Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-s22k5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-14T00:36:50.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Late Miocene–Quaternary rapid stepwise uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau and its effects on climatic and environmental changes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jijun Li ,
Xiaomin Fang ,
Chunhui Song ,
Baotian Pan ,
Yuzhen Ma  and
Maodu Yan
Jijun Li
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education of China & Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xiaomin Fang*
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education of China & Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Chunhui Song
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education of China & Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China School of Earth Sciences & Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources in Western China (Gansu Province), Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Baotian Pan
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education of China & Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yuzhen Ma
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education of China & Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, Ministry of Civil Affairs & Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Maodu Yan
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
*
*Corresponding author at: Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Tel.: + 86 10 8409 7090; fax: + 86 10 8409 7079. E-mail address:fangxm@itpcas.ac.cn (X. Fang).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The way in which the NE Tibetan Plateau uplifted and its impact on climatic change are crucial to understanding the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and the development of the present geomorphology and climate of Central and East Asia. This paper is not a comprehensive review of current thinking but instead synthesises our past decades of work together with a number of new findings. The dating of Late Cenozoic basin sediments and the tectonic geomorphology of the NE Tibetan Plateau demonstrates that the rapid persistent rise of this plateau began ~8 ± 1 Ma followed by stepwise accelerated rise at ~3.6 Ma, 2.6 Ma, 1.8–1.7 Ma, 1.2–0.6 Ma and 0.15 Ma. The Yellow River basin developed at ~1.7 Ma and evolved to its present pattern through stepwise backward-expansion toward its source area in response to the stepwise uplift of the plateau. High-resolution multi-climatic proxy records from the basins and terrace sediments indicate a persistent stepwise accelerated enhancement of the East Asian winter monsoon and drying of the Asian interior coupled with the episodic tectonic uplift since ~8 Ma and later also with the global cooling since ~3.2 Ma, suggesting a major role for tectonic forcing of the cooling.

Keywords

Late Miocene–QuaternaryNE Tibetan PlateauTectonic upliftsYellow RiverClimatic and environmental changes
Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 81 , Issue 3 , May 2014 , pp. 400 - 423
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abe, M., Kitoh, A., and Yasunari, T. An evolution of the Asian summer monsoon associated with mountain uplift—simulation with the MRI atmosphere–ocean coupled GCM. Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan 81, (2003). 909–933.Google Scholar
An, Z.S., Kutzbach, J.E., Prell, W.L., and Porter, S.C. Evolution of Asian monsoons and phased uplift of the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau since Late Miocene times. Nature 411, (2001). 62–66.Google Scholar
Bai, Y., Fang, X.M., Nie, J.S., Wang, Y.L., and Wu, F.L. A preliminary reconstruction of the paleoecological and paleoclimatic history of the Chinese Loess Plateau from the application of biomarkers. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 271, (2009). 161–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosboom, R.E., Dupont-Nivet, G., Houben, A.J.P., Brinkhuis, H., Villa, G., Mandic, O., Stoica, M., Zachariasse, W.J., Guo, Z., Li, C., and Krijgsman, W. Late Eocene sea retreat from the Tarim Basin (west China) and concomitant Asian paleoenvironmental change. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 299, (2011). 385–398.Google Scholar
