PRESENT LANDFORMS, ACTIVE TECTONIC ZONES, DEEP STRUCTURES AND UPLIFT MECHANISMS OF THE LONGSHOUSHAN BLOCK ON THE NORTHERN MARGIN OF THE QINGHAI—TIBET PLATEAU

PRESENT LANDFORMS, ACTIVE TECTONIC ZONES, DEEP STRUCTURES AND UPLIFT MECHANISMS OF THE LONGSHOUSHAN BLOCK ON THE NORTHERN MARGIN OF THE QINGHAI—TIBET PLATEAU

Present Landforms, Active Tectonic Zones, Deep Structures and Uplift Mechanisms of the Longshoushan Block on the Northern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Located in the northern margin of the Qinghai—Tibet Plateau, the Longshoushan Mt. is a small block between Qinghai—Tibet Landmass and Alashan Landmass.Traditional tectonic viewpoint does not consider that the Longshoushan Mt. is a single tectonic block. It is quite evident that there is only a hazy idea about the Longshoushan block. Though there is a very complex tectonic region between Qinghai—Tibet Landmass and Alashan Landmass, the Longshoushan block in the region shows unique tectonic landforms, deep structures and uplift mechanisms. Researching into the relationship between the Longshoushan block and the Qinghai—Tibet and Alashan Landmasses will contribute to the realization of boundary and orogenic belt on the northern margin of the Qinghai—Tibet block. It is a very important scientific subject.The Longshoushan Mt., longer than 150km in NWW direction and wider than 10km, is located on the northern side of Hexi corridor(100 5°～102 5°E,38 5°～39 3°N). It extends from the northwest of Zhangye to Hexibu, and from the south of Chaoshui basin to the north of Minle basin. From west to east, there are the highest peak, Dongdashan Mt.(3616m), the second peak, Dufengding(2937m) and Qianshan peak(2827m), height of the mountains is getting lower and lower, mean height above sea level is over 2000m, and relative height difference is about 1000m. The Longshoushan Mt. provides a natural defence for stopping the southward migration of sandstorm in the Hexi corridor, and forms a topographic step zone from the Alashan Plateau to the Qinghai—Tibet Plateau. In the Longshoushan area, developed landforms, such as planation surface, table\|land, terrace land, are general characters of all geomorphic units. It is shown that the Longshoushan Mt. is a intermittently uplifted block. An astonishingly similar of geometric patterns of Taohualashan Mt. and Hongshihu basin is very interesting natural landscape in the area. It is suggested that Taohualashan Mt. broke away from Hongshihu Basin in secular tectonic movement. The viewpoint is supported by major formation, lithofacies, limitation and style of active faulting. The Longshoushan block consists of two major active fault zones (the northern Longshoushan fault zone and the southern Longshoushan fault zone), the active Pingshanhu—Hongshihu fault basin belt and Taohualashan—Xieposhan tectonic uplift belt. In addition, there are the NNW\|trending West Polamading fault, NWW\|trending Maohudong fault trough, NNE\|trending Daxiahe rift valley and others on the block. the activity and formation style of these structures indicate that the block is acted not only by compressive stress, but also by tensile stress. The northern Longshoushan and southern Longshoushan fault zones are closely related to formation and evolution of the Longshoushan block, the two zones are active fault zones since late Pleistocene and boundary fault zones of the block. The genesis and activity style of the Pingshanhu\|Hongshihu basin are similar to the continental rift, which may be due to the mantle uplift.