general circulation of atmosphere before uplift of the Tibetan Plateau in eastern Asia

The Tibetan Plateau is a key factor for the pattern of the general circulation of the atmosphere (GCA) in eastern Asia. The pattern of the GCA after the uplift of the plateau is well known, while the pattern of the GCA before the uplift of the plateau is lack of direct evidences. Based on the knowability of desert, a section recording wind directions across the Cretaceous northern hemisphere mid-low latitude desert belt is measured and the pattern of the GCA in the Cretaceous is revealed. The result shows that the eastern Asia was really controlled by the planetary circulation before the uplift of the plateau, i.e. westerlies in the north and northeast trades in the south. The convert belt between westerlies and trades had drifted northwards and southwards. The possibility of existence of paleo-monsoon is also dealt with and a possibly imposed paleo-monsoon is suggested.     

青藏高原松潘—西秦岭—临夏盆地深地震反射剖面——采集、处理与初步解释

由于印度洋板块向亚欧板块俯冲使青藏高原不断隆起,其形成不仅导致了亚洲大陆内部强烈的晚新生代构造变形,还对其边缘地区的地貌格局产生重大影响.青藏高原东北缘是青藏高原向北东方向扩展的前缘部位,是印度与欧亚两大板块碰撞作用由近南北方向向北东、东方向转换的重要场所.本文利用2004年和2008年完成的深地震反射剖面资料,采用关键处理技术和参数开展唐克-合作剖面与合作-临夏剖面联线处理,获得总长约400 km的深地震反射剖面,完整揭示了西秦岭造山带及其两侧盆地的地壳结构和构造变形样式.结果显示西秦岭造山带下地壳向若尔盖逆冲推覆的深部构造特征;西秦岭下地壳北倾的强反射及其北侧南倾的强反射特征揭示出扬子与华北两个大陆板块在西秦岭造山带下的汇聚行为.Moho的埋深和起伏形态表明青藏高原东北缘地壳经历了高原隆升后强烈的伸展减薄作用.     

青藏高原东部和周边地区地壳速度结构的背景噪声层析成像

利用连续地震背景噪声记录和互相关技术获得瑞利面波格林函数,进而反演获得了青藏高原东部和周边地区的地壳三维速度结构.地震数据源于北京大学宽频带流动观测地震台阵,国家数字测震台网数据备分中心提供的部分固定台站的连续记录及INDEPTH IV宽频带流动观测地震台阵.首先对观测数据进行处理和分析取得所有可能台站对的面波经验格林函数和瑞利波相速度频散曲线,反演得到了观测台阵下方周期从6~60s的瑞利波相速度异常分布图像.并且进一步反演获得研究区域三维剪切波速度结构和莫霍面深度分布.短周期(6~14s)相速度异常分布与地表地质构造特征吻合较好,在青藏高原和四川盆地之间存在一个明显的南北向转换带.而本文最重要的结果是周期大于25s的相速度异常分布图像显示,以昆仑断裂带为界,柴达木盆地和祁连山脉地区呈现与青藏高原截然不同的中地壳速度结构,反而与青藏高原东缘地区和川滇菱形块体速度结构相似.反演获得的剪切波速度在27.5~45km深度的切片也明显地揭示:青藏高原的松潘—甘孜地块和羌塘地块呈现均一的低速层;然而,柴达木盆地和祁连山脉地区则呈现较强的横向不均匀性,尤其是柴达木盆地的高速异常和四川盆地的高速异常相对应.这些结果为前人提出的青藏高原东北向台阶式增长模式提供了重要的地震学观测证据.与全球一维平均速度模型(AK135)相比较发现,本文测量和反演获得的研究区域内平均相速度和剪切波速度都比AK135模型慢很多,尤其是青藏高原的中地壳(25~40km)剪切波速度显著低于全球平均速度模型.进一步的层析成像反演证实松潘—甘孜和羌塘地块中地壳(27.5~45km)呈现大范围均一的低速层,为青藏高原可能存在大规模中下地壳"层流"提供地震学观测证据.在祁连山脉的27.5~45km深度观测到的明显低速异常体可能对应于该造山带下地幔岩浆活动导致的底侵作用,表明引起该地区地壳增厚的主要机制可能是来自地幔岩浆的底侵作用.     

δ18O record and temperature change over the past 100 years in ice cores on the Tibetan Plateau

The 213 m ice core from the Puruogangri Ice Field on the Tibetan Plateau facilitates the study of the regional temperature changes with its δ18O record of the past 100 years. Here we combine information from this core with that from the Dasuopu ice core (from the southern Tibetan Plateau), the Guliya ice core (from the northwestern Plateau) and the Dunde ice core (from the northeastern Plateau) to learn about the regional differences in temperature change across the Tibetan Plateau. The δ18O changes vary with region on the Plateau, the variations being especially large between South and North and between East and West. Moreover, these four ice cores present increasing δ18O trends, indicating warming on the Tibetan Plateau over the past 100 years. A comparative study of Northern Hemisphere (NH) temperature changes, the δ18O-reflected temperature changes on the Plateau, and available meteorological records show consistent trends in overall warming during the past 100 years.     

