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Geosphere
Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor
(Northern Qilian Shan, China) and their implications for northeastward growth
of the Tibetan Plateau
Zheng Wen-Jun, Zhang Hui-Ping, Zhang Pei-Zhen, Peter Molnar, Liu Xing-Wang and Yuan
Dao-Yang
Geosphere 2013;9;342-354
doi: 10.1130/GES00775.1
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Notes
© 2013 Geological Society of America
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Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi
Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China) and their implications
for northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau
Zheng Wen-Jun1, Zhang Hui-Ping1, Zhang Pei-Zhen1, Peter Molnar 2, Liu Xing-Wang 3,4, and Yuan Dao-Yang 3
1
State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China
Department of Geological Sciences, and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
3
Lanzhou Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Lanzhou 730000, China
4
Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
2
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
We determined vertical components of slip
rates of 0.22 ± 0.03 mm a–1 for the Jiayuguan
fault and 0.11 ± 0.03 mm a–1 for the Jintanan
Shan fault, which lie along the northeastern
edge of the Tibetan Plateau and in the western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan,
China). We used structural investigations,
air-photo imagery analysis, topographic
profiling, optically stimulated luminescence
(OSL) dating, and 10Be exposure dating. To
quantify the slip rates along the faults, we
identified and surveyed the well-preserved
fault scarps, and we sampled quartz-rich
pebbles and cobbles on fan surfaces and
within ~2-m-deep pits to determine surface
exposure ages and pre-depositional inheritance. Our slip rates pertain to the past
~115 ka. They are consistent with previous
geological and GPS constraints that suggest
that NNE–SSW shortening across the northeastern Tibetan Plateau has been distributed
onto several active faults and that shortening
is partitioned into low slip rates of ≤1 mm a–1
on each fault. We infer that the decreasing
slip rate from 95°E eastward to the eastern
end of the Altyn Tagh fault and the low slip
rates of these thrust faults are related. The
total shortening in the direction parallel to
the Altyn Tagh fault in the Yumen Basin
of 0.90–1.43 mm a–1 attests that left-lateral
strike slip at the eastern end of the fault has
indeed been absorbed by deformation within
the Yumen Basin. We infer that the Tibetan
Plateau continues to grow northeastward
by thrust faulting at low rates and by folding on the northeastern edge of the Hexi
Corridor basin.
The collision between India and Eurasia has
caused widespread late Cenozoic deformation in
central Asia that is characterized by interactions
among major strike-slip faults, numerous thrust
or reverse faults, and active folds in the Tibetan
Plateau and central Asia (e.g., Avouac and Tapponnier, 1993; Meyer et al., 1998; Molnar and
Tapponnier, 1975; Tapponnier and Molnar,
1979; Tapponnier et al., 1990; Xu et al., 2010;
Yin et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2007). Some view
the more than 1500-km-long Altyn Tagh fault
(China) on the northern margin of the Tibetan
Plateau, one of the most important strike-slip
faults in Asia, as transferring a significant portion of the convergence between India and Asia
into northeastward or eastward “extrusion” of
Asian crust (e.g., Meyer et al., 1998; Tapponnier
et al., 2001). Another view, however, regards
the Altyn Tagh fault as terminating in the Qilian
Shan and surroundings, where crustal thickening occurs (Burchfiel et al., 1987; Tapponnier
et al., 1990; Zhang et al., 2007). How the Altyn
Tagh fault ends, if it does, and therefore whether
it participates in eastward transfer of material
east of Tibet, remain controversial issues in
regard to not only deformation along the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, but also largescale continental deformation in general.
Along the northeastern margin of the Tibetan
Plateau, the ESE-WNW–trending Hexi Corridor has developed between a series of thrust
faults and folds (Fig. 1). Therefore, it can be
viewed as either a foreland basin of the plateau
(Chen and Lu, 2001; Hetzel et al., 2002, 2004a,
2004b; Min et al., 2002; Song et al., 2001;
Yuan, 2003; Zheng, 2009; Zheng et al., 2013)
or one of the Cenozoic sedimentary basins
related to an eastward propagation of the Altyn
Tagh fault (Métivier et al., 1998; Meyer et al.,
1998; Tapponnier et al., 2001). The Hexi Corridor, 800 km long and 100–200 km wide, is
also seismically active and has undergone convergence during the Neogene and Quaternary
(Champagnac et al., 2010; Chen, 2003; Hetzel
et al., 2002, 2004a, 2004b; Meyer et al., 1996,
1998; Tapponnier et al., 1990, 2001; Xu et al.,
2010; Zheng, 2009; Zheng et al., 2013). The
western end of the Hexi Corridor includes the
Yumen and Jiuquan Basins, which are separated by the NNW-trending Jiayuguan fault
(Figs. 1 and 2). The Yumen Basin is bounded
on its northern side by the Altyn Tagh fault and
the Hei Shan fault, on its southwestern side by the
Northern Qilian Shan fault, and on its northeastern
side by the Jiayuguan fault (Fig. 2). The Yumen
Basin itself is subject to active deformation by
slip on a series of southwest-dipping thrust or
reverse faults that trend NNW, and therefore are
almost perpendicular to the Altyn Tagh fault but
oblique to the Qilian Shan (Fig. 2). Farther east,
the Jiuquan Basin is bounded by the Northern
Qilian Shan fault on the south and the easterly
trending Jintanan Shan fault to the north. Unlike
the Yumen Basin, however, the interior of this
basin has not been deformed by active thrust
or reverse faults (Figs. 1 and 2). What is the
relationship between the shortening associated
with the thrust faults in the Yumen Basin and
the strike-slip movement along the Altyn Tagh
fault? Does the Altyn Tagh fault terminate at the
western end of the Hexi Corridor (in the Yumen
Basin more specifically)?
If slip on the Altyn Tagh fault participates
in extrusion of continental crust to the east, the
rate of shortening near its eastern end should be
less than the strike-slip rate. Accordingly, the
Geosphere; April 2013; v. 9; no. 2; p. 342–354; doi:10.1130/GES00775.1; 8 figures; 3 tables.