Broccoli, A.J., and Manabe, S. The effects of orography on midlatitude northern hemisphere dry climates. Journal of Climate 5, (1992). 1181–1201.Google Scholar
Burbank, D.W., and Li, J.J. The age and paleoclimatic implications of the loess of Lanzhou, north China. Nature 316, (1985). 429–431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burchfiel, B.C., Deng, Q.D., Molnar, P., Royden, L., Wang, Y.P., and Zhang, P.Z. Intracrustal detachment with zones of continental deformation. Geology 17, (1989). 448–452.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cai, M.T., Fang, X.M., Wu, F.L., Miao, Y.F., and Appel, E. Pliocene–Pleistocene stepwise drying of Central Asia: evidence from paleomagnetism and sporopollen record of the deep borehole SG-3 in the western Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau. Global and Planetary Change 94–95, (2012). 72–81.Google Scholar
Cande, S.C., and Kent, D.V. Revised calibration of the geomagnetic polarity timescale for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Journal of Geophysical Research 100, (1995). 6093–6095.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, F.H., Li, J.J., and Zhang, W.X. Loess stratigraphy of the Lanzhou profile and its comparison with deep-sea sediment and ice core record. GeoJournal 24, (1991). 201–209.Google Scholar
Clark, M.K., Farley, K.A., Zheng, D.W., Wang, Z.C., and Duvall, A.R. Early Cenozoic faulting of the northern Tibetan Plateau margin from apatite (U–Th)/He ages. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 296, (2010). 78–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craddock, W.H., Eric Kirby, N.W., Harkins, H., Zhang, X.S., and Liu, J.H. Rapid fluvial incision along the Yellow River during headward basin integration. Nature Geoscience (2010). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NGEO777CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dai, S., Fang, X.M., Song, C.H., Gao, J.P., Gao, D.L., and Li, j.j Early tectonic uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin 50, (2005). 1642–1652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ding, Z.L., Rutter, N.W., Han, J.T., and Liu, T.S. A coupled environmental system formed at about 2.5 Ma over eastern Asia. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 94, (1992). 223–242.Google Scholar
Ding, Z.L., Yu, Z.W., Rutter, N.W., and Liu, T.S. Towards an orbital time scale for Chinese loess deposits. Quaternary Science Reviews 13, (1994). 39–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ding, Z.L., Derbyshire, E., Yang, S.L., Yu, Z.W., Xiong, S.F., and Liu, T.S. Stacked 2.6 Ma grain size record from the Chinese loess based on five sections and correlation with the deep-sea δ18O record. Paleoceanography 17, (2002). 5-1–5-21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ding, Z.L., Derbyshire, E., Yang, S.L., Sun, J.M., and Liu, T.S. Stepwise expansion of desert environment across northern China in the past 3.5 Ma and implications for monsoon evolution. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 237, (2005). 45–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dupont-Nivet, G., Krijgsman, W., Langereis, C.G., Abels, H.A., Dai, S., and Fang, X.M. Tibetan plateau aridification linked to global cooling at the Eocene–Oligocene transition. Nature 445, (2007). 635–638.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
England, P.C., and Houseman, G.A. Extension uring continental convergence, with application to the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research 94, (1989). 17,561–17,579.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enkelmann, E., Ratschbacher, L., Jonckheere, R., Nestler, R., Fleischer, M., Gloaguen, R., Kacker, B.R., Zhang, Y.Q., and Ma, Y.S. Cenozoic exhumation and deformation of northeastern Tibet and the Qinling: is Tibetan lower crustal flow diverging around the Sichuan Basin?. Geological Society of America Bulletin 118, (2006). 651–671. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/B25805.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fan, M.J., Song, C.H., Dettman, D.L., Fang, X.M., and Xu, X.H. Intensification of the Asian winter monsoon after 7.4 Ma: grain-size evidence from the Linxia Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau, 13.1 Ma to 4.3 Ma. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 248, (2006). 171–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fang, X.M., and Li, J.J. Late Cenozoic uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and environmental change. (in Chinese) Shi, Y.F., Li, J.J., and Li, B.Y. Late Cenozoic Uplift of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and Environmental Changes. (1998). Guangdong Science and Technology Press, Guangzhou. 394–414.Google Scholar
Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., Zhu, J.J., Zhong, W., Wang, J.L., Lu, W.Q., Hao, Y.P., Gao, J.X., Cheng, H.L., Kang, S.C., Wang, J.M., and Zhang, Y.C. A 30 million-year record of the carbonate content of the Linxia Basin and its climatic implications. (in Chinese with English abstract) Tibetan Project Expert Commission, Studies on Formation and Evolution of the Tibetan Plateau, Environmental Changes and Ecological System, Paper Collections (1994). (1995). Science Press, Beijing. 55–65.Google Scholar
Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., Zhu, J.J., Chen, H.L., and Cao, J.X. Absolute age determination and division of Cenozoic stratigraphy in the Linxia Basin of Gansu Province, China. Chinese Science Bulletin 42, (1997). 1457–1471. (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Fang, X.M., Xi, X.X., Li, J.J., and Mu, D.F. Late Miocene drying of Western China. Chinese Science Bulletin 42, (1997). 2521–2524. (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Fang, X.M., Pan, B.T., Guan, D.H., Li, J.J., Ono, Y., Fukusawa, H., and Oi, K. A 60,000-year loess–paleosol record of millennial-scale summer monsoon instability from Lanzhou, China. Chinese Science Bulletin 44, (1999). 2264–2267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fang, X.M., Garzione, C., Van der Voo, R., Li, J.J., and Fan, M.J. Flexural subsidence by 29 Ma on the NE edge of Tibet from the magnetostratigraphy of Linxia Basin, China. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 210, (2003). 545–560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fang, X.M., Yan, M.D., Van der Voo, R., Rea, D.K., Song, C.H., Parés, J.M., Gao, J.P., Nie, J.S., and Dai, S. Late Cenozoic deformation and uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau: evidence from high-resolution magnetostratigraphy of the Guide Basin, Qinghai Province, China. Geological Society of America Bulletin 117, (2005). 1208–1225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fang, X.M., Zhao, Z.J., Li, J.J., Yan, M.D., Pan, B.T., Song, C.H., and Dai, S. Magnetostratigraphy of the late Cenozoic Laojunmiao anticline in the northern Qilian Mountains and its implications for the northern Tibetan Plateau uplift. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 48, (2005). 1040–1051.Google Scholar
Fang, X.M., Zhang, W.L., Meng, Q.Q., Gao, J.P., Wang, X.M., King, J., Song, C.H., Dai, S., and Miao, Y.F. High-resolution magneto stratigraphy of the Neogene Huaitoutala section in the eastern Qaidam Basin on the NE Tibetan Plateau, Qinghai Province, China and its implication on tectonic uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 258, (2007). 293–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fang, X.M., Liu, D.L., Song, C.H., Dai, S., and Meng, Q.Q. Oligocene slow and Miocene–Quaternary rapid deformation and uplift of the Yumu Shan and North Qilian Shan: evidence from high-resolution magnetostratigraphy and tectonosedimentology. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 373, (2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP373.5Google Scholar
Ford, M., Williams, E.A., Artoni, A., Vergés, J., and Hardy, S. Progressive evolution of a fault-related fold pair from growth strata geometries, Sant Llorenc de Morunys, SE Pyrenees. Journal of Structural Geology 19, (1997). 413–441. (Special Issue on Fault-Related Folding) CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, H.S., Liu, X.F., Pan, B.T., Wang, Y., Yu, Y.T., and Li, J.J. Stream response to Quaternary tectonic and climatic change: evidence from the upper Weihe River, central China. Quaternary International 186, (2008). 123–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garzione, C.N., Ikari, M.J., and Basu, A.R. Source of Oligocene to Pliocene sedimentary rocks in the Linxia Basin in northeastern Tibet from Nd isotopes: implications for tectonic forcing climate. Geological Society of America Bulletin 117, (2005). 1146–1155.Google Scholar
