祁连造山带构造演化与新生代变形历史

祁连造山带位于东特提斯北缘,蛇绿混杂岩带、(超)高压变质岩和弧岩浆岩等广泛发育,是前新生代华北克拉通与柴达木古地块之间多期次俯冲、碰撞和造山形成的复合造山带。现今的祁连山是青藏高原北缘高原隆升与扩展的关键构造带,具有复杂的陆内变形构造和深部结构,记录了新生代高原生长过程中不同阶段的构造变形和盆-山演化历史。本文在区域地质研究资料的综合分析基础上,讨论祁连造山带元古宙变质基底属性、新元古代—古生代古海洋演化和中—新生代构造变形特征,探讨祁连(山)造山带的构造演化过程和陆内变形历史。祁连造山带发育新元古代早期和早古生代两期岩浆弧,分别代表了古祁连洋和(南、北)祁连洋的俯冲-碰撞事件;亲华北的基底属性指示了祁连洋实属陆缘海。新生代青藏高原东北缘发育两阶段构造变形和盆-山演化,在中新世完成了由新生代早期以逆冲断裂活动为主向走滑断裂和逆冲断裂共同作用的转变,随着东昆仑山的快速隆起将古近纪大盆地隔开成两个盆地,即现今的柴达木盆地和可可西里盆地。中新世中晚期以来,青藏高原东北缘的构造格局主要受控于东昆仑和海原两个近乎平行的大型转换挤压构造系统的发育、顺时针旋转和侧向生长。大型走滑断裂系统在造山带内的...     

南秦岭构造带中段晚中生代陆内变形特征与侧向挤出构造

南秦岭构造带位于秦岭造山带南部,在中生代时期经历了复杂的陆内变形过程。在晚中生代阶段,南秦岭构造带内发育一系列平行造山带的走滑断裂带。目前对于这些走滑断裂带不同构造位置的变形特征、变形叠加关系以及动力学机制等方面的认识并不充分。构造研究显示,南秦岭构造带内的宁陕断裂和安康断裂均发育大量平行于断裂带的A型褶皱群和近水平的拉伸线理,表明南秦岭构造带经历了以走滑剪切变形为主的构造阶段。运动学特征表明,宁陕断裂以左行剪切变形为主,而安康断裂则以右行变形为特征。选择典型岩石样品进行同位素测年来限定断裂活动的时代,其中:宁陕断裂带内同构造花岗岩脉的锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年结果为（186.0±4.0） Ma;安康断裂带内云母矿物的⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar定年结果为161.2~173.5 Ma。虽然宁陕断裂和安康断裂的运动方向不同,但是同位素年代学研究限定了两条断裂发生走滑变形的时间都是早-中侏罗世,从而共同构成了南秦岭构造带中间块体整体向东挤出的构造特征。同时也表明,相互碰撞的大陆在碰撞之后将很快转变为以平行造山带侧向挤出和走滑位移为主的陆内变形演化阶段。     

阿尔金断裂东段的构造转换模式

大型走滑断裂控制着青藏高原的变形,众多学者通过阿尔金断裂来探索青藏高原北部的构造变形过程。基于野外调查和前人的研究结果可知阿尔金断裂的滑动速率在肃北—疏勒河口段表现为三联点两侧的突降,祁连山西段的逆冲和走滑断裂吸收了阿尔金断裂的左旋位移。由于祁连山内部次级断裂活动性的增强,现存阿尔金断裂连续地表破裂终止于酒泉盆地西侧,但位于其东侧的断裂系仍属于阿尔金断裂。在Kohistan岛弧与欧亚板块碰撞之后,青藏高原沿阿尔金断裂曾发生滑动速率近一致的侧向挤出,断裂两侧此时并未发生明显的隆起。随后东昆仑造山带和祁连山造山带的先后大规模隆升,高原的北东向挤出迅速减弱。阿尔金断裂北东向挤出能力与东昆仑造山带和祁连山造山带的隆起存在明显的耦合作用。     