Received 16 December 2011 ♦ Revision received 19 November 2012 ♦ Accepted 6 December 2012 ♦ Published online 5 February 2013
342
For permission to copy, contact [email protected]
© 2013 Geological Society of America
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Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China)
38°
39°
40°
96°
Figure 1. Active tectonics of
97°
98°
99°
95°
100°
B
the northeastern margin of the
n
Fig.
2
si
Gobi -Alashan Block
Ba
Tibetan Plateau. (A) Index
Kuantan Shan
m
i
r
a u lt
a
F
T
Jinta
map including a shaded digital
Hei Shan
Jintanan Shan
Ta g h
Jiayuguan
elevation model (DEM) of the
Heli
Yu m e n
Yumen
Sha
B a s in Jiuquan
n
n
Tibetan Plateau and its adjaAlty
Jiuquan Basin
Dax
u
Subai
Akesai
e S
cent regions. The blue dashed
Hex
han
Fig. 8 Q i l i
i Co
Ta
an
frame shows the region in B.
rrid
ng
or
he
Sha
Yu m
(B) DEM shaded relief map
Na
n
uS
n
han
of the northeastern margin of
Sh
an
the Tibetan Plateau, including the western Qilian Shan,
the west end of the Hexi Cor90°
80°
100°
A 70°
H a iy u a n
F a u lt
ridor, and adjacent regions.
50°
Locations of faults (Yuan,
100 km
2003; Zheng, 2009), as well as
40°
Elevation/m
locations of previous neotecStrike-slip fault
Van der Woerd et al., 2001 Chen, 2003
Tibetan
Min et al., 2002
5000
tonic and active tectonic studMeyer et al., 1998
Thrust fault
Plateau
Zheng, 2009;
Palumbo et al., 2009
30°
ies (Chen, 2003; Meyer et al.,
Fault with
Zheng et al., 2013
unknown
Hetzel
et
al.,
2002;
2004b
1998; Hetzel et al., 2002, 2004b;
500 km
2000
kinematics
This study
Tapponnier et al., 1990
Min et al., 2002; Tapponnier
et al.,1990; Palumbo et al., 2009; Van der Woerd et al., 2001; Zheng, 2009; Zheng et al., 2013), are also indicated. White dashed rectangle
shows the location of Figure 2. White line shows the location of Figure 8.
97°° 30′
Gobi-Alashan Block
Sh
an
Fa
ul
t
e
H
ngg
ou F
lt
hua
t
au
ul
ault
Jiuquan
Ho
Qi
ult
lia
nS
ha
S h an
Jiuquan Baisn
nF
a Fa
Fa
Jinta
Jiayuguan
ua
han
an
Yumen Basin
-Da
n F a u lt
Ji n ta n an
ug
ue S
ngm
Sh
t
Yu m en Fa ul t
ay
n
Cha
Dax
an
Yumen
Han
xia
an Sha
Ji
ha
ili
ul
lt
nS
nQ
Fa
au
lia
er
pu
J in ta n
Hei Shan
nF
Qi
rth
in
F au lt
ha
e R iv e r
Changma
No
m
aS
gh
in
nw
n Ta
S h u le h
Alty
H ei S h an
Yi
X
40°° 00′
ng
Kuantan Shan
t
Faul
99°° 00′
ng
s
i
hu
ba
He
39°° 40′
de
a
ng
98°° 30′
id
De
98°° 00′
40°° 20′
97°° 00′
Be
96°° 30′
which would imply that the Altyn Tagh fault may
indeed be a continent-extruding strike-slip fault.
Reverse or thrust slip on these E-W–trending
faults, however, would suggest that they are probably related to north-northeastward growth of the
Tibetan Plateau (Qilian Shan).
similar trend (Fig. 1). The Jintanan Shan fault
is a prominent example, as it lies immediately
east of the eastern end of the Altyn Tagh and Hei
Shan faults. If left-lateral slip occurs on the E-W–
trending Jintanan Shan fault, it may be viewed as
the eastward continuation of the Altyn Tagh fault,
quantification of these rates provides a test of
the hypothesized roles played by the Altyn Tagh
fault (Fig. 1).
Several approximately E-W–trending faults
are present east of the Altyn Tagh fault and
extend for several hundred kilometers along a
n
20 km
Holocene sand and gravel of the floodplain
Holocene marsh deposit
Holocene sand and gravel of the alluvial fan
Modern glacier
Middle Pleistocene gravel of the alluvial fan (Gravel of the Jiuquan formation)
Early Pleistocence lacustrine deposit
Paleogene
Holocene aeolian sand
Holocene sand and gravel of the alluvial and Fluvial facies
Upper Pleistocene sand and gravel of the alluvial fan
Neogene
Upper Pleistocene sand and gravel of the floodplain
Lower Pleistocene gravel of the alluvial fan (Gravel of Yumen formation)
Granite
Pre-Paleogene
Thrust fault
Strike-slip fault
Figure 2. Geological map of the study area and its adjacent region (geological data simplified from GBGMR, 1989, and CIGMRCGS, 2004).
Geosphere, April 2013
343
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
Zheng et al.