Guo, Z.T., Ruddiman, W.F., Hao, Q.Z., Wu, H.B., Qiao, Y.S., Zhu, R.X., Peng, S.Z., Wei, J.J., Yuan, B.Y., and Liu, T.S. Onset of Asian desertification by 22 Myr ago inferred from loess deposits in China. Nature 416, (2002). 159–163.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Han, W.X., Fang, X.M., Berger, A., and Yin, Q.Z. An astronomically tuned 8.1 Ma eolian record from the Chinese Loess Plateau and its implication on the evolution of Asian monsoon. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, (2011). D24114 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011JD016237CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harkins, N., Kirby, E., Heimsath, A., Robinson, R., and Reiser, U. Transient fluvial incision in the headwaters of the Yellow River, northeastern Tibet, China. Journal of Geophysical Research 112, (2007). F03S04 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hövermann, J., and Süssenberger, H. Zur Klimageschichte Hoch- und Ostasiens. Berliner Geographische Studie 20, (1986). 173–186.Google Scholar
Hui, Z.C., Li, J.J., Xu, Q.H., Song, C.H., Zhang, J., Wu, F.L., and Zhao, Z.J. Miocene vegetation and climatic changes reconstructed from a sporopollen record of the Tianshui Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 308, (2011). 373–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jolivet, M., Brunel, M., Seward, D., Xu, Z., Yang, J., Roger, F., Tapponnier, P., Malavieille, J., Arnaud, N., and Wu, C. Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonics of the northern edge of the Tibetan plateau: fission-track constraints. Tectonophysics 343, 1–2 (2001). 111–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kutzbach, J.E., Guetter, P.J., Ruddiman, W.F., and Prell, W.L. Sensitivity of climate to late Cenozoic uplift in southern Asia and the American west: numerical experiments. Journal of Geophysical Research 94, (1989). 18393–18407.Google Scholar
Kutzbach, J.E., Prell, W.L., and Ruddiman, W.F. Sensitivity of Eurasian climates to surface uplift of the Tibetan plateau. Journal of Geology 101, (1993). 177–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lease, R.O., Burbank, D.W., Hough, B., Wang, Z., and Yuan, D. Pulsed Miocene range growth in northeastern Tibet: insights from Xunhua Basin magnetostratigraphy and provenance. Geological Society of America Bulletin 124, (2012). 657–677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, J.J. The environmental effects of the uplift of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau. Quaternary Science Reviews 10, (1991). 479–483.Google Scholar
Li, J.J. Uplift of Qinghai–Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and Global Change. (1995). Lanzhou Univ. Press, Lanzhou. 207 Google Scholar
Li, J.J., and Fang, X.M. Uplift of Tibetan Plateau and environmental changes. Chinese Science Bulletin 44, (1999). 2117–2124.Google Scholar
Li, J.J., Feng, Z.D., and Li, T.Y. Late Quaternary monsoon pattern on the Loess Plateau of China. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 13, (1988). 125–135.Google Scholar
Li, J.J., Fang, X.M., Ma, H.Z., Zhu, J.J., Pan, B.T., and Chen, H.L. Geomorphologic and environmental evolution in the upper reaches of the Yellow River during the Late Cenozoic. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 39, (1996). 380–390.Google Scholar
Li, J.J., Fang, X.M., Van der Voo, R., Zhu, J.J., MacNiocaill, C., Cao, J.X., Zhong, W., Chen, H.L., Wang, J.L., Wang, J.M., and Zhang, Y.T. Late Cenozoic magnetostratigraphy (11–0 Ma) of the Dongshanding and Wangjiashan sections in Longzhong Basin, western China. Geologie en Mijnbouw 76, (1997). 121–134.Google Scholar