滇西三江地区第三系变形作用及特征

滇西三江地区第三系主要分布于走滑断裂两侧的构造盆地中,其变形主要是由走滑断裂活动引起的地层褶皱、挤压逆冲－推覆,同时发育张性断裂、层间滑动等伸展构造,这些均是新生代陆内变形的重要组成部分。     

西昆仑康西瓦断裂带西延特征及其构造意义

青藏高原西北部康西瓦走滑断裂带(Karakax fault)为一条经过长期演化且现今仍在活动的重要大型断裂带,该断裂对该地区形成演化起到至关重要的控制作用。目前大多学者们认为该断裂在东段沿喀拉喀什河谷大致呈东西走向延伸,后在其西段麻扎地区向北西方向延伸。然而,通过详细的野外地质调查在该断裂带西段的麻扎地区新发现了一条NEE-SWW向的断裂,将之命名为麻塔断裂。实测地质剖面和显微构造分析发现麻塔断裂与康西瓦断裂具有相似的几何学和运动学特征,同样经历了早期右旋逆冲的韧性走滑变形和后期左旋脆性走滑变形,理应划分为一条断裂,前者是后者自麻扎向西的延伸部分。麻塔-康西瓦断裂共同参与调节了自古生代以来板块碰撞拼合在青藏高原西北部的构造变形,现今西昆仑-帕米尔地区的构造地貌格局正是康西瓦和喀喇昆仑等大型断裂新生代活动而形成的。     

华北板块南缘石人山岩块晚古生代陆内变形特征及侧向挤出构造

华北板块南缘在古生代时期经历了复杂的陆内变形过程。石人山岩块边界断裂发育大量平行于断裂带的A型褶皱和近水平的矿物生长线理,表明其经历了以走滑剪切变形为主的构造阶段。动力学研究表明石人山岩块具有南西向逆冲的运动学特征,其南侧洛南—栾川断裂带（洛栾断裂带）以左行剪切变形为主,北东侧鲁山断裂带以北西向逆冲兼有右行剪切变形为特征,夹于其中的石人山岩块显示为向西、向上挤出的特征。选择典型岩石样品进行同位素测年来限定断裂活动的时代,其中,洛栾断裂带内同构造花岗岩脉的锆石U- Pb定年结果为413. 6±7. 4 Ma,鲁山断裂带内走滑剪切特征明显的构造透镜体内变形岩石的锆石定年结果为419. 3±11. 2 Ma。虽然洛栾断裂与鲁山断裂的运动方向不同,但是同位素年代学研究限定了两条断裂带发生走滑变形的时间都是晚古生代泥盆纪末期,从而共同构成了石人山岩块整体向西挤出的构造特征,同时也表明,相互碰撞的大陆在碰撞之后将很快转变为以平行造山带侧向挤出与走滑位移为主的陆内变形演化阶段。     

试论滇中地区新生代陆内变形

邻近青藏高原东南边缘,夹持于红河断裂与小江断裂之间的滇中地区,是一个在新生代上下地壳间近水平的拆离带,自北向南滑移的陆壳地块。区内形形色色的构造变形是印度板块与欧亚板块在西藏陆壳碰撞所致。四条近于平行的南北向左旋走滑断裂将滇中陆壳地块分割成若干长条形的次级块体。南北向走滑断裂具有“转换断层”的作用,它将一组会聚带缩短转换到另一组。东西向和北东向断裂以逆掩和逆冲为特征,并伴有紧密线状褶皱,形成会聚带,使陆壳缩短。地块南段的几条北西向走滑断裂,属红河断裂体系,可能是地块南部边界的先存断裂,早期(可能为上新世)为左旋,从而引起向南滑移块体的拖曳式顺时针旋转,晚期(可能为更新世)为右旋,导致向南滑移块体沿南北向及北西向之间的弧形带形成逆冲会聚,并造成当今弧形山链的地貌。现有资料说明,滇中地块变形主要发生在晚新生代,主要断裂至今仍在活动,是具有强烈地震的活动断裂带。走滑(转换)、逆冲(会聚)和块体的适当旋转是滇中地块的主要构造组合和变形模式;它我之间的几何关系表明变形属于中下地壳拆离带之上的壳内滑脱构造。正是这种构造组合关系调整和吸收了从西藏碰撞带中挤出的陆壳块体向东南的巨大位移。     

