Rifting,subduction and collisional records from pluton petrogenesis and geochronology in the Hindu Kush,NW Pakistan

New U-(Th)/Pb geochronology and geochemical analyses of plutonic bodies in the Hindu Kush range, NW Pakistan, provide insight on the crustal growth and tectonic evolution of the southern Eurasian margin. These new data outline a protracted magmatic history that spans the Cambrian to the Neogene (ca. 538 to 23 Ma) and record a variety of petrogenetic associations variably influenced by within plate, volcanic arc, and collision tectonic environments. The Kafiristan pluton (538 ± 4 to 487 ± 3 Ma) yields geochemical signatures consistent with extensional plutonism and rifting of the Hindu Kush terrane from Gondwana. The Tirich Mir (127 ± 1 to 123 ± 1 Ma) and Buni-Zom (110 ± 1 to 104 ± 1 Ma) plutons have geochemical signatures that can be attributed to a subduction related continental volcanic arc system that developed along the southern margin of Eurasia in the Mesozoic. The Garam Chasma pluton, the youngest body in the study area (27.3 ± 0.5 to 22.8 ± 0.4 Ma), yields a geochemical signature consistent with widespread anatexis during crustal thickening related to the development of the Himalaya. The present geochemical and geochronological analysis from the Hindu Kush have produced important new constraints on the timing of tectonic events and variable tectonic settings along the south Eurasian margin before and after the continued India–Asia collision.     

帕米尔构造结锂矿资源潜力评价——基于1 ∶ 100万地球化学调查

帕米尔构造结夹持于塔吉克盆地与塔里木盆地之间,是印度板块与欧亚板块碰撞形成的巨大山结,由西侧的兴都库什山、中部的帕米尔高原、东侧的昆仑山3部分组成,它们经历了相同的地质演化历史.近年来,在西部的兴都库什地区发现了帕斯古斯塔、贾马纳克等大型、超大型伟晶岩型锂矿,在东侧的西昆仑地区发现了大红柳滩、俘虏沟等具大型、超大型远景...     

Magnetostratigraphy of deep drilling core SG-1 in the western Qaidam Basin (NE Tibetan Plateau) and its tectonic implications

The Qaidam Basin is the largest intermontane basin of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and contains a continuous Cenozoic sequence of lacustrine sediments. A ~ 1000-m-deep drilling (SG-1) with an average core recovery of ~ 95% was carried out in the depocenter of the Chahansilatu playa (sub-depression) in the western Qaidam Basin, aimed to obtain a high-resolution record of the paleoenvironmental evolution and the erosion history. Stepwise alternating field and thermal demagnetization, together with rock magnetic results, revealed a stable remanent magnetization for most samples, carried by magnetite. The polarity sequence consisted of 16 normal and 15 reverse zones which can be correlated with chrons 1n to 2An of the global geomagnetic polarity time scale. Magnetostratigraphic results date the entire core SG-1 at ~ 2.77 Ma to ~ 0.1 Ma and yielded sediment accumulation rate (SAR) ranging from 26.1 cm/ka to 51.5 cm/ka. Maximum SARs occurred within the intervals of ~ 2.6–2.2 Ma and after ~ 0.8 Ma, indicating two episodes of erosion, which we relate to pulse tectonic uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau with subsequent global cooling.     

High-resolution magnetostratigraphic study of the Paleogene-Neogene strata in the Northern Qaidam Basin: Implications for the growth of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

The Cenozoic terrestrial, intermontane Qaidam Basin on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau contains > 12 km of sedimentary rocks that potentially document the accommodation of India-Asia convergence and the growth of the plateau. The chronology remains incomplete, hindering cross-basin correlation between lithostratigraphic units and their further interpretation. Here we present a high-resolution magnetostratigraphy spanning > 5 km of Paleogene-Neogene sequence at Dahonggou in the Northern Qaidam Basin. Based on correlation with the geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS), we have dated the section to being between ~ 52 and ~ 7 Ma. The bottom conglomeratic unit, ranging from > 52 Ma to ~ 44 Ma, was deposited in high-energy environments (e.g., alluvial fan or braided river), reflecting the earliest deformation and uplift of the basin-bounding Qilian Shan fold-thrust belt in response to India-Asia collision. In addition, we identified two major increases in sedimentation rate at 25–16 Ma and after ~ 9.5 Ma and three phases of lesser increases at 52–44 Ma, 38–33 Ma, and 14.6–12.0 Ma. These increases in sedimentation rate are consistent with regional thermochronology and basin analysis studies, which revealed enhanced motion on basin-bounding thrust faults. We argue that these accelerated sedimentation rates indicate pulsed tectonism in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The pulse at 25–16 Ma may further relate to phases of strong rainfall linked to an intense monsoon at that time.     