A
98°° 10′
98°° 13′
98°° 12′
39°°
50′
P1
P2
Fo
D
ot
M
Jiuquan Basin
Fa
d
ar
G u ll y b e
p
lt
39°°
49′
Sc
ar
p
39°°
40′
u Sh
an
au
We n
sh
yF
e
ar
aH
Sc
nd
Yumen Basin
d
Bei
ult
co
Jiayuguan
all
W
ain
39°°
50′
Alluvial Fan
0
0
5 km
C
View to SE
1 km
Main
Fault
Jiayuguan Pass
D
39°°
48′Ą
View to SE
Hanging Wall
Secon dary Fault Scarp
Hanging Wall
Scarp
Foot Wall
Alluvial surface
344
B
C
GEOLOGICAL SETTING AND
TECTONIC DEFORMATION OF
THE JIUQUAN BASIN AND THE
YUMEN BASIN
The Qilian Shan is located at the northeastern
margin of the Tibetan Plateau and consists of
several WNW-trending linear ranges that have
been interpreted as crustal-scale ramp anticlines
bounded by reverse faults (Burchfiel et al., 1989;
Meyer et al., 1998; Taylor and Yin, 2009; Yin
et al., 2007). As the Tibetan Plateau continues to
grow northeastward, the ranges become younger
toward the foreland of Hexi Corridor and its
northern mountains (Bovet et al., 2009; Métivier
et al., 1998; Meyer et al., 1998; Palumbo et al.,
2010; Zheng, 2009; Zheng et al., 2013). The
Hexi Corridor consists of a series of northwesttrending Cenozoic basins between the Qilian
Shan and the Gobi-Alashan block (Fig. 1). Our
study sites are located in the Yumen and Jiuquan
Basins in the westernmost Hexi Corridor (Figs.
1 and 3), where a series of low mountain ranges,
including the Kuantan Shan, Hei Shan, Jintanan
Shan, and the Heli Shan, trend sub-parallel to
the Qilian Shan (Fig. 1). The Jintanan Shan and
Heli Shan are the outermost of these ranges and
trend almost E–W. Along the northern margins of
these two mountain ranges, reverse faults bound
the cores of the ranges (Fig. 2). The Hei Shan
and Jintanan Shan faults are dominated by slip
with a reverse component, which was seldom
mentioned in previous studies. Some studies,
instead, regard these faults as northeastern exten-
98°° 20′
Hei Shan
Se
At the west end of the corridor, studies on
active tectonics of the northern margin of Tibetan
Plateau have continued for several decades
with emphasis on the Altyn Tagh fault (Burchfiel et al., 1989; Cowgill, 2007; Cowgill et al.,
2003, 2009; Gold et al., 2009, 2011; Mériaux
et al. 2004, 2005; Seong et al., 2010; Tapponnier
et al., 1990; Van der Woerd et al., 2001; Xu et al.,
2005; Zhang et al., 2007) and the Qilian Shan
(Champagnac et al., 2010; Chen, 2003; Gaudemer et al., 1995; Meyer et al., 1998; Hetzel
et al., 2002, 2004a; Palumbo et al., 2009; Peltzer
et al., 1988; Tapponnier et al., 1990; Zheng et al.,
2004; Zheng, 2009). In this paper, we focus on
thrust faults along the boundary of and within the
Yumen Basin and along the northern boundary
of the Jiuquan Basin (Figs. 1 and 2) to examine
the spatial and temporal pattern of deformation
near the easternmost terminus of the Altyn Tagh
fault. We determine slip rates over a millennial
time scale by combining fault-scarp measurements and cosmogenic exposure age dating in
the westernmost Hexi Corridor. The approach
that we took is similar to that of Hetzel et al.
(2002, 2004a) and Champagnac et al. (2010).
Thrust fault scarp
10
Be dating sample
OSL dating sample
C
View in Fig. 3C/3D
P1
Scarp profile1/2
Figure 3. Geomorphic map of the Jiayuguan fault. (A) Digital elevation model (DEM)
shaded relief map. Black square marks location of B. (B) High-resolution Thematic Mapper
(TM) image along the middle segment of the Jiayuguan fault, coupled with geomorphological mapping from fieldwork in the studied area. The black lines across the scarp indicate two survey profiles with ~1 km length. The sample locations are shown (* for the 10Be
sample; ¤ for the optically stimulated luminescence [OSL] sample), as well as the modern
floodplain and the orientations of photos in C and D. (C and D) Field photographs of the
studied alluvial surfaces and the thrust fault scarp. (C) View of the main fault scarp and
the offset alluvial surface. (D) View of the secondary fault scarp on the hanging wall.
sions of the Altyn Tagh fault (Darby et al., 2005;
Chen, 2003; Deng et al., 2003). Others conclude
that the Altyn Tagh fault does not extend beyond
the Kuantan Shan (Fig. 1) (Zhang et al., 2007;
Zheng et al., 2013).
A number of authors have noted an eastward
decrease in the left-lateral slip rate along the
Altyn Tagh fault (e.g., Burchfiel et al., 1989;
Mériaux et al., 2005; Meyer et al., 1996, 1998;
Tapponnier et al., 1990; Xu et al., 2005; Zhang
et al., 2007). The slip rate is 10 ± 2 mm a–1 west
of 95°E, decreasing to 1.4 ± 0.4 mm a–1 near the
east end of the fault (Zhang et al., 2007). Thus,
the slip rate along the section of the Altyn Tagh
fault that bounds the Yumen Basin on the northwestern side, 1.4 ± 0.4 mm a–1 should either be
accommodated by crustal shortening within the
Yumen Basin or pass eastward as strike slip.
Geosphere, April 2013
The Yumen Basin has been deformed internally. Seismic profiles across the Yumen Basin
from petroleum exploration show a synclinal
structure with the Qilian Shan thrust northward
into the basin (GBGMR, 1989; Yang et al.,
2007). The basin itself is also cut by several
active faults that trend nearly perpendicular to
the Altyn Tagh fault and oblique to the Qilian
Shan and Hexi Corridor (Fig. 2).