青藏高原东北缘海原断裂带晚新生代构造变形

海原断裂带是青藏高原东北缘的边界断裂带,其新生代以来丰富的构造变形样式是研究高原向北东方向扩展的天然实验室。采自断裂带上盘南华山的磷灰石裂变径迹热年代学结果、横跨海原断裂带的地震反射剖面分析揭示了海原断裂带晚新生代以来经历了先逆冲、后走滑的两阶段变形过程。海原断裂第一阶段强烈的北东方向逆冲推覆变形始于(12±3)Ma,造成了断裂上盘山体的快速隆升与断裂下盘的挠曲变形,同时,破坏了高原东北缘新生代巨型沉积盆地。海原断裂这种挤压变形代表了青藏高原在约12Ma扩展至现今高原东北部,使其成为高原东北缘的最新组成部分。约5.4Ma,海原断裂第二阶段变形以不断增加的左旋走滑分量为特征,沿断裂带所产生的左旋走滑位移被其尾端的六盘山、马东山以东西向的地壳缩短调节吸收。海原断裂上新世左旋走滑运动,可能主要是青藏高原东北缘北东向挤压变形作用后期高原东北部物质沿其主要边界断裂向东有限挤出的结果。     

勉略构造带构造变形过程及其地质意义

勉略构造带是印支期华北板块与扬子板块碰撞,并叠加后期陆内变形作用形成的复杂蛇绿构造混杂岩带,勉略构造带的形成演化对全面理解秦岭造山带构造演化具有非常重要的研究意义.本文以勉略构造带广泛发育的褶皱、断裂等构造现象为研究对象,通过详细的构造解析和古应力反演,揭示出勉略构造带经历三期构造变形:D1期变形为NW-SE向挤压,以发育轴面直立的紧闭同斜褶皱和高角度逆断层为特征,形成于早—中三叠世华北与扬子两大块体碰撞阶段;D2期变形为NE-SW向挤压,主要发育左行走滑剪切变形,叠加于早期构造形迹之上,构造带内普遍发育东西向近水平拉伸线理,局部发育倾竖褶皱,形成于晚三叠世—中侏罗世,该阶段秦岭造山带由早期的碰撞转为陆内变形,沿东西向断裂带发生大规模左行走滑;D3期变形为N-S向挤压,在晚侏罗世—白垩纪多向汇聚构造体制下,勉略构造带受南北向挤压,形成一系列共轭剪切断裂,该期断裂切割前两期构造变形,区域上表现为北侧的大巴山、西秦岭向南逆冲推覆,扬子北缘沿米仓山一带向北楔入秦岭造山带,形成向南突出的大巴山弧形逆冲推覆构造带、西秦岭武都-舟曲弧形构造带和一系列北东、南西走向的共轭剪切断裂系.     

中昆仑北部地区构造地层学初步研究

中昆仑北部造山带可分为 5个构造地层区 :白干湖、求勉雷克、大九坝、祁漫塔格南缘和祁漫塔格北缘。白干湖和求勉雷克构造地层区出露前寒武纪变质结晶基底 ;早古生代期间 ,祁漫塔格洋沿鸭子泉—阿特阿特坎河断裂向北西俯冲碰撞 ,在祁漫塔格北缘沉积了古海沟岛弧浊积岩、晚泥盆世蛇绿混杂岩 ,在祁漫塔格南缘被动大陆边缘上发育晚泥盆世前陆磨拉石沉积 ;晚古生代早期 ,昆中求勉雷克地区简单剪切滑覆 ,在祁漫塔格南、北缘形成浅海相沉积 ,而大九坝地区由于断层高角度伸展 ,沉积了一套海相碳酸盐岩建造 ;晚古生代晚期 ,特提斯洋沿昆中断裂斜向俯冲 ,在大九坝出露了托库孜达坂蛇绿混杂岩和早二叠世前陆盆地堆积 ;晚三叠世陆相火山岩出露于祁漫塔格山南缘。     