Li, J.J., Fang, X.M., Van der Voo, R., Zhu, J.J., Niocaill, C., Cao, J.X., Zhong, W., Chen, H.L., Wang, J.L., Wang, J.M., and Zhang, Y.C. Magnetostratigraphic dating of river terraces: Rapid and intermittent incision by the Yellow River of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau during the Quaternary. Journal of Geophysical Research (D) 102, (1997). 10,121–10,132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, J.J., Fang, X.M., and Ma, Y.Z. Sedimentological, geochemical and pollen-spore evidence for a Late Miocene expansion of grasslands/dry climates in Western China. Proc. 30th International Geology Congress. Quaternary Geology vol. 21, (1998). 47–60.Google Scholar
Li, J.J., Zhang, J., Song, C.H., Zhao, Z.J., Zhang, Y., Wang, X.X., Zhang, J.M., and Cui, Q.Y. Miocene Bahean stratigraphy in the Longzhong Basin, northern central China and its implications in environmental change. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 49, (2006). 1270–1279.Google Scholar
Li, X.R., Fang, X.M., Wu, F.L., and Miao, Y.F. Pollen evidence from Baode of the northern Loess Plateau of China and strong East Asian summer monsoons during the Early Pliocene. Chinese Science Bulletin 56, (2011). 64–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, T.S. Loess and the Environment. (1985). China Ocean Press, Beijing.Google Scholar
Liu, X.D., and Yin, Z.Y. Sensitivity of East Asian monsoon climate to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 183, (2002). 223–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lü, L.Q., Fang, X.M., Manson, J.A., Li, J.J., and An, Z.S. The evolution of coupling of Asian winter monsoon and high latitude climate Northern Hemisphere—grain evidence from 8.1 Ma loess–red clay sequence on the Chinese central Loess Plateau. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 44, (2001). 185–192. (Suppl.) Google Scholar
Ma, Y.Z., Li, J.j, and Fang, X.M. Pollen-spores in the red bed during 30.6–5 Ma in the Linxia Basin and climatic evolution. Chinese Science Bulletin 43, (1998). 301–304. (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Ma, Y.Z., Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., Wu, F.L., and Zhang, J. The vegetation and climate change during Neocene and Early Quaternary in Jiuxi Basin. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 48, (2005). 676–688.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ma, Y.Z., Wu, F.L., Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., An, Z.S., and Wei, W. Pollen record from red clay sequence in the central Loess Plateau between 8.1 and 2.6 Ma. Chinese Science Bulletin 50, (2005). 2234–2242.Google Scholar
Manabe, S., and Broccoli, A.J. Mountains and arid climates of middle latitudes. Science 247, (1990). 192–194.Google Scholar
Metiver, F., Gaudemer, Y., Tapponnier, P., and Meyer, B. Northeastward growth of the Tibet plateau deduced from balanced reconstruction of two depositional areas: the Qaidam and Hexi Corridor basins, China. Tectonics 17, 6 (1998). 823–842.Google Scholar
Meyer, B.P., Tapponnier, L., Bourjot, F., Métivier, Y., Gaudemer, G., Peltzer, S., and Guo, Z.C. Crustal thickening in Gansu–Qinghai, lithospheric mantle subduction, and oblique, strike-slip controlled growth of the Tibet Plateau. Geophysical Journal International 135, (1998). 1–47.Google Scholar
Miao, Y.F., Fang, X.M., Herrmann, M., Wu, F.L., Zhang, Y.Z., and Liu, D.L. Miocene pollen record of KC-1 core in the Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau and implications for evolution of the East Asian monsoon. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 299, (2011). 30–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molnar, P. Mio-Pliocene growth of the Tibetan Plateau and evolution of East Asian climate. Palaeontologia Electronica 8, (2005). (2A:23 pp., 625 KB) Google Scholar
Molnar, P., and Stock, J. Slowing of India's convergence with Eurasia since 20 Ma and its implications for Tibetan mantle dynamics. Tectonics 28, (2009). TC3001 http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008TC002271CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molnar, P., and Tapponnier, P. Cenozoic tectonics of Asia—effects of a continental collision. Science 189, (1975). 419–426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molnar, P., Boos, W.R., and Battisti, D.S. Orographic controls on climate and paleoclimate of Asia: thermal and mechanical roles for the Tibetan Plateau. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 38, (2010). 77–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, B.T., Li, J.J., Zhu, J.J., Chen, F.H., Cao, J.X., Zhang, Y.T., and Cheng, H.L. Terrace development of Yellow River and gemorphic evolution in Lanzhou area. Quaternary Glacier and Evironment Research in West China. (1991). Science Press, Beijing. 271–277. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar
Pan, B.T., Li, J.J., and Zhou, S.Z. Discovery of the penultimate glaciation ice-wedge on the Tibetan Plateau and its significance. Chinese Science Bulletin 17, (1992). 1599–1602. (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Pan, B.T., Li, J.J., Cao, J.X., and Chen, F.H. Study on the geomorphic evolution and development of the Yellow River in the Hualong Basin. Mountain Research and Development 14, (1996). 153–158. (in Chinese with English abstract) Google Scholar
Pan, B.T., Su, H., Hua, Z.B., Hu, X.F., Gao, H.S., Li, J.J., and Kirby, E. Evaluating the role of climate and tectonics during non-steady incision of the Yellow River: evidence from a 1.24 Ma terrace record near Lanzhou. Quaternary Science Reviews 28, (2009). 3281–3290.Google Scholar
Perrineau, A., Van der Woerd, J., Gaudemer, Y., Liu, Z.J., Pik, R., Tapponnier, P., Thuizat, R., and Zheng, R.Z. Incision rate of the Yellow River in Northeastern Tibet constrained by 10Be and 26Al cosmogenic isotope dating of fluvial terraces: implications for catchment evolution and plateau building. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 353, (2011). 189–219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP353.10Google Scholar
Porter, S.C., and An, Z.S. Correlation between climate events in the North Atlantic and China during the last glaciation. Nature 375, (1995). 305–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qiang, X.K., An, Z.S., Song, Y.G., Chang, H., Sun, Y.B., Liu, W.G., Ao, H., Dong, J.B., Fu, C.F., and Wu, F. New eolian red clay sequence on the western Chinese Loess Plateau linked to onset of Asian desertification about 25 Ma ago. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 54, (2011). 136–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rafini, S., and Mercier, E. Forward modeling of foreland basins progressive unconformities. Sedimentary Geology 146, (2002). 75–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramstein, G., Fluteau, F., Besse, J., and Joussaume, S. Effect of orogeny, plate motion and land–sea distribution on Eurasian climate change over the past 30 million years. Nature 386, (1997). 788–795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rea, D.K., Snoeckx, H., and Joseph, L.H. Late Cenozoic eolian deposition in the North Pacific: Asian drying, Tibetan uplift, and cooling of the north hemisphere. Paleoceanography 13, (1998). 215–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ren, S.M., Ge, X.H., Yang, Z.Y., Lin, Y.X., Hu, Y., Liu, Y.J., Genser, J., and Rieser, A.B. An important geological event in northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: constraints from 36Cl dating in western Qaidam Basin. Acta Geologica Sinica 80, 8 (2006). 1110–1117.Google Scholar
Royden, L.H., Burchfiel, B.C., and van der Hilst, R.D. The geological evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Science 321, (2008). 1054–1058.Google Scholar
Ruddiman, W.F., and Kutzbach, J.E. Forcing of the late Cenozoic uplift northern hemisphere climate by plateau uplift in the Southern Asia and American West. Journal of Geophysical Research 94, (1989). 18409–18427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Song, Y.G., Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., An, Z.S., Yang, D., and Lü, L.Q. Age of red clay at Chaona section near eastern Liupan Shan and its tectonic significance. Quaternary Science Reviews 20, (2000). 457–463. (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Song, C.H., Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., Gao, J.P., and Fan, M.J. Tectonic uplift and sedimentary evolution of the Jiuxi Basin in the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau since 13 Ma BP. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 44, (2001). 192–202. (Suppl.) Google Scholar
Song, Y.G., Fang, X.M., Li, J.J., An, Z.S., and Miao, X.D. The late Cenozoic uplift process of Liupan Shan, China. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences 44, (2001). 176–184. (Supplement) Google Scholar