Mesoproterozoic magmatic events in the eastern North China Craton and their tectonic implications: Geochronological evidence from detrital zircons in the Shandong Peninsula and North Korea

Whether any Grenvillian magmatic records are preserved in the North China Craton (NCC) is a key issue to understand the Proterozoic tectonic evolution of the NCC and its correlation to the supercontinent Rodinia. Meso- to Neo-proterozoic sedimentary series is well exposed in the NCC, but magmatic events in this period, especially of 1.3–1.0 Ga, have seldom been reported. New U–Pb isotopic dating and Hf isotopic composition analyses have been carried out in this study using SIMS and LA–ICP-MS methods on detrital zircons from sandstones of the Tumen Group in the Shandong Peninsula and quartz sandstones of the Sangwon System in the Phyongnam Basin, North Korea. The age populations of the detrital zircons of the Tumen Group are at ~ 2.5 Ga, ~ 1.85 Ga, ~ 1.7 Ga, ~ 1.58 Ga, ~ 1.5 Ga, ~ 1.36 Ga and ~ 1.2 Ga and those of the Sangwon System are at 1.88–1.86 Ga, ~ 1.78 Ga, 1.62–1.58 Ga, 1.46–1.41 Ga, ~ 1.32 Ga, ~ 1.17 Ga and ~ 980 Ma. Most of the age peaks of Neoarchean and Proterozoic correspond to the significant tectonic-magmatic-thermal events previously recognized in the NCC, revealing that the main provenances of the Tumen Group and the Sangwon System are Early Precambrian basement and Late Paleo- to Meso-proterozoic magmatic rocks of the NCC. Furthermore, the youngest detrital zircon ages of ~ 1.1 Ga from the Tumen Group and 984 Ma from the Sangwon System, as well as 910 Ma Rb–Sr whole rock isochron age of a limestone from the Tumen Group and 899 Ma mafic sills intruding the Sangwon System suggest that both groups were deposited in the Neoproterozoic, coevally with the Qingbaikou System in the Yanliao Aulacogen. The common zircon ages of 1.3–1.0 Ga from the Tumen Group and the Sangwon System, as well as the contemporaneous Penglai and Yushulazi Group in the eastern margin of the NCC, indicate that during the deposition of these sediments there have been significant contributions from Grenvillian magmatic rocks in the eastern NCC. This may provide clues to understand the possible relationship of the NCC and the supercontinent Rodinia. Moreover, the positive εHf (t) and ~ 2.8 Ga crust model ages of detrital magmatic zircons of 2.8–2.4 Ga suggest that there have been significant crustal growth at ~ 2.8 Ga in the eastern margin of the NCC, same as in other areas of the NCC.     

Tectonic drivers and the influence of the Kerguelen plume on seafloor spreading during formation of the early Indian Ocean

The Perth Abyssal Plain (PAP), located offshore southwest Australia, formed at the centre of Mesozoic East Gondwana breakup and Kerguelen plume activity. Despite its importance as a direct and relatively undisturbed recorder of this early spreading history, sparse geophysical data sets and lack of geological sampling hamper our understanding of the evolution of the PAP. This study combines new bathymetric profiles across the PAP with petrographic and geochemical data from the first samples ever to be dredged from the flanks of the Dirck Hartog Ridge (DHR), a prominent linear bathymetric feature in the central PAP, to better constrain the formation of the early Indian Ocean floor and the influence of the Kerguelen plume. Seafloor spreading in the PAP initiated at ~ 136 Ma with spreading observed to occur at (half) rates of ~ 35 mm/yr. Changes in spreading rate are difficult to discern after the onset of the Cretaceous Quiet Zone at ~ 120 Ma, but an increase in seafloor roughness towards the centre of the PAP likely resulted from a half-spreading rate decrease from 35 mm/yr (based on magnetic reversals) to ~ 24 mm/yr at ~ 114 Ma. Exhumed gabbro dredged from the southernmost dredge site of the DHR supports a further slowdown of spreading immediately prior to full cessation at ~ 102 Ma. The DHR exhibits a high relief ridge axis and distinctive asymmetry that is unusual compared to most active or extinct spreading centres. The composition of mafic volcanic samples varies along the DHR, from sub-alkaline dolerites with incompatible element concentrations most similar to depleted-to-normal mid-ocean ridge basalts in the south, to alkali basalts similar to ocean island basalts in the north. Therefore, magma sources and degrees of partial melting varied in space and time. It is likely that the alkali basalts are a manifestation of later excess volcanism, subsequent to or during the cessation of spreading. In this case, enriched signatures may be attributed tectonic drivers and melting of a heterogeneous mantle, or to an episodic influence of the Kerguelen plume over distances greater than 1000 km. We also investigate possible scenarios to explain how lower crustal rocks were emplaced at the crest of the southern DHR. Our results demonstrate the significance of regional tectonic plate motions on the formation and deformation of young ocean crust, and provide insight into the unique DHR morphology.     