Thrust slip on the Northern Qilian Shan fault,
the range-front fault of the Qilian Shan, places
the pre-Cenozoic rock exposed in the mountains on the Quaternary sedimentary rock of the
Jiuquan Basin (Fig. 2). At the surface, the fault
dips 65° southwestward (Zheng, 2009). No sign
of strike-slip motion has been found along the
entire strand of the fault. Zheng (2009) obtained
a vertical slip rate of 0.4–1.0 mm a–1, which
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
1.51E+04
5.26E+05
1.61E+04
3.11E+04
1.11E+06
7.45E+05
4.91E+04
7.51E+03
1.35E+04
3.13E+04
1.92E+04
3.60E+04
2.14E+06
2.17E+06
3.01E+05
7.15E+05
8.12E+05
9.33E+05
Error
3.83E+04
2.28E+06
Be atoms g–1
SiO2
10
Geosphere, April 2013
1.28E+06
4.45E+07
0.2035
195–205
07-YH-022
84.67
1.16E+06
7.38E+05
3.42E+07
4.16E+07
0.2030
0.2026
45.85
07-YH-020
37.31
90–100
120–130
07-YH-019
9.00E+05
5.35E+07
0.2031
55–65
07-YH-018
24.97
7.64E+05
3.38E+07
0.2040
15.57
0
07-YH-016
39.82864
98.19733
1710
5.23E+05
2.10E+07
0.2032
195–205
07-YH-007
69.72
6.02E+05
3.20E+07
0.2024
110–120
07-YH-005
44.73
4.98E+05
1.09E+06
2.83E+07
2.42E+07
0.2043
0.2031
34.82
75–85
07-YH-004
25.91
45–55
07-YH-003
Error
6.65E+05
3.96E+07
0.2046
17.35
0
Sample ID
07-YH-001
39.97589
98.56577
1348
Value
(atoms)
Weight 9Be
(mg)
Weight SiO2
(g)
Depth
(cm)
Latitude
(°N)
Elev
(m)
TABLE 1. LOCATION, DEPTH, AND 10Be CONCENTRATION OF SAMPLES USED IN THIS STUDY
Sample
Weight
total 10Be
Along the front of the Qilian Shan in the
Yumen and Jiuquan Basins, thrust faults are
commonly covered by alluvial-fan and gravel
deposits, but their positions can be inferred
from topographic breaks in the landscape (e.g.,
Champagnac et al., 2010; Hetzel et al., 2002,
2004a; Tapponnier et al., 1990). During field
investigations, we identified coalesced alluvial
fan systems along the front of the Qilian Shan
and on both sides of the Hexi Corridor. Massive
sand and gravel deposits have been transported
into the Hexi Corridor, and therefore alluvial
fans with different dimensions have formed
along the front of the Qilian Shan. After continued fault slip, sedimentation on hanging walls
terminates, and rivers crossing the faults cut
down into the fans to leave terraces along them.
So, residual fan surfaces become ideal places to
study fault slip rates.
We investigated two sites corresponding to
abandoned alluvial fans that are offset by slip on
thrust faults along the Beida He in the Jiuquan
Basin (Fig. 1). These fan surfaces show little
erosion as they have not been deeply incised by
stream channels. We mapped faulted alluvial
surfaces using various image data and field surveys, and we measured the fault displacements
from topographic profiles using differential
GPS surveys.
To constrain the ages of abandonment of alluvial surfaces, we used cosmogenic nuclide ages
and the amalgamation method of Anderson et al.
(1996). For each site, we took a large number
(n > 50) of centimeter-size, quartz-rich pebbles
at different depths in vertical profiles. Two
profiles were sampled along with paleoseismic trenching sites. Quartz-rich pebbles were
sampled on the surface and within ~2-m-deep
pits or trenches. For each sample, pebbles were
collected within a narrow depth range (5–10 cm;
Table 1). Quartz extraction, usually after amalgamating more than 40 pebbles, was performed
in the University of Colorado at Boulder facility
(Crushing, Sieving, and Chemical Laboratory),
following standard chemical cleaning and etching procedures, as well as liquid separation. Pure
quartz samples were analyzed by inductively
coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry
10
TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYS AND
SURFACE EXPOSURE AGES
Longitude
(°E)
Jiuquan Basin (Fig. 2). The other, the Jintanan
Shan fault, marks the eastern section of the
northern boundary fault of the Jiuquan Basin.
In the following we present detailed studies of
Holocene slip rates along these faults and then
discuss implications for active deformation
associated with outward growth of the Tibetan
Plateau.
Coordinates
results in 0.19–0.47 mm a–1 of horizontal shortening, given the 65° fault dip.
The Hanxia-Dahuanggou fault lies 15–20 km
from the range front within the Yumen Basin
(Fig. 2). The fault offsets alluvial fans to form a
fault scarp ~1 m high. Trench exposures reveal
a 30° dip to the southwest. Stream channels
across the fault have not been offset laterally,
suggesting negligible strike slip. Measurements
of the displacement and 14C dating gave a vertical slip rate of ~0.25 mm a–1 (Min et al., 2002)
that yields a horizontal shortening rate of ~0.43
mm a–1 for a 30° dip.
Hetzel et al. (2002) showed that the Yumen
fault within the Yumen Basin (Fig. 2) has displaced a series of alluvial terraces. By measuring the offsets and dating the terraces with
cosmogenic nuclides, they obtained a vertical
slip rate of 0.35 ± 0.03 mm a–1. The fault dips
30°–60° to the southwest (Hetzel et al., 2002).
We thus estimate a horizontal shortening rate of
0.18–0.66 mm a–1.
The Xinminpu fault, near the northern boundary of the Yumen Basin, trends northwest (315°)
with a length of ~20 km (Fig. 2). The fault dips
southwestward at an angle of ~30° and shows
thrust slip. The fault offsets several alluvial
terraces vertically with different amounts of
displacement. Min et al. (2002) reported the
vertical slip rate to be ~0.24 mm a–1 based on
optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating
of the displaced terraces. Given an ~30° dip of
the fault, we estimate horizontal shortening at a
rate of ~0.58 mm a–1.
The Yinwa Shan fault, another reverse fault,
trends northwest (315°–330°) (Fig. 2) and dips
southwestward at ~55°. Min et al. (2002) found
that the fault offsets alluvial fans to form continuous scarps 2 m high. OSL dating of the displaced
alluvial fans results in a vertical slip rate of 0.18
mm a–1 (Min et al., 2002). With a dip of 55°, the
horizontal shortening rate is ~0.13 mm a–1.
