| Citation: |
Zhi-hui Cai, Bi-zhu He, Guang-wei Li, Cun-li Jiao, Xiao-rui Yun, 2021. Early Cretaceous deformation in the southern Tashkorgan region: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the northeastern Pamir, China Geology, 4, 67-76. doi: 10.31035/cg2021023
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Early Cretaceous deformation in the southern Tashkorgan region: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the northeastern Pamir
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Abstract
The Pamir Plateau comprises a series of crustal fragments that successively accreted to the Eurasian margin preceded the India-Asia collision, is an ideal place to study the Mesozoic tectonics. The authors investigate the southern Tashkorgan area, northeastern Pamir Plateau, where Mesozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks are exposed. New structural and biotite 40Ar-39Ar age data are presented. Two stages of intense deformation in the metamorphic rocks are identified, which are unconformably covered by the Early Cretaceous sediment. Two high-grade metamorphic rocks yielding 128.4 ± 0.8 Ma and 144.5 ± 0.9 Ma 40Ar-39Ar ages indicate that the samples experienced an Early Cretaceous cooling event. Combined with previous studies, it is proposed that the Early Cretaceous tectonic records in the southern Tashkorgan region are associated with Andean-style orogenesis. They are the results of the flat/low-angle subduction of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere.
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Keywords:
- Early Cretaceous /
- Deformation /
- Biotite 40Ar-39Ar /
- Tashkorgan /
- Neo-tethyan /
- Pamir /
- Tibetan Plateau
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References
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Zhi-hui Cai, Bi-zhu He, Guang-wei Li, Cun-li Jiao, Xiao-rui Yun, 2021. Early Cretaceous deformation in the southern Tashkorgan region: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the northeastern Pamir, China Geology, 4, 67-76. doi: 10.31035/cg2021023
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Figure 1.
Simplified geological map of the Pamir Plateau (after Robinson AC, 2009).
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Figure 2.
a‒Simplified geological map of the Tashkorgan region, northeastern Pamir (after Wang SY and Peng SM, 2014); b‒cross-section across the southern Tashkorgan region (see A-A' in the Fig. 2a). I‒South Tarim Terrane; II‒West Kunlun Terrane; III‒Tashkorgan; IV‒Mingtiegai terranes. BDF–Bankier Fault; WCHF–Wachia Fualt; TSF–Taesi Fault.
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Figure 3.
Simplified stratigraphic column of the southern Tashkorgan region.
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Figure 4.
Outcrop photos in the southern Tashkorgan region.
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Figure 5.
Thin section photomicrographs of lithology and micro-tectonics.
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Figure 6.
40Ar-39Ar age spectras of biotites in the southern Tashkorgan region.
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Figure 7.
Early Cretaceous synthetic cross-sections of the tectonic model in the northeastern Pamir (see B-B' in the Fig. 1).