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Structural evolution of the Yushu-Nangqian region and its relationship to syncollisional igneous activity, east-central Tibet

Matthew S. Spurlin^,1, An Yin^,1, Brian K. Horton², Jiangyu Zhou³ and Jianghai Wang³

¹ Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567, USA
² Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567, USA
³ Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China

Field mapping, geochronological analyses, and cross section construction reveal a protracted deformation history and a minimum of 61 km of Cenozoic NE-SW shortening (in present coordinates) across the Yushu-Nangqian thrust belt in northern Tibet. Cenozoic contraction started prior to 51 Ma and was followed first by northwest-striking right-slip faulting and later by northwest-striking left-slip faulting. Renewed NE-SW contraction is expressed by folding of Neogene strata and thrusting, which again was followed by northwest-striking left-slip faults. Late Neogene deformation is expressed by local north-striking normal faults. Shortening across the Yushu-Nangqian belt appears to be accommodated by thin-skinned thrusting, which raises the question of how the deformation was accommodated in the lower crustal levels. To resolve this problem, we perform geochemical analysis of igneous rocks dated as 51–49 and 38–37 Ma. The rocks exhibit geochemical signatures characteristic of subduction, which implies that coeval crustal thickening in northeastern Tibet was most likely induced by continental subduction.

Key Words: Asia • China • Tibetan Plateau • thrust belts • strike-slip faults • syncollisional magmatism

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