The Hei Shan fault forms part of the northern
boundary of the Yumen Basin. It strikes almost
parallel to the Altyn Tagh fault (Fig. 2). Zheng
(2009) found the fault to be a high-angle reverse
fault that dips southward at ~70°. The fault displaces alluvial fans with 2–3-m-high fault scarps.
Streams and alluvial ridges across the fault have
not been deflected horizontally, suggesting that
active left-lateral strike slip along the Altyn Tagh
fault does not continue to the Hei Shan fault.
Measurements of the heights of fault scarps and
dating of the offset alluvial fans yield vertical
slip rates of 0.2–0.3 mm a–1 (Zheng, 2009). For a
70° dip, the horizontal shortening rate would be
0.07–0.11 mm a–1.
Two major faults in the Yumen and Jiuquan
Basins have not been studied. One, the Jiayuguan fault, separates the Yumen Basin from the
Be concentration
Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China)
345
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346
Geosphere, April 2013
57.4 ± 3.2
Note: The content of U, Th, and K2O measured by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) at the University of London. OSL samples measured by the State Key Laboratory of
Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
104.1 ± 7.6
2.88 ± 0.11
2.66 ± 0.10
152.8 ± 6.6
299.9 ± 18.7
1.50
1.66
7.51
6.95
1.63
1.88
1.20
0.75
07-OSL-001
07-OSL-007
99.56
99.56
39.97
39.97
Jintanan Shan fault
11.6 ± 0.5
54.4 ± 3.5
3.61 ± 0.14
Dose rate
(Gy ka–1)
3.82 ± 0.15
44.2 ± 0.9
196.3 ± 0.8
1.95
1.89
10.27
8.78
2.05
2.47
0.30
0.80
07-OSL-015
98.02
07-OSL-014
98.20
39.82
39.82
Jiayuguan fault
Here, [10Be] is the measured concentration of
samples at different depths. The inheritance
[10Be]inherited is defined by the asymptote toward
which the exponential curve tends below ~2 m,
as below this depth the post-depositional production of 10Be is largely negligible for the time
range we consider (Burbank and Anderson,
2001). All of the amalgamated samples were
used to determine the age of the surface exposure, instead of only the top-surface samples.
The exponential term of the fitting function provides an estimate of the production rate at the
surface (P) in the time since the alluvial fans
were abandoned (t). The parameter z donated
the sample depth from the surface. The parameter λ is the ratio of the attenuation length of
the cosmogenic particle to the density of the
material. For our present study, this factor was
first chosen to be 0.0125 cm–1, following Champagnac et al. (2010), to maximize the best fit for
both profiles and to be consistent with previous
studies using unconsolidated sediment (Brocard
et al., 2003; Ritz et al., 2003). This corresponds
to a sediment density of 2.0 g cm–3 for an attenuation length of 160 g cm–2 (Champagnac et al.,
2010). For both sites, we also allowed this factor in the exponential term to be free, but best
fits gave much different values (0.0286 cm–1 for
the Jiayuguan fault site and 0.0145 cm–1 for the
Jintanan Shan fault site). We reject the higher
index (0.0268 cm–1) because it corresponds to a
density of unconsolidated sediments as large as
4.6 g cm–3 for a characteristic length scale of 160
g cm–2 (e.g., Brown et al., 1992). Therefore, we
Site
(1)
TABLE 2. RESULT OF OSL ANALYSIS ON ALLUVIAL FANS AND FAULT COLLAPSE WEDGE
Depth
U
Th
K
Equivalent Dose
Longitude
Sample
(field) ID
(m)
(ppm)
(ppm)
(%)
(Gy)
(°E)
[10Be] = [10Be]inherited + (Pt) e–λz.
adopted 0.0145 cm–1 (corresponding to a density of 2.3 g cm–3 for 160 g cm–2 length scale) as
a second feasible index to determine ages and
inheritance for both sites.
To estimate ages from the concentrations at
the surface, we used a low-elevation, high-latitude production rate of 5.11 atoms per year per
gram of SiO2 (atoms a–1 g–1 SiO2) (Vermeesch,
2007). This rate was adjusted for elevation and
latitude, following Stone’s (2000) formulation.
The actual production rates are 18.97 and 14.59
atoms a–1 g–1 SiO2 for Jiayuguan and the Jintanan
Shan, respectively. All of the calculations were
performed using the Microsoft Excel calculator
CosmoCalc (Vermeesch, 2007). Because the
exposure ages are much less than the half-life
of radioactive decay, the influence of that decay
was ignored. We also included an uncertainty
of 10% in the production rate during the calculation. Although the fans in the Hexi Corridor
have developed over tens of thousands to perhaps millions of years, the gravel and sand layers on the tops of fans in the Jiuquan Basin were
deposited by flowing water in a relatively short
time, and subsequently the fans were incised
and that deposition ended.
To obtain ages of the incised fan surfaces, we
also dug pits into the alluvium and took OSL
samples from the different fans that have been
offset by thrust faults. We sampled at least two
medium- to fine-grained sand samples from different layers within the range of 1–2 m depth in
pits beneath the alluvial surfaces. The samples
were processed in the OSL dating laboratory of
the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment,
Chinese Academy of Sciences. Following the
laboratory procedures for Chinese loess (Forman, 1991; Lu et al., 1988; Wang, 2006), the
samples were extracted under subdued red light,
and pretreated with 30% HCl and 30% H2O2
to remove the carbonates and organic material,
respectively. The samples were then refined to
a fine silt (4–11 μm) fraction, using sedimentation procedures based on Stokes’ Law. This
poly-mineral size fraction was then immersed in
H2SiF6 (30%) for 3 days in an ultrasonic bath
to obtain the quartz component. The purity of
the isolated quartz was checked by infrared (IR)
stimulation. All measurements were performed
using a Daybreak 2200 automated OSL reader
equipped with a combined blue (470 ± 5 nm)
and IR (880 ± 80 nm) LED unit, and a 90Sr/90Y
beta source for irradiation. All luminescence
measurements were made at 125 °C with both
IR and blue stimulation intensities at ~45 mW
cm–2. Luminescence emissions were detected by
an EMI 9235QA photomultiplier and two 3 mm
U-340 glass filters. All OSL dating results are
listed in Table 2.