First tectonic-geomorphology study along the Longmu–Gozha Co fault system,Western Tibet

The Longmu–Gozha Co left-lateral strike-slip fault system (LGCF) is located in remote western Tibet, forming a triple junction with both the Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) and the Karakorum fault (KF), the two major strike-slip faults in the region. The Ashikule, Gozha Co and Longmu Co faults are clear and distinct left-stepping en-echelon faults, together forming the LGCF system. Although poorly documented, quantifying its activity remains a key problem to understand the kinematics and the tectonic history of the westernmost Tibetan Plateau. Indeed, the Karakax fault (NW segment of the ATF), LGCF and KF together control the tectonics of western Tibet which itself controls the extrusion of Tibet towards the east, with the LGCF acting as a natural boundary for eastward motion of the Tibetan Plateau due to India's northward impingement. The LGCF system shows clear and impressive morphological indications of left-lateral active shear, that we quantify using field measurements (terrestrial LIDAR) along with ¹⁰Be surface-exposure dating. Our data suggest a slip-rate < 3 mm/yr, consistent with geodetic and block model studies. While it is on the order of the Karakax fault slip-rate (~ 2 mm/yr), it is smaller than those along the ATF and KF (> 9 and > 8 mm/yr, respectively), yielding a few mm/yr of extension accommodated most likely in the Ashikule graben and surroundings, located between the ATF and Karakax faults. Numerous evidences of recent tectonic-related events are present in the vicinity, such as the 1951 volcanic eruption as well as the 2008 and 2014 Ms 7.3 Yutian earthquakes, attesting of its high activity. In addition, the LGCF's en-echelon geometry and identical direction with the ATF, as well as smaller geological offsets and lower slip-rate compared to those on the surrounding faults, suggest that this segment of the ATF may be the most recent.     

Paleomagnetic versus GPS determined tectonic rotation around eastern Himalayan syntaxis in East Asia

Northward indentation of the Indian Plate has brought about significant tectonic deformation into East Asia. A record of long-term tectonic deformation in this area for the past 50 M yr, particularly the vertical axis rotation, is available through paleomagnetic data. In order to depict rotational deformation in this area with respect to Eurasia, we compiled reliable paleomagnetic data sets from 79 localities distributed around eastern Himalayan syntaxis in East Asia. This record delineates that a zone affected by clockwise rotational deformation extends from the southern tip of the Chuan Dian Fragment to as far as the northwestern part of the Indochina Peninsula. A limited zone that experienced a significant amount of clockwise rotation after an initial India–Asia collision is now located at 23.5°N, 101°E, far away from an area (27.5°N, 95.5°E) where an intense rotational motion has been viewed by a snapshot of GPS measurements. This discrepancy in clockwise rotated positions is attributed to southeastward extrusion of the tectonic blocks within East Asia as a result of ongoing indentation of the Indian Plate. A quantitative comparison between the GPS and paleomagnetically determined clockwise rotation further suggests that following an initial India–Asia collision the crust at 30°N, 94°E paleoposition was subjected to southeastward displacement together with clockwise rotation, which eventually reached to present-day position of 23.5°N, 101°E, implying a crustal displacement of about 1000 km during the past 50 M yr.     

Thermal evolution of the Hengshan extensional dome in central South China and its tectonic implications: New insights into low-angle detachment formation

