PSE Community.org

LAPSE:2023.2465

Depositional Environment Changes during the Cenozoic in the Northeastern Margin of the Qinghai−Tibet Plateau

Yetong Wang, Guoqiang Sun, Shuncun Zhang, Irene Cantarero, David Cruset, Vinyet Baqués, Hui Guo, Shangshang Bo, Anna Travé

February 21, 2023

Abstract
The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) during the late Cenozoic is thought to be one of the crucial factors controlling the Asian climate. However, the complex interaction between tectonics and climate change remains unclear. The carbon and oxygen isotopes and elementary geochemistry of rocks from the early Eocene Lulehe Formation to the Miocene Youshashan Formation in the northern margin of Qaidam Basin, shows important variations in the Rb/Sr, MgO/CaO, Sr/Cu, and V/Cr ratios, together with CMI and CIA, which are interpreted as reflecting relevant regional climate and environmental changes. Combining the above mentioned parameters, we reconstructed the evolution of the sedimentary environment in the Qaidam Basin. The climate is roughly divided into four stages: (1) warm and humid; (2) cold and dry; (3) alternations of cold and dry with warm and humid; and (4) cold and arid. At the same time, there are also minor short-term changes of dry, wet, cold, and warm in each stage. The early Eocene to Miocene climate changes in the Qaidam Basin were mainly affected by global climate changes, the uplift of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, and the long-lasting plate collision, but there was no continuous drought due to the uplift of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. From the early Eocene to the late Miocene, the climate of the Qaidam Basin became warm and humid.

Record ID

LAPSE:2023.2465

Keywords

Cenozoic climate, isotope analysis, Qaidam Basin, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, trace elements

Subject

Environment

Suggested Citation

Wang Y, Sun G, Zhang S, Cantarero I, Cruset D, Baqués V, Guo H, Bo S, Travé A. Depositional Environment Changes during the Cenozoic in the Northeastern Margin of the Qinghai−Tibet Plateau. (2023). LAPSE:2023.2465

Author Affiliations

Wang Y: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China [ORCID]
Sun G: Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Lanzhou 730000, China [ORCID]
Zhang S: Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Lanzhou 730000, China
Cantarero I: Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain [ORCID]
Cruset D: Group of Dynamics of the Lithosphere, Geo3BCN−CSIC, Lluís Solé i Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain [ORCID]
Baqués V: Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Guo H: Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Lanzhou 730000, China
Bo S: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Travé A: Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain [ORCID]

Journal Name

Processes

Volume

Issue

First Page

1000

Year

2022

Publication Date

2022-05-18

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10051000