Latitude
(°N)
(ICP-OES) at the University of Colorado to
measure Al concentrations. Purified quartz samples (~15–85 g) then were dissolved in HF and
HNO3, and a 9Be spike of ~0.20 mg was added
to the carrier solution. A single blank sample
was also processed along with other quartz
samples to control variations in the preparation.
After removal of fluorides with HNO3 and HCl,
and removal of Fe and Ti by anion exchange,
pure Be atoms were separated on cation/anion
exchange columns and precipitated as hydroxides. These precipitates were dried and oxidized
at 900–950 °C. The resultant BeO powders were
mixed with equal volumes of Nb and packed in
target holders for accelerator mass spectrometry
(AMS) determination of 10Be/9Be at the Purdue
Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory (PRIME
at Purdue University, USA) (Table 1).
To quantify both a constant inheritance component and an exponential production decay
with depth, 10Be concentration versus depth was
then fit with a general expression (Anderson
et al., 1996; Farber et al., 2008):
OSL age
(ka)
Zheng et al.
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China)
Jiayuguan Fault
The Jiayuguan fault strikes about 340°,
almost perpendicular to the Altyn Tagh fault
(Fig. 2). The fault forms scarps more than 20 m
high and can be seen clearly on satellite images
(Fig. 3). Field investigation revealed that the
fault is a high-angle reverse fault and dips southwest. For example, in the trench excavation the
fault dips ~80° to the southwest (Fig. 4A). The
nearly vertical dip of the fault has been observed
in many natural outcrops along the fault. Stream
channels of different scales, from less than 1 m
to more than 10 m wide, do not manifest any
sign of strike-slip deflection across the fault,
suggesting a negligible strike-slip component.
Our section of the fault lies near the Jiayuguan Pass, ~2 km to the west Jiayuguan city
(Gansu Province), on the alluvial fan along the
Beidahe River (Fig. 3A). Yang et al. (1998) identified and dated four terraces near this study area
and 12 terraces in a region further upstream,
with ages ranging from ca. 30 ka to ca. 150 ka.
We chose this area because of the well-exposed
alluvial surface cut by the Jiayuguan fault and
the well-preserved fault scarp (Fig. 3). Quartzrich pebbles were sampled on the surface and
within an ~2-m-deep pit (Fig. 4B).
To determine the offset, we carried out a
topographic survey of the alluvial surfaces with
a differential GPS survey. We made two 1-kmlong topographic profiles on the alluvial surface
across the Jiayuguan fault (Figs. 3B and 4C).
The actual offsets of the surfaces were calculated by projecting elevations onto a profile perpendicular to the fault. We distinguish another
secondary fault scarp, presumably caused by
a prehistoric earthquake, on the hanging wall
(Fig. 3D). We obtained an age of 11.6 ± 0.5 ka
based on OSL dating of sandy soil at the bottom
of a wedge of collapsed material on the footwall
of the fault (Fig. 4A; Table 2). Along different
profiles, we obtained vertical displacements of
20.6 ± 1.5 m and 21.6 ± 2.0 m, with a mean
of 21.1 ± 1.8 m for the main fault scarp (Fig.
4C). We also obtained vertical offsets of 2.9 ±
0.3 m, and 2.8 ± 0.2 m, with a mean of 2.85 ±
0.4 m on the secondary scarp above the hanging wall. So, we can determine that the hangingwall surface is vertically separated by 24.0 ±
2.3 m from the footwall surface (Fig. 4C).
At this site, the distribution of 10Be with
depth in a pit in the hanging wall suggests the
superposition of two depositional sequences
(Fig. 4B). This is consistent with the stratigraphy observed in the pit, which shows a ~50-cmthick layer (Unit 1) mainly characterized by
alluvial pebble deposits covering another layer
(Unit 2) made of smaller alluvial pebbles. In the
field, we also can distinguish two units because
of the different colors and the different degrees
of induration. Moreover, the interface between
the units is marked by a thin layer of brownyellow silt.
To obtain a slip rate on the Jiayuguan fault,
we need to determine the age of the top surface
of Unit 1. Because Unit 1 was deposited after
abandonment of Unit 2, we first determine the
best-fit equations of the concentration related to
depth within Unit 2 to estimate the inheritance
(Fig. 4D, Table 1):
[10Be(# g–1)] = [1.37 ± 1.95] × 105 +
([1.91 ± 0.48] × 106 × e–{0.0125 * z(cm)})
ers, then the top of Unit 1 should have been
abandoned at 107.3 ± 12 ka (or 105.0 ± 8.7 ka
for λ = 0.0145 cm–1), calculated by using the
concentration of 10Be in the surface sample
(07-YH-016) and the inherited concentration
of 1.37 × 105 atoms g–1.
Within Unit 2, the concentration of the topmost sample (07-YH-018) would be the sum
of inheritance, production before deposition
of Unit 1 (z = 10 cm), and the consequent production after deposition of Unit 1 (at present
depth of 60 cm), i.e.,
(2)
[10Be]2top = [10Be]inherited +
Pt2 e–(λ * 10 cm) + Pt1 e–(λ * 60 cm)
(8)
Pt2 = {[10Be]2top – [10Be]inherited –
Pt1 e–(λ * 60 cm)} / e–(λ * 10 cm).
(9)
and
or
[10Be(# g–1)] = [1.81 ± 1.44] × 105 +
([2.00 ± 0.391] × 106 × e–{0.0145 * z(cm)}) (3)
using coefficients in the exponential term of
–0.0125 cm–1 and –0.0145 cm–1, respectively.