The Hengshan massif is an exhumed, mid-crustal, plutonic–metamorphic dome formed during Cretaceous crustal extension in the Jiangnan orogenic belt, central South China. Multiple thermochronometers (mica ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar, apatite fission track and zircon (U–Th)/He) are applied to its footwall along a slip-parallel transect to quantify its thermal history and cooling rate, and the slip magnitude, rate, initial geometry and kinematic evolution of the low-angle Hengshan detachment fault. Our thermochronological data, in conjunction with previous ages, indicate that (1) footwall rocks cooled from ~ 700 °C to ~ 60 °C in less than 60 Myr (136–80 Ma) at variable rates ranging from ~ 50 °C/Myr to ~ 13 °C/Myr, (2) the Hengshan detachment fault accommodated ~ 8–12 km of total slip at variable slip rates from 0.14 to 1 mm/yr during tectonic exhumation, (3) the footwall has been tilted ~ 26°–50° to the east since slip began, indicating that the low-angle Hengshan detachment fault initiated at a steep dip and was passively rotated to a more gentle orientation during subsequent normal slip. This study provides compelling evidence supporting that the low-angle detachment fault in the extensional dome can be generated by the reactivation and passive rotation of an initially steep reverse fault during normal slip. In addition, our thermochronological data constrain the time of extension in the Hengshan dome between 136 and 80 Ma, which implies that the back-arc extension within South China associated with the rollback of the Paleo-Pacific slab might have lasted until at least 80 Ma.     

AFT dating constrains the Cenozoic uplift of the Qimen Tagh Mountains,Northeast Tibetan Plateau,comparison with LA-ICPMS Zircon U–Pb ages

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the highest plateau in the world, which has been the focus of Cenozoic geological studies. The Northeast Tibetan Plateau (NETP) is a key location to decipher the Cenozoic evolution history of the TP. Understanding the building of the Qimen Tagh Mountains located in NETP will help to constrain the development of the northern boundary of the main TP, test the existence of a Paleo-Qaidam Basin and test the eastward growth model of the TP. In this study, granite samples from the Qimen Tagh Mountains were dated by LA-ICPMS and apatite fission track (AFT). The LA-ICPMS zircon U–Pb ages give two magmatic events around ~ 405 and ~ 255 Ma from two different sites. AFT modeling shows that the initial uplift took place at ~ 40–30 Ma in these mountains, which should be controlled by the Altyn Tagh Fault. Compiling previously low-temperature thermochronometry results, it reveals that the initial Cenozoic uplift of the northern boundary of the TP (Qimen Tagh and East Kunlun mountains), soon after the India–Eurasia collision in the southern TP, has divided the Paleo-Qaidam Basin into several sub-basins. The approximate NE–E growth process occurred along the lithospheric Altyn Tagh and Kunlun faults. The current basin and range morphology of the NETP took place around ~ 8 Ma.     

A new approach for reconstructing glacier variability based on lake sediments recording input from more than one glacier

We explore the possibility of building a continuous glacier reconstruction by analyzing the integrated sedimentary response of a large (440 km²) glacierized catchment in western Norway, as recorded in the downstream lake Nerfloen (N61°56’, E6°52’). A multi-proxy numerical analysis demonstrates that it is possible to distinguish a glacier component in the ~ 8000-yr-long record, based on distinct changes in grain size, geochemistry, and magnetic composition. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals a strong common signal in the 15 investigated sedimentary parameters, with the first principal component explaining 77% of the total variability. This signal is interpreted to reflect glacier activity in the upstream catchment, an interpretation that is independently tested through a mineral magnetic provenance analysis of catchment samples. Minimum glacier input is indicated between 6700–5700 cal yr BP, probably reflecting a situation when most glaciers in the catchment had melted away, whereas the highest glacier activity is observed around 600 and 200 cal yr BP. During the local Neoglacial interval (~ 4200 cal yr BP until present), five individual periods of significantly reduced glacier extent are identified at ~ 3400, 3000–2700, 2100–2000, 1700–1500, and ~ 900 cal yr BP.     

Detrital zircon U–Pb age and Hf isotope constrains on the generation and reworking of Precambrian continental crust in the Cathaysia Block,South China: A synthesis