大陆构造变形与地震活动——以青藏高原为例

大陆内部构造变形和地震活动往往突显出复杂的、区域性的特征,很难用板块构造理论来解释。青藏高原是大陆构造变形的典型实例,具有不同构造变形的分区特征,不仅表现在物质组成、地形地貌和断裂组合等方面的不同,而且还表现出不同的地震活动特征。东昆仑断裂带以北的青藏高原北部地块,主要发育一系列挤压环境下的盆岭构造,表现为以连续变形为特征的上地壳挤压缩短变形;高原中北部巴颜喀拉地块,具有整体向东运动的特点,变形主要集中在其边缘,表现为刚性块体运动特征。在东部,由于稳定的四川盆地(扬子地块)的阻挡,位于龙日坝和龙门山断裂带之间相对坚硬的龙门山地区受到东西向强烈挤压,西部边界为伸展变形;在高原中央腹地羌塘地块西部,由于上地壳物质在向东挤出的驱动下不断变形,沿一系列小型正断层和走滑断层以伸展变形为主,表现为弥散型变形特征。相比之下,羌塘地块的东部向东-南东方向挤出,在大型走滑断层之间形成一个刚性块体;高原南部地块以东西向伸展的南北向裂谷系为主要变形特征,高原南缘以南北向挤压的大型逆冲断裂系为特征。历史地震和仪器记录的大地震(M≥8)只发生在高原东北和东南部的大型走滑带,以及东部和南部边缘的大型逆冲断裂上,沿...     

青藏高原新生代形成演化的整合模型——来自火成岩的约束

深部过程是青藏高原演化的主导因素,其他地质过程都可以看作是对深部过程的响应。因此,一个构造旋回(阶段)的地球动力学事件链可以概括为深部地质过程—幔源岩浆活动—壳源岩浆活动—陆壳增厚—地表隆升—表层剥蚀与沉积,其中幔源岩浆活动的研究成为追索青藏高原演化历史的关键环节。据此,青藏高原演化的关键性时间坐标为80、45、27、17、9和4Ma。青藏高原新生代火成岩具有三种展布形式:与雅鲁藏布缝合带平行的岩浆带、沿深大断裂展布的岩浆带和藏北离散性岩浆分布区,它们分别受控于大陆碰撞、大规模走滑和岩石圈拆沉构造体制,且都受控于印度—亚洲软流圈汇聚过程。据此,文中提出了一个描述青藏高原演化的整合模型:南北向地幔对流汇聚控制了岩石圈块体的相对运动,并最终导致印度—亚洲大陆的碰撞和沿碰撞带的大规模岩浆活动;碰撞之初(白垩纪末期),大陆岩石圈块体的刚性属性有利于应力的远程传递和块体旋转,沿块体边界分布的大型走滑断裂控制了岩浆活动的发生;随着挤压过程的持续进行,岩石圈块体的受热和变形,高原岩石圈的重力不稳定性增加,最终导致拆沉作用和软流圈物质的大规模上涌以及藏北高原的离散性岩浆活动。在高原演化中,岩石圈拆沉作用具有重要意义,许多地质事件的发生都与此有关。同时,软流圈的汇聚还导致软流圈物质的向东挤出,并因此造成青藏高原岩石圈的向东挤出和晚新生代的伸展构造。     

西秦岭北缘构造带的新生代构造活动——兼论对青藏高原东北缘形成过程的指示意义

西秦岭北缘构造带是青藏高原东北部一条重要的北西西向构造带,它由一组近于平行的断裂组成,中部发育活动的左旋走滑断裂,两侧发育向外扩展的多条逆冲断裂,剖面上呈向北偏心的花状构造。自古近纪中晚期以来西秦岭北缘构造带成为青藏高原早期的北东边界,其新生代构造活动控制了两侧的新生代盆地沉积演化和构造变形。在构造带南侧滩歌盆地自古近纪中晚期堆积了一套厚度较大的砾岩和砂岩地层,但未见新近纪地层;沿西秦岭北缘构造带中部在中新世形成具有剪切拉张性质的武山—漳县盆地,沉积了厚度超过千米的砾岩、砂岩和泥岩序列;在构造带北侧陇西盆地从古近纪中晚期至中新世晚期一直处于前陆盆地发育阶段,沉积了连续的新生代地层序列。在中新世晚期以后,整个构造带遭受挤压变形,逆冲活动强烈,中部的武山—漳县盆地和北侧的陇西盆地相继消亡,新生代地层发生强烈构造变形,位于构造带南侧的滩歌盆地也同时发生轻微缩短变形。第四纪晚期以来西秦岭北缘构造带断裂活动主要表现为左旋走滑运动方式,而逆冲断裂活动则迁移到了北东方向的海原断裂和香山—天景山断裂(又称中卫—同心断裂)等构造带之上,实现了大区域范围内的应变分配。     