Song, C.H., Fang, X.M., Gao, J.P., Nie, J.S., Yan, M.D., Xu, X.H., and Sun, D. Magnetostratigraphy of Late Cenozoic fossil mammals in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin 48, (2003). 188–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Song, C.H., Gao, D.L., Fang, X.M., Cui, Z.J., Li, J.J., Yang, S.L., Jin, H.B., Burbank, D., and Kirschvink, J.L. High-resolution magnetostratigraphy of late Cenozoic sediments from the Kunlun Shan Pass Basin and its implications on deformation and uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin 50, (2005). 1912–1922.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suppe, J., Chou, G.T., and Hook, S.C. Rate of folding and faulting determined from growth strata. McClay, K.R. Thrust Tectonics. (1992). Springer, Netherlands. 105–121.Google Scholar
Tapponnier, P., Meyer, B., Avouac, J.P., Peltzer, G., Gaudemer, Y., Guo, S.M., Xiang, H.F., Yin, K.L., Chen, Z.T., Cai, S.H., and Dai, H.G. Active thrusting and folding in the Qilian Shan, and decoupling between upper crust and mantle in northeastern Tibet. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 97, 3–4 (1990). 382–383. (387–403) Google Scholar
Tapponnier, P., Xu, Z.Q., Roger, F., Meyer, B., Arnaud, N., Wittlinger, G., and Yang, J.S. Geology—oblique stepwise rise and growth of the Tibet plateau. Science 294, (2001). 1671–1677.Google Scholar
Verges, J., Marzo, M., and Munoz, J.A. Growth strata in foreland settings. Sedimentary Geology 146, (2002). 1–9.Google Scholar
Wang, J.L., Fang, X.M., and Li, J.J. Eolian sand deposition and its environmental significance in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin 44, (1999). 2250–2255.Google Scholar
Wang, X.M., Qiu, Z.D., Li, Q., Wang, B.Y., Qiu, Z.X., Downs, W.R., Xie, G.P., Xie, J.Y., Deng, T., and Takeuchi, G.T. Vertebrate paleontology, biostratigraphy, geochronology, and paleoenvironment of Qaidam Basin in northern Tibetan Plateau. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 254, (2007). 363–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, W.T., Zhang, P.Z., Kirby, E., Wang, L.H., Zhang, G.L., Zheng, D.W., and Chai, C.Z. A revised chronology for Tertiary sedimentation in the Sikouzi basin: implications for the tectonic evolution of the northeastern corner of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonophysics 505, (2011). 100–114.Google Scholar
Wang, X.X., Zattin, M., Li, J., Song, C., Peng, T., Liu, S., and Liu, B. Eocene to Pliocene exhumation history of the Tianshui–Huicheng region determined by apatite fission-track thermochronology: implication for evolution of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau margin. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 42, (2011). 97–110.Google Scholar
Wang, J.Y., Fang, X.M., Appel, E., and Song, C.H. Pliocene–Pleistocene climate change at the NE Tibetan Plateau deduced from lithofacies variation in the drill core SG-1, western Qaidam Basin. Journal of Sedimentary Research 82, (2012). 933–952.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, X.X., Li, J.J., Song, C.H., Zattin, M., Zhang, J., Zhao, Z., and Zhang, Y. Late Cenozoic orogenic history of Western Qinling inferred from sedimentation of Tianshui basin, northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau. International Journal of Earth Sciences 101, (2012). 1345–1356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00531-011-0724-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, F.L., Fang, X.M., Ma, Y.Z., An, Z.S., and Li, J.J. A 1.5 Ma sporopollen record of paleoecologic environment evolution in the central Chinese Loess Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin 49, (2004). 295–301.Google Scholar
Wu, F.L., Fang, X.M., Ma, Y.Z., Herrmann, M., Mosbrugger, V., An, Z.S., and Miao, Y.F. Plio-Quaternary stepwise drying of Asia: evidence from a 3-Ma sporopollen record from the Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 257, (2007). 160–169.Google Scholar
Wu, F.L., Fang, X.M., Herrmann, M., Mosbrugger, V., and Miao, Y.F. Extended drought in the interior of Central Asia since the Pliocene reconstructed from sporopollen records. Global and Planetary Change 76, (2011). 16–21.Google Scholar