The South China Block, consisting of the Yangtze and the Cathaysia blocks, is one of the largest Precambrian blocks in eastern Asia. However, the early history of the Cathaysia Block is poorly understood due largely to intensive and extensive reworking by Phanerozoic polyphase orogenesis and magmatism which strongly overprinted and obscured much of the Precambrian geological record. In this paper, we use the detrital zircon U–Pb age and Hf isotope datasets as an alternative approach to delineate the early history of the Cathaysia Block. Compilation of published 4041 Precambrian detrital zircon ages from a number of (meta)sedimentary samples and river sands exhibits a broad age spectrum, with three major peaks at ~ 2485 Ma, ~ 1853 Ma and ~ 970 Ma (counting for ~ 10%, ~ 16% and ~ 24% of all analyses, respectively), and four subordinate peaks at ~ 1426 Ma, ~ 1074 Ma, ~ 780 Ma and ~ 588 Ma. Five of seven detrital zircon age peaks are broadly coincident with the crystallisation ages of ~ 1.89–1.83 Ga, ~ 1.43 Ga, ~ 1.0–0.98 Ga and ~ 0.82–0.72 Ga for known igneous rocks exposed in Cathaysia, whereas, igneous rocks with ages of ~ 2.49 Ga and ~ 0.59 Ga have not yet been found. The Hf isotopic data from 1085 detrital zircons yield Hf model ages (T_DM^C) between ~ 4.19 Ga and ~ 0.81 Ga, and the calculated εHf(t) values between − 40.2 and 14.4. The Archean detrital zircons are exclusively oval in shape with complicated internal textures, indicating that they were sourced by long distance transportations and strong abrasion from an exotic Archean continent. In contrast, the majority of detrital zircons in age between ~ 1.9 and ~ 0.8 Ga are euhedral to subhedral crystals, indicative of local derivation by short distance transportations from their sources. The oldest crustal basement rocks in Cathaysia were most likely formed by generation of juvenile crust and reworking of recycled Archean components in Late Paleoproterozoic at ~ 1.9–1.8 Ga, rather than in the Archean as previously speculated. Reworking and recycling of the continental crust are likely the dominant processes for the crustal evolution of Cathaysia during the Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic time, with an intervenient period of significant generation of juvenile crust at ~ 1.0 Ga.Precambrian crustal evolutions of the Cathaysia Block are genetically related to the supercontinent cycles. By comparing detrital zircon data from Cathaysia with those for other continents, and integrating multiple lines of geological evidence, we interpret the Cathaysia Block as an orogenic belt located between East Antarctica, Laurentia and Australia during the assembly of supercontinent Columbia/Nuna at ~ 1.9–1.8 Ga. The Cathaysia Block amalgamated with the Yangtze Block to form the united South China Block during the Sibao Orogeny at ~ 1.0–0.89 Ga. The Laurentia–Cathaysia–Yangtze–Australia–East Antarctica connection gives the best solution to the paleo-position of Cathaysia in supercontinent Rodinia. The significant amount of ~ 0.6–0.55 Ga detrital zircons in Cathaysia and West Yangtze have exclusively high crustal incubation time of > 300 Ma, indicating crystallisation from magmas generated dominantly by crustal reworking. This detrital zircon population compares well with the similar-aged zircon populations from a number of Gondwana-derived terranes including Tethyan Himalaya, High Himalaya, Qiangtang and Indochina. The united South China–Indochina continent was likely once an integral part of Gondwanaland, connected to northern India by a “Pan-African” collisional orogen.     

The exhumation history of collision-related mineralizing systems in Tibet: Insights from thermal studies of the Sharang and Yaguila deposits,central Lhasa

The large, newly discovered Sharang porphyry Mo deposit and nearby Yaguila skarn Pb–Zn–Ag (–Mo) deposit reside in the central Lhasa terrane, northern Gangdese metallogenic belt, Tibet. Multiple mineral chronometers (zircon U–Pb, sericite ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar, and zircon and apatite (U–Th)/He) reveal that ore-forming porphyritic intrusions experienced rapid cooling (> 100 °C/Ma) during a monotonic magmatic–hydrothermal evolution. The magmatic–hydrothermal ore-forming event at Sharang lasted ~ 6.0 Myr (~ 1.8 Myr for cooling from > 900 to 350 °C and ~ 4.0 Myr for cooling from 350 to 200 °C) whereas cooling was more prolonged during ore formation at Yaguila (~ 1.8 Myr from > 900 to 500 °C and a maximum of ~ 16 Myr from > 900 to 350 °C). All porphyritic intrusions in the ore district experienced exhumation at a rate of 0.07–0.09 mm/yr (apatite He ages between ~ 37 and 30 Ma). Combined with previous studies, this work implies that uplift of the eastern section of the Lhasa terrane expanded from central Lhasa (37–30 Ma) to southern Lhasa (15–12 Ma) at an increasing exhumation rate. All available geochronologic data reveal that magmatic–hydrothermal–exhumation activities in the Sharang–Yaguila ore district occurred within four periods of magmatism with related mineralization. Significant porphyry-type Mo mineralization was associated with Late Cretaceous–Eocene felsic porphyritic intrusions in the central Lhasa terrane, resulting from Neotethyan oceanic subduction and India–Asia continental collision.     