Here, z is the depth beneath the unconformity
separating the two layers.
Let us assume that the upper layer Unit 1
was deposited instantaneously, at a time in the
past, t1. Prior to its deposition, the concentration in Unit 2, after an elapsed time, t2 , with
production rate at the surface, P, and decay
factor, λ ( = 0.0125 cm–1 or 0.0145 cm–1),
would be
[10Be]2 = [10Be]inherited + (Pt2) e–λz.
(4)
Then at time t1, the top layer, Unit 1, with
thickness h was deposited on Unit 2. At present, the concentration of 10Be in Unit 1 would
be given by
[10Be]1 = [10Be]inherited + (Pt1) e–λ(h + z).
(5)
In this layer, z is negative. The present-day concentration in the lower layer Unit 2, after another
elapsed time of t1, becomes
[10Be]2 = [10Be]inherited + (Pt2) e–λz +
(Pt1) e–λ(h + z).
(6)
Collecting terms, this is
[10Be]2 = [10Be]inherited +
P(t2 + t1 e–λh) e–λz.
(7)
From the exponential fit of the bottom
4 samples, i.e., those in the lower layer
(Fig. 4B), we infer an inherited concentration of 1.37 × 105 atoms g–1 for the case
of λ = 0.0125 cm–1 (and 1.81 × 105 for λ =
0.0145 cm–1). If we assume that the inheritance, [10Be]inherited, is the same for both lay-
Geosphere, April 2013
Because Pt1 = [10Be]1top – [10Be]inherited,
t2 = {[10Be]2top – [10Be]inherited –
([10Be]1top – [10Be]inherited) e–(λ * 60 cm)} /
{P e–(λ * 10 cm)}.
(10)
Here [10Be]1top and [10Be]2top are the concentrations for samples 07-YH-016 and 07-YH-018,
respectively.
Substituting all known quantities into
Equation 10, we finally get t2 = 62.4 ± 2.9 ka
for λ = 0.0125 cm–1 (or 68.7 ± 3.0 ka for λ =
0.0145 cm–1). Therefore, Unit 2 was abandoned
at 169.7 ± 12.3 ka (or 173.7 ± 10.2 ka).
Because there is only one sample in Unit 1,
another possibility is that the upper 60 cm are
sufficiently mixed to homogenize the sediment,
and therefore 10Be concentrations. Alternatively,
if the discontinuity in the deposits marked a very
short pause during the sedimentation, and if we
discarded sample 07-YH-018, the fit of the other
concentration versus depth would suggest that
the top of Unit 1 was abandoned at 92.9 ± 9.9 ka
(for λ = 0.0125 cm–1) (Fig. 4D), ~13% younger
than our preferred two-layer calculations. Careful inspection in the field, however, indicated a
separation of the two units at ~50 cm depth, and
no clear evidence for mixing. Thus, we prefer our
two-layer calculations because of the distinction
of the two layers seen clearly in the field (Fig. 4C).
The sediment deposited on top of the abandoned alluvial fans should have a depositional
age younger than the exposure age of Unit 2. To
confirm the exposure age of Unit 2, we obtained
an OSL dating age of 54.4 ± 3.5 ka in the old
ground surface covered by the collapse wedge
(Fig. 4A). The younger OSL age indicates that
sandy soil above the old ground surface formed
after the alluvial surface was abandoned.
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Zheng et al.
A
View to SE
C 1660
2.9±0.3 m
1650
20.6±1.5 m
11.6±0.5 ka
54.4±3.5 ka
Old ground surface(sandy soil)
Elevation (m)
1640
Fault
collapse
wedge
1620
1660
2.8±0.2 m
1650
Fault
21.6±2.0 m
1640
1630
P2
1620
Dip angle:80°
0
400
10
800
1000
-1
Be (atoms g SiO 2)
×
× ×
07-YH-019 (95 cm)
Unit 2
5
07-YH-022 (200 cm)
Survey scarp profile
Boundary line of unit
Result of
10
Be sample
10
07-YH-016
Site and number of sample
(
.0
z(c
m)
)
–1
Kinematic direction of fault
e
10
[ B
–0
+
0]
×e
× 1 05 ]
1
.
×
1
5 ±
0
m) )
× 1 06 ±
z(c
5
1
1 . × 5 + –0.012 [
= –1 ) ]
e
0]
([
× 1 05 ] ×
#g
8
(
1
8
.
×
10 B e
0
3
5 ±
[
1.6
0
× 1 06 ±
6
×1
4.3
= [ 1.76
–1 ) ]
[
(
#g
5
07-YH-020 (125 cm)
Depth cm)
6
Unit2
Unit 1
5
07-YH-018 (60 cm)
[ Be(# g )] = [1.37 ×10 ± 1.95 ×10 ] + ([1.91 ×10 ± 4.84 ×10 ] × e
Unit 1
× 600
Distance (m)
)
View to SE D
07-YH-016 (0 cm)
200
–0.0125 z(cm)
B
P1
1630
Minimum age of Unit 1: 62.4 ± 2.9 ka
Minimum age of Unit 2: 169.7 ± 12.3 ka
Figure 4. Scarp profiles and the result of the cosmogenic nuclide dating on the Jiayuguan fault. (A) Photo of pit dug into alluvial sediment
at the fault. We can define two fine-grained units: the old ground surface (sandy soil) and the collapse wedge adjacent to the fault. The
age of the sandy soil is younger than the abandonment age of the alluvial fan. The fault collapse wedge indicates a later earthquake event.
(B) Photograph of 10Be sampling sites on alluvial surface shown in Figure 3B. Five samples were taken at the surface and at depths of 60,
95, 125, and 200 cm. (C) Topographic profiles across the alluvial surface and the two fault scarps. (D) 10Be content versus depths below the
surface and best-fit exponential functions. We show two preferred scenarios for different densities of overlying deposits, and one possible
result obtained by discarding the top sample in Unit 2. See text for details.