印度-亚洲碰撞：从挤压到走滑的构造转换

印度-亚洲板块碰撞导致喜马拉雅山脉的崛起、青藏高原的生长、两倍于正常地壳厚度的巨厚陆壳体,以及大量青藏高原腹地的物质沿着大型走滑断裂朝东、东南、西的方向逃逸。印度-亚洲碰撞如何造成板块汇聚边界由挤压到走滑的构造转换对认识大陆岩石圈的变形机制具有重要意义。本文通过总结喜马拉雅造山带及青藏东南缘~55Ma以来的构造、变质、岩浆记录,发现高喜马拉雅的挤出起始于始新世加厚的喜马拉雅造山带中—下地壳的部分熔融,受控于渐新世以来同期发育的向南逆冲和平行造山带的韧性伸展,并建立了高喜马拉雅"三维挤出"构造模式。晚始新世以来,羌塘地块和拉萨地块的物质通过"岩石圈横弯褶皱和壳内解耦"的运动学机制,围绕东构造结发生顺时针旋转并向青藏高原东南缘逃逸。结合东南亚板块重建的资料,我们认为:印度-亚洲的"陆-陆碰撞"到印度洋板块-亚洲东南大陆的"洋-陆俯冲"的转换是导致从印度-亚洲主碰撞带的挤压到青藏东南缘走滑转换的根本原因。     

青藏高原东南部第四纪右旋剪切运动

通过对藏东南嘉黎断裂和滇西北断裂实地考察研究，表明青藏高原南部不存在统一的边界走滑断裂。嘉黎断裂的西段位于青藏高原南部，是一个南北挤压作用下的东西向伸展构造区，发育近南北向的地堑系，嘉黎断裂西段是这些地堑之间的转换断层，具有较高的右旋走滑速率。滇西北断裂与红河断裂构成川滇菱形块体的西南边界，该块体具有向东南逃逸和顺时针旋转运动。     

青藏高原东北缘活动构造几何图像、运动转换与高原扩展

基于近十几年以来青藏高原东北缘活动构造运动特征调查与定量研究结果,在总结区域活动构造运动特征基础上,指出青藏高原东北缘发育有近东西-北东东向的大型左旋走滑断裂带（祁连-海原断裂、阿尔金断裂等）、北西西向的逆冲断裂带（祁连山内部及边缘断裂、河西走廊内部及边缘断裂和六盘山断裂等）和北北西向的右旋走滑断裂带（主要是鄂拉山断裂与拉脊山断裂）3组不同方向以及不同运动性质的活动断裂,它们共同控制着青藏高原东北缘的活动构造几何图像和运动转换;其中,大型左旋走滑断裂在区域构造运动转换过程中起着控制性作用,逆冲断裂一般发育在大型走滑断裂的端部,起着调节和吸收大型走滑断裂端部水平滑动的作用,而祁连山南部右旋走滑断裂主要是对不同块体差异运动过程进行调节。结合区域新构造变形的研究结果,认为青藏高原东北缘不同方向和性质活动构造的发育、形成、生长以及扩展过程,控制着高原东北缘构造变形和演化的历史;高原东北缘由南向北逐渐扩展,逐步形成了青藏高原东北缘的现今构造格架,而高原东北缘新活动边界在新生代晚期已越过河西走廊到达阿拉善地块南缘,同时在东北缘弧形构造带的位置也已形成了以三关口-牛首山断裂带为主的高原隆升和向外扩展的新边界。     