Variations of stable isotopic compositions in precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions

There is no temperature effect in the southern Tibetan Plateau and South Asia to the south of the Tanggula Mountains. Amount effect has been observed at a few sampling stations accounting for about a half of the statistical stations. There is notable temperature effect in the middle and northern Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent Central Asia to the north of the Tanggula Mountains. Because vapor directly originates from low-latitude oceans, the relative heavy δ¹⁸O with small variation characterizes the rainfall in South Asia. A sharp depletion of the stable isotopic compositions in precipitation takes place from Kyangjin on the southern slope of the Himalayas to the Tanggula Mountains in the middle plateau. From the Tanggula Mountains to the northern Tibetan Plateau, the δ¹⁸O in precipitation increases with increasing latitude.     

青藏高原地震活动及其构造背景

青藏高原是大陆范围内地质作用最活跃的地区。十分强烈的地震活动，清楚显示了以大区域构造为背景的整体性活动特征。在青藏高原的大地构造格局中来研究地震活动和震源性质的变化规律，是认识高原构造活动状态、规律、起因的重要部分。为此，本文综述了近些年该地区地震活动、震源性质、速度结构、地质构造及高原隆起机理的研究。     

Azimuthal anisotropy of Rayleigh waves beneath the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas

The crustal and upper mantle azimuthal anisotropy of the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas was studied by Rayleigh wave tomography. We collected sufficient broadband digital seismograms trav-ersing the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas from available stations, including especially some data from the temporary stations newly deployed in Yunnan, eastern Tibet, and western Sichuan. They made an adequate path coverage in most regions to achieve a reasonable resolution for the inversion. The model resolution tests show that the anisotropic features of scope greater than 400 km and strength greater than 2% are reliable. The azimuthal anisotropy pattern inside the Tibetan Plateau was similar to the characteristic of tectonic partition. The crustal anisotropy strength is greater than 2% in most re-gions of East Tibet, and the anisotropy shows clockwise rotation surrounding the eastern Himalayan syntaxis. Vertically, the anisotropy direction indicates a coherent pattern within the upper crust, lower crust, and lithosphere mantle of the Tibetan Plateau, which also is consistent with GPS velocity field and SKS fast polarization directions. The result supports that the crust-mantle deformation beneath the Tibetan Plateau is vertically coherent. The anisotropy strength of crust and lithospheric upper mantle in Yunnan outside the Tibetan Plateau is lower than 2%, so SKS splitting from core-mantle boundary to station should largely be attributed to the anisotropy of asthenosphere.     

THE NORTHWARD GROWTH OF THE NORTHEASTERN TIBETAN PLATEAU IN LATE CENOZOIC: IMPLICATIONS FROM APATITE (U-Th)/He AGES OF LONGSHOU SHAN

Longshou Shan, located at the southern edge of the Alxa block, is one of the outermost peripheral mountains and the northeasternmost area of the northeastern Tibetan plateau. In recent years, through geochronology, thermochronology, magnetic stratigraphy and other methods, a large number of studies have been carried out on the initiation time of major faults, the exhumation history of mountains and the formation and evolution of basins in the northeastern Tibet Plateau, the question of whether and when the northeastward expansion of the northeastern Tibet Plateau has affected the southern part of the Alxa block has been raised. Therefore, the exhumation history of Longshou Shan provides significant insight on the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan plateau and their dynamic mechanism. The Longshou Shan, trending NWW, is the largest mountain range in the Hexi Corridor Basin, and its highest peak is more than 3 600m(with average elevation of 2800m), where the average elevation of Hexi Corridor is 1 600m, the relative height difference between them is nearly 2200m. This mountain is bounded by two parallel thrust faults: The North Longshou Shan Fault(NLSF)and the South Longshou Shan Fault(SLSF), both of them trends NWW and has high angle of inclination(45°~70°)but dips opposite to each other. The South Longshou Shan Fault, located in the northern margin of the Hexi Corridor Basin, is the most active fault on the northeastern plateau, and controls the uplift of Longshou Shan.Due to its lower closure temperature, the lower-temperature thermochronology method can more accurately constrain the cooling process of a geological body in the upper crust. In recent years, the low-temperature thermochronology method has been used more and more in the study of the erosion of orogenic belts, the evolution of sedimentary basins and tectonic geomorphology. In this study, the apatite (U-Th)/He(AHe) method is used to analyze the erosion and uplift of rocks on the south and north sides of Longshou Shan. 11 AHe samples collected from the south slope exhibit variable AHe ages between~8Ma and~200Ma, the age-elevation plot shows that before 13~17Ma, the erosion rate of the Longshou Shan is very low, and then rapid erosion occurs in the mountain range, which indicates that the strong uplift of Longshou Shan occurred at 13~17Ma BP, resulting in rapid cooling of the southern rocks. In contrast, 3 AHe ages obtained from the north slope are older and more concentrated ranging from 220Ma BP to 240Ma BP, indicating that the north slope can be seen as a paleo-isothermal surface and the activity of the north side is weak. The results of thermal history inverse modeling show that the South Longshou Shan Fault was in a tectonic quiet period until the cooling rate suddenly increased to 3.33℃/Ma at 14Ma BP, indicating that Longshou Shan had not experienced large tectonic events before~14Ma BP.
We believe that under the control of South Longshou Shan Fault, the mountain is characterized by a northward tilting uplift at Mid-Miocene. Our results on the initial deformation of the Longshou Shan, in combination with many published studies across the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau, suggest that the compression strain of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau may expand from south to north, and the Tibetan plateau has expanded northeastward to the southern margin of the Alxa block as early as Mid-Miocene, making Longshou Shan the current structural and geomorphic boundary of the northeastern plateau.     

