Premium
On the Geodynamic Mechanism of Episodic Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau during the Cenozoic Era
Author(s) -
WANG Guocan,
CAO Kai,
WANG An,
SHEN Tianyi,
ZHANG Kexin,
WANG Liquan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/1755-6724.12223
Subject(s) - geology , cenozoic , plateau (mathematics) , magmatism , seismology , paleontology , geomorphology , tectonics , structural basin , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Multi‐stage uplift of the Tibetan Plateau during the Cenozoic implies a complex geodynamic process. In this paper, we review main geodynamic models for the uplift of the plateau, and, in particular, analyze the spatio‐temporal framework of the Cenozoic deformation structures, which are closely related to the deep geodynamic mechanism for the plateau uplift. From this perspective, significant change of the deformation regime over the Tibetan Plateau occurred by the middle‐late Miocene, while thrust and thrust‐folding system under NS compression was succeded by extension or stress‐relaxation. Meanwhile, a series of large‐scale strike‐slip faults commenced or was kinemtically reversed. Based on a systematic synthesis of the structure deformation, magmatism, geomorphological process and geophysical exploration, we propose a periodical model of alternating crustal compression and extension for episodic uplift of the Tibetan Plateau.