Modeling of the Cenozoic subsidence of northern Tarim Basin using elastic plate numerical model: Implications for uplift of South Tian Shan

Changjin CHEN, Xiaogan CHENG, Xiubin LIN, Feng LI, Hefeng TIAN, Mengxue QU, Siyao SUN

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Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2024, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (4) : 340-353. DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.9.43

Modeling of the Cenozoic subsidence of northern Tarim Basin using elastic plate numerical model: Implications for uplift of South Tian Shan

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Abstract

The Tian Shan orogenic belt experienced activation and uplift during the Cenozoic era, attributed to the remote effects of the India-Asia collision. Adjacent to the southern margin of the Tian Shan orogenic belt, the northern Tarim Basin underwent bending subsidence and accumulated extensive Cenozoic strata, providing a robust foundation for investigating the uplifting process of the southern Tian Shan Mountains. In this study, we employ finite elastic plate numerical simulation to model basement subsidence profiles across various Cenozoic periods. Our findings underscore the control of basin subsidence by sedimentary load and tectonic load, with sedimentary load exerting a significantly greater influence on basin subsidence than tectonic load from ~5.3 Ma to the present. The rate of load change in the southern Tian Shan structure exhibits gradual increase from ~66 Ma to ~26.3 Ma, followed by a rapid ascent since ~5.3 Ma. Our analysis indicates that the initial uplift phase of the Cenozoic in the southern Tian Shan was confined to the Paleogene, with its relative elevation escalating from 400 meters to 2500 meters. Although the relative elevation of the southern Tian Shan has remained stable since ~5.3 Ma, the height of tectonic load continues to rise. This phenomenon is attributed to the intensified basin subduction, which has constrained the average elevation of the orogenic belt, thereby establishing a relative equilibrium between erosion and uplift processes in the southern Tian Shan.

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southern Tian Shan / northern Tarim Basin / finite elastic plate simulation / settlement process / initial uplift

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Changjin CHEN , Xiaogan CHENG , Xiubin LIN , et al . Modeling of the Cenozoic subsidence of northern Tarim Basin using elastic plate numerical model: Implications for uplift of South Tian Shan. Earth Science Frontiers. 2024, 31(4): 340-353 https://doi.org/10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.9.43

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