河南东秦岭板块构造轮廓与矿产分布初探

秦岭是我国南北地质分野及衔接地带,历来为中外地质学家所关注。近几十年来所进行的大量地质工作表明,这里是一个重要的金属及非金属成矿带,其中钼、金、银等矿床在全国具有重要地位。在此区开展构造地质研究,进一步澄清成矿和控矿地质条件,对进一步寻找各类有用矿产具有较大的现实意义。七十年代中期开始,国内的一些地质学家先后运用板块构造理论对秦岭地区的区域构造进行研究。但是由于一些重大基础地质问题如地层层序、变质作用和时代归属;各类岩     

Tectonics of the Longmen Shan and Adjacent Regions,Central China

The Longmen Shan region includes, from west to east, the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau, the Sichuan Basin, and the eastern part of the eastern Sichuan fold-and-thrust belt. In the northeast, it merges with the Micang Shan, a part of the Qinling Mountains. The Longmen Shan region can be divided into two major tectonic elements: (1) an autochthon/parautochthon, which underlies the easternmost part of the Tibetan Plateau, the Sichuan Basin, and the eastern Sichuan fold-and-thrust belt; and (2) a complex allochthon, which underlies the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The allochthon was emplaced toward the southeast during Late Triassic time, and it and the western part of the autochthon/parautochthon were modified by Cenozoic deformation.

The autochthon/parautochthon was formed from the western part of the Yangtze platform and consists of a Proterozoic basement covered by a thin, incomplete succession of Late Proterozoic to Middle Triassic shallow-marine and nonmarine sedimentary rocks interrupted by Permian extension and basic magmatism in the southwest. The platform is bounded by continental margins that formed in Silurian time to the west and in Late Proterozoic time to the north. Within the southwestern part of the platform is the narrow N-trending Kungdian high, a paleogeographic unit that was positive during part of Paleozoic time and whose crest is characterized by nonmarine Upper Triassic rocks unconformably overlying Proterozoic basement.

In the western part of the Longmen Shan region, the allochthon is composed mainly of a very thick succession of strongly folded Middle and Upper Triassic Songpan Ganzi flysch. Along the eastern side and at the base of the allochthon, pre-Upper Triassic rocks crop out, forming the only exposures of the western margin of the Yangtze platform. Here, Upper Proterozoic to Ordovician, mainly shallow-marine rocks unconformably overlie Yangtze-type Proterozic basement rocks, but in Silurian time a thick section of fine-grained clastic and carbonate rocks were deposited, marking the initial subsidence of the western Yangtze platform and formation of a continental margin. Similar deep-water rocks were deposited throughout Devonian to Middle Triassic time, when Songpan Ganzi flysch deposition began. Permian conglomerate and basic volcanic rocks in the southeastern part of the allochthon indicate a second period of extension along the continental margin. Evidence suggests that the deep-water region along and west of the Yangtze continental margin was underlain mostly by thin continental crust, but its westernmost part may have contained areas underlain by oceanic crust. In the northern part of the Longmen Shan allochthon, thick Devonian to Upper Triassic shallow-water deposits of the Xue Shan platform are flanked by deep-marine rocks and the platform is interpreted to be a fragment of the Qinling continental margin transported westward during early Mesozoic transpressive tectonism.

In the Longmen Shan region, the allochthon, carrying the western part of the Yangtze continental margin and Songpan Ganzi flysch, was emplaced to the southeast above rocks of the Yangtze platform autochthon. The eastern margin of the allochthon in the northern Longmen Shan is unconformably overlapped by both Lower and Middle Jurassic strata that are continuous with rocks of the autochthon. Folded rocks of the allochthon are unconformably overlapped by Lower and Middle Jurassic rocks in rare outcrops in the northern part of the region. They also are extensively intruded by a poorly dated, generally undeformed belt, of plutons whose ages (mostly K/Ar ages) range from Late Triassic to early Cenozoic, but most of the reliable ages are early Mesozoic. All evidence indicates that the major deformation within the allochthon is Late Triassic/Early Jurassic in age (Indosinian). The eastern front of the allochthon trends southwest across the present mountain front, so it lies along the mountain front in the northeast, but is located well to the west of the present mountain front on the south.