Seismic structure and rheology of the crust under mainland China

The crust and upper mantle in mainland China were relatively densely probed with wide-angle seismic profiling since 1958, and the data have provided constraints on the amalgamation and lithosphere deformation of the continent. Based on the collection and digitization of crustal P-wave velocity models along related wide-angle seismic profiles, we construct several crustal transects across major tectonic units in mainland China. In our study, we analyzed the seismic activity, and seismic energy releases during 1970 and 2010 along them. We present seismogenic layer distribution and calculate the yield stress envelopes of the lithosphere along the transects, yielding a better understanding of the lithosphere rheology strength beneath mainland China. Our results demonstrate that the crustal thicknesses of different tectonic provinces are distinctively different in mainland China. The average crustal thickness is greater than 65 km beneath the Tibetan Plateau, about 35 km beneath South China, and about 36–38 km beneath North China and Northeastern China. For the basins, the thickness is ~ 55 km beneath Qaidam, ~ 50 km beneath Tarim, ~ 40 km beneath Sichuan and ~ 35 km beneath Songliao. Our study also shows that the average seismic P-wave velocity is usually slower than the global average, equivalent with a more felsic composition of crust beneath the four tectonic blocks of mainland China resulting from the complex process of lithospheric evolution during Triassic and Cenozoic continent–continent and Mesozoic ocean–continent collisions. We identify characteristically different patterns of seismic activity distribution in different tectonic blocks, with bi-, or even tri-peak distribution of seismic concentration in South Tibet, which may suggest that crustal architecture and composition exert important control role in lithosphere deformation. The calculated yield stress envelopes of lithosphere in mainland China can be divided into three groups. The results indicate that the lithosphere rheology structure can be described by jelly sandwich model in eastern China, and crème brulee models with weak and strong lower crust corresponding to lithosphere beneath the western China and Kunlun orogenic belts, respectively. The spatial distribution of lithospheric rheology structure may provide important constraints on understanding of intra- or inter-plate deformation mechanism, and more studies are needed to further understand the tectonic process(es) accompanying different lithosphere rheology structures.     

Western Tibet relief evolution since the Oligo-Miocene

Western Tibet, between the Karakorum fault and the Gozha–Longmu Co fault system, is mostly internally drained and has a 1.5–2 km amplitude relief with km-large valleys. We investigate the origin of this peculiar morphology by combining a topography analysis and a study of the Cenozoic sedimentation in this area. Cenozoic continental strata correspond to a proximal, detrital fan deposition, and uncomformably rest on a palaeorelief similar to the modern one. Zircon U–Pb dating from trachytic flows interbedded within the Cenozoic continental sediments indicates that detrital sedimentation occurred at least between ca 24 and 20 Ma in the Shiquanhe basin, while K/Ar ages suggest it may have started since ~ 37 Ma in the Zapug basin. The distribution of continental deposits shows that present-day morphology features, including km-large, 1500 m-deep valleys, were already formed by Early Miocene times. We suggest that today's internally drained western Tibet was externally drained, at least during late Miocene, contemporaneously with early motion along the Karakorum Fault. Detailed study of the present day river network is compatible with a dextral offset on the Karakorum Fault of 250 km at a rate of ~ 10 ± 1 mm/yr. Displacement along the Karakorum fault possibly induced the shift from external to an internal drainage system, by damming of the Bangong Co ~ 4 Ma ago, leading to the isolation and preservation of the western Tibet relief.     

Ancient harbors and Holocene morphogenesis of the Ras Ibn Hani peninsula (Syria)

Ras Ibn Hani peninsula, a wave-dominated tombolo (800 × 1000 m) on the Syrian coast, provides evidence for significant Holocene changes that can be linked to geological inheritance, rising post-glacial sea level, sediment supply and human impacts. Initial development of Ras Ibn Hani's coastal system began ~ 8000 years ago when shallow marine environments formed in a context of rising post-glacial sea level. Following relative sea-level stabilization ~ 6000 cal yr BP, beach facies trace the gradual formation of a wave-dominated sandbank fronted by a ~ 2300 × ~ 500 m palaeo-island whose environmental potentiality was attractive to Bronze Age societies. A particularly rapid phase of tombolo accretion is observed after ~ 3500 cal yr BP characterised by a two- to fourfold increase in sedimentation rates. This is consistent with (i) a pulse in sediment supply probably driven by Bronze Age/Iron Age soil erosion in local catchments, and (ii) positive feedback mechanisms linked to regionally attested neotectonics. Archaeological remains and radiocarbon datings confirm that the subaerial tombolo was probably in place by the Late Bronze Age. These data fit tightly with other eastern Mediterranean tombolo systems suggesting that there is a great deal of predictability to their geology and stratigraphy at the regional scale.     