Flexural subsidence by 29 Ma on the NE edge of Tibet from the magnetostratigraphy of Linxia Basin, China

This study provides a detailed magnetostratigraphic record of subsidence in the Linxia Basin, documenting a 27 Myr long sedimentary record from the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Deposition in the Linxia Basin began at 29 Ma and continued nearly uninterruptedly until 1.7 Ma. Increasing rates of subsidence between 29 and 6 Ma in the Linxia Basin suggest deposition in the foredeep portion of a flexural basin and constrain the timing of shortening in the northeastern margin of the plateau to Late Oligocene–Late Miocene time. By Late Miocene–Early Pliocene time, a decrease in subsidence rates in the Linxia Basin associated with thrust faulting and a 10° clockwise rotation in the basin indicates that the deformation front of the Tibetan plateau had propagated into the currently deforming region northeast of the plateau.     

第八届青藏高原东部构造与地球物理研讨会（WTGTP2020）反映的新进展

印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞是新生代全球最重要的地质事件,由此青藏高原快速隆升,成为了世界第三极,并不断向外扩展,其内部大型断裂体系发育、地质构造复杂、地震及火山活动性强烈。青藏高原东部及其周边地区作为研究高原隆升、深部变形的动力学机制的天然试验场,也是国际地学领域、地球物理与大陆动力学领域的一个重要焦点。本文根据第八届青藏高原东部构造与地球物理研讨会（WTGTP2020）的学术报告,对高原深部结构与动力学研究的一些新进展进行阐述。本次研讨会对青藏高原及其周边地区岩石圈结构、变形机制及物质运移动力学模式等关键问题进行了较为系统的讨论,围绕青藏高原的形成演化历史,从深部构造与岩浆变质响应,到浅部地表过程以及其对资源气候的影响进行探讨研究,将地球深部动力学、地表过程和气候变化等不同圈层的相互作用有机地联系在一起。      

藏北高原地震活动性特征及其大地构造意义

藏北高原自新生代以来不仅发生了强烈的火山作用,而且现今的地震活动性仍然强烈.本文收集了2011年前藏北高原区发生的地震事件(源自NEIC)及相应的震源机制解数据(源自GCMT),结合地质与地球物理等相关资料,初步分析表明藏北高原地壳整体上处于伸展应力状态.然而,因区域构造应力场及构造环境差异,将藏北高原地震活动区分为两个地震活动区,即西昆仑地震活动区和藏北中部火山岩区.西昆仑区的地壳应力状态呈东西向伸展,而岩石圈地幔部分主要以南北汇聚为主,表明西昆仑区域下的地壳与岩石圈地幔应力状态是解耦的,而这种解耦机制需要更进一步的研究.而在藏北中部火山岩区的地壳的主张应力场为NNE-SSW的走滑和正断层性质的伸展,尽管缺乏该区域下的岩石圈结构特征认识,但是依据幔源性质的钾质和超钾质火山岩成因模式,认为其下的岩石圈地幔也处于伸展状态,该区域下的地壳与岩石圈地幔同处于伸展应力环境中,表明藏北火山岩区下的结构特征更加复杂,亟待开展相关探测与研究.     

Erosion history of the Tibetan Plateau since the last interglacial: constraints from the first studies of cosmogenic 10Be from Tibetan bedrock

The cosmogenic ¹⁰Be exposure histories of in situ bedrock surfaces from the Tibetan Plateau indicate low erosion rates of <30 mm/ka in southern and central Tibet during the last interglacial–glacial cycle that contrast strongly with unusually rapid erosion rates (60–2000 mm/ka) for Kunlun in northern Tibet during the Holocene, comparable with published values from the Himalaya. By comparing apatite fission-track ages with cosmogenic data, erosion rates in southern Tibet appear to be decelerating since the Miocene, whereas in the Kunlun, erosion rates have accelerated over the same timescale. Such secular changes suggest that the southern and central regions of the plateau had formed their present flat relief by the Pleistocene. Unusually high erosion rates along the northern margin of the plateau may reflect intense tectonic activity during the Holocene. These findings indicate that over much of the high plateau erosion rates are exceptionally low, and therefore the sources of detritus carried by the great Asian rivers that rise in Tibet lie overwhelmingly in bedrocks at lower altitudes. This study illustrates the potential of cosmogenic studies for unraveling the most recent phase of the erosion/exhumation history of orogenic belts that cannot be resolved by either Ar-isotope or fission-track thermochronometers.