| Abstract: | The geochemical and petrological features show that the Upper Ordovician marine volcanic rocks on north margin of Qaidam can be classified into three main kinds of petrotectonic assemblages. The three assemblages exhibit features of tectonic melange. And they indicate that there exists an ancient ocean basin on north margin of Qaidam during Late Ordovician period. At the last stage of Ordovician period, the ocean basin on north margin of Qaidam closed gradually, then Qaidam continental block subducted continually and Qilian continental block thrusted onto Qaidam continental block in the direction from north to south, formed the orogenic belt of continent to continent collision type. As a result, a three unit tectonic model is proposed. The three units are: the overlying Qilian crustal wedge, the collision tectonic melange belt on the north margin of Qaidam and the Qaidam underthrusted wedge. |