Cenozoic paleo-environmental evolution of the Pamir–Tien Shan convergence zone

The retreat of the Tethys Sea and the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau play the critical roles in driving Asian climatic changes during the Cenozoic. In the Pamir–Tien Shan convergence zone, over 3000 m of Cenozoic successions, consisting of marine deposits in the lower, continental clay and fine sand in the middle, and molasse in the upper part, record the evolution of the Tethys Sea, the Asian aridification, and the deformation of the Pamir. In this work, the existing biostratigraphic subdivisions and new electronic spinning resonance dating results were used to assign ages to formations within the Ulugqat section. Sedimentary facies analysis and multi-proxy indices were used to reconstruct the paleo-environmental evolution. The results show: (1) the Pamir–Tien Shan convergence zone has undergone progressive environmental changes from shallow marine before ∼34 Ma to arid land at ∼23 Ma and finally to inter-mountain basin by ∼5.3 Ma; (2) the overall increase in mean size of grains, decrease in redness, in magnetic susceptibility, and in proportion of the ultrafine component of the sediments studied revealed a long-term strengthening in potential energy to transporting medium, cooling, and enhanced continental aridity, respectively; (3) the easternmost edge of the Tethys Sea prevailed in the western Tarim Basin from late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic, and finally retreated from this region around the Eocene–Oligocene transition, which in turn strengthened the Asian aridification; (4) accumulation of molasse with an upper age of ∼1 Ma suggests that the deformation front of the Pamir migrated to this area at or before that time.     

Lacustrine records of Holocene flood pulse dynamics in the Upper Paraguay River watershed (Pantanal wetlands,Brazil)

The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and a biodiversity hotspot, yet its response to Quaternary environmental change is unclear. To address this problem, sediment cores from shallow lakes connected to the Upper Paraguay River (PR) were analyzed and radiocarbon dated to track changes in sedimentary environments. Stratal relations, detrital particle size, multiple biogeochemical indicators, and sponge spicules suggest fluctuating lake-level lowstand conditions between ~ 11,000 and 5300 cal yr BP, punctuated by sporadic and in some cases erosive flood flows. A hiatus has been recorded from ~ 5300 to 2600 cal yr BP, spurred by confinement of the PR within its channel during an episode of profound regional drought. Sustained PR flooding caused a transgression after ~ 2600 cal yr BP, with lake-level highstand conditions appearing during the Little Ice Age. Holocene PR flood pulse dynamics are best explained by variability in effective precipitation, likely driven by insolation and tropical sea-surface temperature gradients. Our results provide novel support for hypotheses on: (1) stratigraphic discontinuity of floodplain sedimentary archives; (2) late Holocene methane flux from Southern Hemisphere wetlands; and (3) pre-colonial indigenous ceramics traditions in western Brazil.     

Dependence of mid-ocean ridge morphology on spreading rate in numerical 3-D models

The morphology of natural mid-ocean ridges changes significantly with the rate of extension. Full spreading rate on Earth varies over more than one order of magnitude, ranging from less than 10 mm/yr at the Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean to 170 mm/yr at the East Pacific Rise. The goal of this study is to reproduce and investigate the spreading patterns as they vary with extension rate using 3-D thermomechanical numerical models. The applied finite difference marker-in-cell code incorporates visco-plastic rheology of the lithosphere and a crustal growth algorithm. The evolution of mid-ocean ridges from nucleation to a steady-state is modelled for a wide range of spreading rates. With increasing spreading rate, four different regimes are obtained: (a) stable alternating magmatic and amagmatic sections (≈ 10 mm/yr), (b) transient features in asymmetrically spreading systems (≈ 20 mm/yr), (c) stable orthogonal ridge-transform fault patterns (≈ 40 mm/yr) and (d) stable curved ridges (≥ 60 mm/yr). Modelled ultraslow and slow mid-ocean ridges share key features with natural systems. Abyssal hills and oceanic core complexes are the dominant features on the flanks of natural slow-spreading ridges. Numerically, very similar features are produced, both generated by localised asymmetric plate growth controlled by a spontaneous development of large-offset normal faults (detachment faults). Asymmetric accretion in our models implies a lateral migration of the ridge segment, which might help explaining the very large offsets observed at certain transform faults in nature.     

