Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology
The Tianshan Mountains, which formed through the prolonged and complex subduction-accretion of the paleo-Asian ocean, experienced multiple widespread erosions and reactivations during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic period. Thus, the Tianshan has become a crucial area to explore the process and mechanism of i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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GeoScienceWorld
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Lithosphere |
| Online Access: | https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/doi/10.2113/2023/lithosphere_2023_210/6271127/lithosphere_2023_210.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797290898493538304 |
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| author | Bin Zhang Jing Yang Li Yang Hong Chen Jiaqi Liu Fei Wang Lin Wu |
| author_facet | Bin Zhang Jing Yang Li Yang Hong Chen Jiaqi Liu Fei Wang Lin Wu |
| author_sort | Bin Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Tianshan Mountains, which formed through the prolonged and complex subduction-accretion of the paleo-Asian ocean, experienced multiple widespread erosions and reactivations during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic period. Thus, the Tianshan has become a crucial area to explore the process and mechanism of intracontinental orogeny. The Harlik Mountain located in the easternmost part of Tianshan has special significance in revealing crustal deformation and far-field stress propagation. In this study, we use the apatite (U-Th)/He method to investigate the near-surface exhumation process of Harlik Mountain, which is the result of tectonic events and erosion. The apatite (U-Th)/He data and thermal history modeling reveal three enhanced exhumation events in the Harlik Mountain, i.e., the early Cretaceous, the late Cretaceous-Paleocene, and the middle Eocene. These events are consistent with the exhumation patterns observed throughout the entire Tianshan. Notably, the exhumation rate and amplitude in the early Cenozoic period were significantly higher in the Harlik Mountain compared with the Mesozoic period. Our findings reveal that the exhumation of the Harlik Mountain and the entire Tianshan displayed pronounced spatial-temporal variations throughout the Mesozoic-Cenozoic period. These variations can be attributed to the combined effect of uneven northward compression of the southern Asian margin, the heterogeneous rheological properties of the lithosphere, and the complex structure of the Tianshan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:28:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63f71ace876f4ab2bf50d46ee4853413 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1941-8264 1947-4253 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:28:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | GeoScienceWorld |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Lithosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-63f71ace876f4ab2bf50d46ee48534132024-02-29T08:44:51ZengGeoScienceWorldLithosphere1941-82641947-42532023-11-012023Special 1410.2113/2023/lithosphere_2023_210Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He ThermochronologyBin Zhang0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7828-1055Jing Yang1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7828-1055Li Yang2Hong Chen3Jiaqi Liu4Fei Wang5Lin Wu6Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaKey Laboratory of Active Tectonics and Geological Safety, Ministry of Natural Resources, Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaInstitute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Active Tectonics and Geological Safety, Ministry of Natural Resources, Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaThe Tianshan Mountains, which formed through the prolonged and complex subduction-accretion of the paleo-Asian ocean, experienced multiple widespread erosions and reactivations during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic period. Thus, the Tianshan has become a crucial area to explore the process and mechanism of intracontinental orogeny. The Harlik Mountain located in the easternmost part of Tianshan has special significance in revealing crustal deformation and far-field stress propagation. In this study, we use the apatite (U-Th)/He method to investigate the near-surface exhumation process of Harlik Mountain, which is the result of tectonic events and erosion. The apatite (U-Th)/He data and thermal history modeling reveal three enhanced exhumation events in the Harlik Mountain, i.e., the early Cretaceous, the late Cretaceous-Paleocene, and the middle Eocene. These events are consistent with the exhumation patterns observed throughout the entire Tianshan. Notably, the exhumation rate and amplitude in the early Cenozoic period were significantly higher in the Harlik Mountain compared with the Mesozoic period. Our findings reveal that the exhumation of the Harlik Mountain and the entire Tianshan displayed pronounced spatial-temporal variations throughout the Mesozoic-Cenozoic period. These variations can be attributed to the combined effect of uneven northward compression of the southern Asian margin, the heterogeneous rheological properties of the lithosphere, and the complex structure of the Tianshan.https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/doi/10.2113/2023/lithosphere_2023_210/6271127/lithosphere_2023_210.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Bin Zhang Jing Yang Li Yang Hong Chen Jiaqi Liu Fei Wang Lin Wu Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology Lithosphere |
| title | Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology |
| title_full | Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology |
| title_fullStr | Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology |
| title_short | Mesozoic-Cenozoic Exhumation Processes of the Harlik Mountain (East Tianshan), NW China: Evidence from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology |
| title_sort | mesozoic cenozoic exhumation processes of the harlik mountain east tianshan nw china evidence from apatite u th he thermochronology |
| url | https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/lithosphere/article-pdf/doi/10.2113/2023/lithosphere_2023_210/6271127/lithosphere_2023_210.pdf |
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