The Late Triassic deformation is characterized by upright to overturned folded and refolded Triassic flysch, with generally NW-trending axial traces in the western part of the region. Folds and thrust faults curve to the north when traced to the east, so that along the eastern front of the allochthon structures trend northeast, involve pre-Triassic rocks, and parallel the eastern boundary of the allochthon. The curvature of structural trends is interpreted as forming part of a left-lateral transpressive boundary developed during emplacement of the allochthon. Regionally, the Longmen Shan lies along a NE-trending transpressive margin of the Yangtze platform within a broad zone of generally N-S shortening. North of the Longmen Shan region, northward subduction led to collision of the South and North China continental fragments along the Qinling Mountains, but northwest of the Longmen Shan region, subduction led to shortening within the Songpan Ganzi flysch basin, forming a detached fold-and-thrust belt. South of the Longmen Shan region, the flysch basin is bounded by the Shaluli Shan/Chola Shan arc—an originally Sfacing arc that reversed polarity in Late Triassic time, leading to shortening along the southern margin of the Songpan Ganzi flysch belt. Shortening within the flysch belt was oblique to the Yangtze continental margin such that the allochthon in the Longmen Shan region was emplaced within a left-lateral transpressive environment. Possible clockwise rotation of the Yangtze platform (part of the South China continental fragment) also may have contributed to left-lateral transpression with SE-directed shortening. During left-lateral transpression, the Xue Shan platform was displaced southwestward from the Qinling orogen and incorporated into the Longmen Shan allochthon. Westward movement of the platform caused complex refolding in the northern part of the Longmen Shan region.

Emplacement of the allochthon flexurally loaded the western part of the Yangtze platform autochthon, forming a Late Triassic foredeep. Foredeep deposition, often involving thick conglomerate units derived from the west, continued from Middle Jurassic into Cretaceous time, although evidence for deformation of this age in the allochthon is generally lacking.

Folding in the eastern Sichuan fold-and-thrust belt along the eastern side of the Sichuan Basin can be dated as Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous in age, but only in areas 100 km east of the westernmost folds. Folding and thrusting was related to convergent activity far to the east along the eastern margin of South China. The westernmost folds trend southwest and merge to the south with folds and locally form refolded folds that involve Upper Cretaceous and lower Cenozoic rocks. The boundary between Cenozoic and late Mesozoic folding on the eastern and southern margins of the Sichuan Basin remains poorly determined.

The present mountainous eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau in the Longmen Shan region is a consequence of Cenozoic deformation. It rises within 100 km from 500–600 m in the Sichuan Basin to peaks in the west reaching 5500 m and 7500 m in the north and south, respectively. West of these high peaks is the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau, an area of low relief at an elevations of about 4000 m.

Cenozoic deformation can be demonstrated in the autochthon of the southern Longmen Shan, where the stratigraphic sequence is without an angular unconformity from Paleozoic to Eocene or Oligocene time. During Cenozoic deformation, the western part of the Yangtze platform (part of the autochthon for Late Triassic deformation) was deformed into a N- to NE-trending foldandthrust belt. In its eastern part the fold-thrust belt is detached near the base of the platform succession and affects rocks within and along the western and southern margin of the Sichuan Basin, but to the west and south the detachment is within Proterozoic basement rocks. The westernmost structures of the fold-thrust belt form a belt of exposed basement massifs. During the middle and later part of the Cenozoic deformation, strike-slip faulting became important; the fold-thrust belt became partly right-lateral transpressive in the central and northeastern Longmen Shan. The southern part of the fold-thrust belt has a more complex evolution. Early Nto NE-trending folds and thrust faults are deformed by NW-trending basementinvolved folds and thrust faults that intersect with the NE-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults. Youngest structures in this southern area are dominated by left-lateral transpression related to movement on the Xianshuihe fault system.