The longest voyage: Tectonic,magmatic, and paleoclimatic evolution of the Indian plate during its northward flight from Gondwana to Asia

The tectonic evolution of the Indian plate, which started in Late Jurassic about 167 million years ago (~ 167 Ma) with the breakup of Gondwana, presents an exceptional and intricate case history against which a variety of plate tectonic events such as: continental breakup, sea-floor spreading, birth of new oceans, flood basalt volcanism, hotspot tracks, transform faults, subduction, obduction, continental collision, accretion, and mountain building can be investigated. Plate tectonic maps are presented here illustrating the repeated rifting of the Indian plate from surrounding Gondwana continents, its northward migration, and its collision first with the Kohistan–Ladakh Arc at the Indus Suture Zone, and then with Tibet at the Shyok–Tsangpo Suture. The associations between flood basalts and the recurrent separation of the Indian plate from Gondwana are assessed. The breakup of India from Gondwana and the opening of the Indian Ocean is thought to have been caused by plate tectonic forces (i.e., slab pull emanating from the subduction of the Tethyan ocean floor beneath Eurasia) which were localized along zones of weakness caused by mantle plumes (Bouvet, Marion, Kerguelen, and Reunion plumes). The sequential spreading of the Southwest Indian Ridge/Davie Ridge, Southeast Indian Ridge, Central Indian Ridge, Palitana Ridge, and Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean were responsible for the fragmentation of the Indian plate during the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous times. The Réunion and the Kerguelen plumes left two spectacular hotspot tracks on either side of the Indian plate. With the breakup of Gondwana, India remained isolated as an island continent, but reestablished its biotic links with Africa during the Late Cretaceous during its collision with the Kohistan–Ladakh Arc (~ 85 Ma) along the Indus Suture. Soon after the Deccan eruption, India drifted northward as an island continent by rapid motion carrying Gondwana biota, about 20 cm/year, between 67 Ma to 50 Ma; it slowed down dramatically to 5 cm/year during its collision with Asia in Early Eocene (~ 50 Ma). A northern corridor was established between India and Asia soon after the collision allowing faunal interchange. This is reflected by mixed Gondwana and Eurasian elements in the fossil record preserved in several continental Eocene formations of India. A revised India–Asia collision model suggests that the Indus Suture represents the obduction zone between India and the Kohistan–Ladakh Arc, whereas the Shyok-Suture represents the collision between the Kohistan–Ladakh arc and Tibet. Eventually, the Indus–Tsangpo Zone became the locus of the final India–Asia collision, which probably began in Early Eocene (~ 50 Ma) with the closure of Neotethys Ocean. The post-collisional tectonics for the last 50 million years is best expressed in the evolution of the Himalaya–Tibetan orogen. The great thickness of crust beneath Tibet and Himalaya and a series of north vergent thrust zones in the Himalaya and the south-vergent subduction zones in Tibetan Plateau suggest the progressive convergence between India and Asia of about 2500 km since the time of collision. In the early Eohimalayan phase (~ 50 to 25 Ma) of Himalayan orogeny (Middle Eocene–Late Oligocene), thick sediments on the leading edge of the Indian plate were squeezed, folded, and faulted to form the Tethyan Himalaya. With continuing convergence of India, the architecture of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen is dominated by deformational structures developed in the Neogene Period during the Neohimalayan phase (~ 21 Ma to present), creating a series of north-vergent thrust belt systems such as the Main Central Thrust, the Main Boundary Thrust, and the Main Frontal Thrust to accommodate crustal shortening. Neogene molassic sediment shed from the rise of the Himalaya was deposited in a nearly continuous foreland trough in the Siwalik Group containing rich vertebrate assemblages. Tomographic imaging of the India–Asia orogen reveals that Indian lithospheric slab has been subducted subhorizontally beneath the entire Tibetan Plateau that has played a key role in the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The low-viscosity channel flow in response to topographic loading of Tibet provides a mechanism to explain the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen. From the start of its voyage in Southern Hemisphere, to its final impact with the Asia, the Indian plate has experienced changes in climatic conditions both short-term and long-term. We present a series of paleoclimatic maps illustrating the temperature and precipitation conditions based on estimates of Fast Ocean Atmospheric Model (FOAM), a coupled global climate model. The uplift of the Himalaya–Tibetan Plateau above the snow line created two most important global climate phenomena—the birth of the Asian monsoon and the onset of Pleistocene glaciation. As the mountains rose, and the monsoon rains intensified, increasing erosional sediments from the Himalaya were carried down by the Ganga River in the east and the Indus River in the west, and were deposited in two great deep-sea fans, the Bengal and the Indus. Vertebrate fossils provide additional resolution for the timing of three crucial tectonic events: India–KL Arc collision during the Late Cretaceous, India–Asia collision during the Early Eocene, and the rise of the Himalaya during the Early Miocene.