To evaluate the various models associated with the growth and uplift of the plateau, more geological records are needed. At present, the timing records of uplift associated with the India-Asia collision are majorly derived from the south-central Tibetan Plateau, However, the north Tibetan Plateau attract less attention. The amazingly thick Cenozoic sediments in basin of northern Tibet, with no doubt, are extremely helpful to testify the existing models related to the uplift and growth of Tibet, or develop a new ome. The Dahonggou section in Qaidam basin, with thick and continuous sedimentary sequence, provide a good material for the above goal.　

A detailed magnetostratigraphic study of the Dahonggou section, northern Qaidam Basin, reveal that the section spans from ~34 to ~8.5 Ma and the ages of the Shang Ganchaigou, Xia Youshashan and Shang Youshashan formations are from >34 to 22–20 Ma, 22–20 to 13 Ma and 13 to <8.5 Ma, respectively.

Variations in lithofacies, sedimentation rate and magnetic susceptibility (K) suggest that the sediment source changed significantly at ~12 Ma, specifically, the sedimentary facies transited  from deposits of lake to of distal alluvial fan; the sedimentation rate increased obviously; K decreased substantially. It was ascribed to the the rapid uplift and deformation of the southern Qilian Shan at ~12 Ma. Further studies suggest the Qilian Shan and the Altyn Tagh Fault, even the north Tibet, were synchronously tectonically active at about 12 Ma

The study was conducted by Dr. Haijian Lu and his Ph. D advisor Shangfa Xiong (Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, IGGCAS ), and was published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters (Lu, H.J., Xiong, S.F., 2009, Magnetostratigraphy of the Dahonggou section, northern Qaidam basin and its bearing on Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Qilian Shan and Altyn Tagh fault: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 288: 539-550, doi: 10.1016/ j.epsl.2009.10.016.)

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