The extent of Cenozoic deformation within the area underlain by the early Mesozoic allochthon remains unknown, because of the absence of rocks of the appropriate age to date Cenozoic deformation. Klippen of the allochthon were emplaced above the Cenozoic fold-andthrust belt in the central part of the eastern Longmen Shan, indicating that the allochthon was at least partly reactivated during Cenozoic time. Only in the Min Shan in the northern part of the allochthon is Cenozoic deformation demonstrated along two active zones of E-W shortening and associated left-slip. These structures trend obliquely across early Mesozoic structures and are probably related to shortening transferred from a major zone of active left-slip faulting that trends through the western Qinling Mountains. Active deformation is along the left-slip transpressive NW-trending Xianshuihe fault zone in the south, right-slip transpression along several major NE-trending faults in the central and northeastern Longmen Shan, and E-W shortening with minor left-slip movement along the Min Jiang and Huya fault zones in the north.

Our estimates of Cenozoic shortening along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau appear to be inadequate to account for the thick crust and high elevation of the plateau. We suggest here that the thick crust and high elevation is caused by lateral flow of the middle and lower crust eastward from the central part of the plateau and only minor crustal shortening in the upper crust. Upper crustal structure is largely controlled in the Longmen Shan region by older crustal anisotropics; thus shortening and eastward movement of upper crustal material is characterized by irregular deformation localized along older structural boundaries.     

The Northwestern (Maghreb) boundary of the Nubia (Africa) Plate

A study of the present compressional deformation of the Northwestern (Maghreb) Nubia (Africa) margin is derived from the analysis of more than 20,000 km of seismic profiles. In the western part the compression is distributed in a large zone with on-land compression in Algeria, mainly strike-slip deformation on the Algerian margin and folds and strike-slip faulting in Eastern Spain. In the middle of the Algerian margin, around Algiers, the evidences of compression become more obvious. In this area a ridge trending N–S that is interpreted as a middle to late Miocene spreading center interacted with the transpressional margin that trends E–W. North of the location of the Boumerdes–Zemmouri earthquake the oceanic crust is deformed by blind thrusts up to 60 km from the coast. These thrusts are south dipping and with the northward dipping thrusts located onshore form a wedge that maybe a positive flower structure at a crustal scale related to the right-lateral transpression of the margin. In the eastern part of the Northwestern (Maghreb) Nubia (Africa) Deformed Belt, off eastern Algeria and Tunisia, the deformation is more intense but limited to the north by the continental slope. Large late Miocene Tortonian folds are cut by the Messinian erosional surface but the present deformation is also evident. It is suggested that the deformation with a double vergence may be followed up to the north of Sicily. After the docking (18 Ma) of the Kabylies to the Africa Plate, the crust has been thinned and the Algerian Basin opened during the middle-late Miocene with an E–W direction. From the late Miocene to the Present the margin has been rethickened by transpression and uplifted.     

A traverse through the western Kunlun (Xinjiang,China): tentative geodynamic implications for the Paleozoic and Mesozoic

The northern part of the western Kunlun (southern margin of the Tarim basin) represents a Sinian rifted margin. To the south of this margin, the Sinian to Paleozoic Proto-Tethys Ocean formed. South-directed subduction of this ocean, beneath the continental southern Kunlun block during the Paleozoic, resulted in the collision between the northern and southern Kunlun blocks during the Devonian. The northern part of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean, located to the south of the southern Kunlun, was subducted to the north beneath the southern Kunlun during the Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic. This caused the formation of a subduction-accretion complex, including a sizeable accretionary wedge to the south of the southern Kunlun. A microcontinent (or oceanic plateau?), which we refer to as “Uygur terrane,” collided with the subduction complex during the Late Triassic. Both elements together represent the Kara-Kunlun. Final closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean took place during the Early Jurassic when the next southerly located continental block collided with the Kara-Kunlun area. From at least the Late Paleozoic to the Early Jurassic, the Tarim basin must be considered a back-arc region. The Kengxiwar lineament, which “connects” the Karakorum fault in the west and the Ruogiang-Xingxingxia/Altyn-Tagh fault zone in the east, shows signs of a polyphase strike-slip fault along which dextral and sinistral shearing occurred.