Xu, S.Y. Depositional period and sedimentary environment of Gonghe Series in the Qinghai Province, China. Journal of Lanzhou University (Natural Sciences) 23, (1987). 109–119. (in Chinese with English abstract) Google Scholar
Yan, M.D., Van der Voo, R., Fang, X.M., Parés, J.M., and Rea, D.K. Paleomagnetic evidence for a mid-Miocene clockwise rotation of about 25° of the Guide Basin area in NE Tibet. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 241, (2006). 234–247.Google Scholar
Yan, M.D., Fang, X.M., Van der Voo, R., Song, C.H., and Li, J.J. Neogene rotations in the Jiuquan Basin, Hexi Corridor, China. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 373, (2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP373.6Google Scholar
Yan, M.D., Van Der Voo, R., Fang, X.M., and Song, C.H. Magnetostratigraphy, fence diagrams and basin analysis. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 373, (2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP373.3Google Scholar
Yang, Y.B., Fang, X.M., Appel, E., Galy, A., Li, M.H., and Zhang, W.L. Quaternary paleolake nutrient evolution and climatic change in the western Qaidam Basin deduced from phosphorus geochemistry record of deep drilling core SG-1. Quaternary Research 80, (2013). 586–595.Google Scholar
Yin, A., Rumelhart, P.E., Butler, R., Cowgill, E., Harrison, T.M., Foster, D.A., Ingersoll, R.V., Zang, Q., Zhou, X.Q., and Wang, X.F. Tectonic history of the Altyn Tagh fault system in northern Tibet inferred from Cenozoic sedimentation. Geological Society of America Bulletin 114, (2002). 1257–1295.Google Scholar
Yue, L., Lei, X., and Qu, H. A magnetostratigraphic study on the Jingyuan loess section, Gansu. China. Quaternary Science Reviews 4, (1991). 349–353. (in Chinese with English abstract) Google Scholar
Zachos, J.C., Gerald, R.D., and Richard, E.Z. An early Cenozoic perspective on greenhouse: warming and carbon-cycle dynamics. Nature 451, 17 (2008). 279–283.Google Scholar
Zhang, W.L. Cenozoic Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau: Evidence from High Resolution Magnetostratigraphy of the Qaidam Basin. (PhD thesis) (2006). Lanzhou Univesity, 1–158. (in Chinese) Google Scholar
Zhang, H.P., Craddock, W.H., Lease, R.O., Wang, W.T., Yuan, D.Y., Zhang, P.Z., Molnar, P., Zheng, D.W., and Zheng, W.J. Magnetostratigraphy of the Neogene Chaka basin and its implications for mountain building processes in the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Basin Research 24, (2012). 31–50.Google Scholar
Zhang, J., Li, J.J., Song, C.H., Zhao, Z.J., Xie, G.P., Wang, X.X., Hui, Z.C., and Peng, T.J. Paleomagnetic ages of Miocene fluvio-lacustrine sediments in the Tianshui Basin, western China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 62, (2013). 341–348.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z.G., Han, W.X., Fang, X.M., Song, C.H., and Li, X.Y. Late Miocene–Pleistocene aridification of Asian inland revealed by geochemical records of lacustrine-fan delta sediments from the western Tarim Basin, NW China. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.03.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zheng, S.H., Wu, W.Y., and Li, Y. Late Cenozoic mammalian faunas of Guide and Gonghe Basins, Qinghai Province. Vertebrata Palasiatica 23, (1985). 89–134. (in Chinese with English abstract) Google Scholar
Zheng, D., Zhang, P., Wan, J., Yuan, D., Li, C., Yin, G., Zhang, G., Wang, Z., Min, W., and Chen, J. Rapid exhumation at 8 Ma on the Liupan Shan thrust fault from apatite fission-track thermochronology: implications for growth of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau margin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 248, (2006). 198–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zheng, D., Clark, M.K., Zhang, P., Zheng, W., and Farley, K.A. Erosion, fault initiation and topographic growth of the north Qilian Shan (northern Tibetan Plateau). Geosphere 6, (2010). 937–941. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/GES00523.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, J.J., Zhong, W., Li, J.J., Cao, J.X., Wang, J.M., and Wang, J.L. The oldest eolian loess deposition in the Longxi Basin–Yandonggou profile in Lanzhou. Scientia Geographica Sinica 16, (1996). 365–369. (in Chinese with English Abstract) Google Scholar