Provenance of Middle Jurassic sequences in the Northern Qiangtang: implications for Mesozoic exhumation of the Central Tibetan Mountain Range

The exhumation history of the Central Tibetan Mountain Range (CTMR) in the Qiangtang terrane is important for establishing the boundary conditions prior to the India-Asia collision. Previous studies suggest that the CTMR is a significant provenance for Jurassic sediments in the Qiangtang terrane. The Middle Jurassic sediments north of the CTMR provide crucial information to constrain the timing of exhumation in the source area. Here we present detailed stratigraphic sections and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology in the northern Qiangtang basin. Sedimentary facies analyses indicate that the Early-Middle Jurassic Quemoco Formation is mainly deposited in the deltaic system and carbonate-platform environment. Upsection, the Middle Jurassic Xiali Formation was deposited in a prodelta environment. Combined analyses of palaeocurrent indicators, conglomerate clast composition and U-Pb age spectra suggest that the CTMR is the main provenance for the Quemoco and Xialai formations; while the Triassic southern Qiangtang strata and Jinsha suture are the secondary source areas. The changes in the specific position of detrital zircon U-Pb age peaks around 500 Ma indicate evolving source terranes. Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronological data from the base of the Quemoco Formation and top of the Xiali Formation constrain the conservative maximum depositional ages to be 174.8 +/- 1.0 and 161.7 +/- 2.3 Ma, respectively. Combined with previous geochronology data, structural geology, and provenance studies across the Qiangtang terrane, the CTMR experienced rapid exhumation during Middle Jurassic and Late Cretaceous and slow exhumation since Eocene. The Jurassic uplift and exhumation of the CTMR were accompanied by the uplift of the southern Qiangtang terrane. The deformation and exhumation history is in favour of the hypothesis that plateau growth in the south-central Qiangtang terrane initiated during the Mesozoic, which is an important initial condition to quantify Cenozoic growth of the Tibetan Plateau.

Automated summary

The study reveals the importance of the Central Tibetan Mountain Range (CTMR) in the Jurassic uplift and exhumation history, as well as the source area changes, through detailed stratigraphic sections and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology in the northern Qiangtang basin.