Jintanan Shan Fault
The Jintanan Shan fault follows the northern boundary of the Jiuquan Basin and trends
~100° along the northern range front of the
Jintanan Shan (Fig. 2). This area offers well-
348
preserved fault scarps (Figs. 5A and 5B) and
quartz-rich pebble sites for cosmogenic dating
(Figs. 5C, 5D, and 6D). The fault dips southward at ~68° in a trench exposure. The hanging wall consists of the Tertiary red beds that
have been thrust atop the surface of the Gobi
Geosphere, April 2013
Desert to the north, and the footwall strata are
composed of fluvial gravels and sands. In the
field, we found two clear linear scarps with
total heights of ~10 m on the alluvial fan (Figs.
5 and 6A). Stream channels across the fault
scarps show no evidence of strike-slip motion,
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China)
98°° 27′
98°° 30′
A
98°° 33′
40°°
00′
Fig. B
Gobi-Alashan Block
Linchang
Wutongdun
98°° 33′
Gobi-Alashan Block
P1-
C
98°° 35′
98°° 34′
View to W
39°° 59′
B
39°°
58′
Jintanan Shan
2 km
P4
10
Be dating sample
Alluvial surface
C
D
D
39°° 58′
Southe rn fault scarp
gG
ull
y
Linchang
GobiAlashan
Block
N or th er n
fa ul t sc ar p
0
Slip Rate Determinations
View to SW
Hanging Wall
rin
Alluvial surface
Be dating sample
OSL dating sample
D
View in Fig. 5C/5D
P
Scarp profile1 4
Figure 5. Geomorphic and field map of the Jintanan Shan fault. (A) Enhanced Thematic
Mapper (ETM) image displaying fault scarps and local structures at the middle segment of
the fault. Black dashed square locates B. (B) High-resolution Thematic Mapper (TM) image
at the studied area of the Jintanan Shan fault. Shown are four ~1-km-long scarp profiles
(purple lines), as well as the sample locations (* for the 10Be sample; ¤ for the optically stimulated luminescence [OSL] sample), and orientations of photos in C and D. (C and D) Field
photographs of the alluvial surfaces and the thrust fault scarp. (C) View of the northern
fault scarp and the offset alluvial surface. (D) View of the southern fault scarp on the hanging wall. Note the importance of a flat remnant of the alluvial surface between the scarps,
allowing a precise topographic survey.
suggesting that the fault is basically a highangle reverse fault. In addition, we can correlate several surfaces across the scarps, allowing
us to accurately determine vertical offsets (Figs.
5B and 6A).
We measured four 1.5-km-long topographic
profiles of the alluvial surfaces across the Jintanan Shan fault with differential GPS surveys
(Figs. 5B and 6A). On each profile, from east
to west, we obtained vertical displacements on
the north scarp of 4.1 ± 0.5 m, 3.3 ± 0.4 m, 3.1 ±
0.3 m, and 3.2 ± 0.3 m, respectively, with a mean
of 3.4 ± 0.8 m (Fig. 6A). Vertical offsets on the
south scarp are 6.5 ± 0.8 m, 8.5 ± 0.8 m, 10.0 ±
1.2 m, and 10.5 ± 1.5 m, respectively, with a
mean of 8.9 ± 2.2 m (Fig. 6A). To minimize
the uncertainty of total offset, we estimate the
total values by extrapolating the surface north of
the northern scarp to that south of the southern
scarp, and obtained total vertical displacements
of 10.5 ± 0.7 m, 11.6 ± 0.6 m, 13.0 ± 0.8 m, and
13.4 ± 0.9 m, respectively, with a mean of 12.1 ±
1.5 m, which we use for the cumulated vertical
offset (Fig. 6A).
The best-fit equations of the Be concentration
as a function of depth (Fig. 6E; Table 1) for the
Jintanan Shan site are
[10Be(# g–1)] = [1.62 ± 0.782] × 105 +
([1.84 ± 0.289] × 106 × e–{0.0125 * z(cm)})
(11)
and
[10Be(# g–1)] = [2.19 ± 1.76] × 105 +
([1.88 ± 0.370] × 106 × e–{0.0145 * z(cm)})
(12)
using coefficients in the exponential term of
0.0125 cm–1 and 0.0145 cm–1, respectively.
This yields exposure ages of 126.4 ± 21.2 ka
and 128.5 ± 26.5 ka, with corresponding appar-
Geosphere, April 2013
We use the vertical offset (H) of an alluvial
surface and its age of abandonment (t) to determine the vertical component of a slip rate:
ν′ = H/t.
Sp
10
SLIP RATES AND THEIR
IMPLICATIONS FOR OUTWARD
GROWTH OF THE NORTHEASTERN
MARGIN OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU
Foot Wall
1 km
Thrust fault scarp
ent inheritance ages of 11.1 ± 5.4 ka and 15.0 ±
12.1 ka, respectively. Therefore, the corrected
ages for the Jintanan Shan site are 115.3 ±
21.6 ka and 113.5 ± 28.8 ka. We also obtained
an OSL age of 104.1 ± 7.6 ka in the sand layer
(corresponding to an old ground surface) at a
depth of ~75 cm below the top alluvial surface
(Fig. 6B and Table 2) and 57.4 ± 3.2 ka in a fault
collapse wedge at a depth of ~120 cm (Fig. 6C
and Table 2). The age of the sand layer accords
with the 10Be age of alluvial fan.
(13)
For the Jiayuguan fault, we use two groups
of data to determine the slip rate, including a
total displacement of 24 ± 2.3 m with abandonment age of 107 ± 12 ka on the alluvial surface
and the offset of 2.9 ± 0.4 m on the secondary
scarp with the age of 11.6 ± 0.5 ka on the fault
collapse wedge. They yield 0.22 ± 0.03 mm a–1
and 0.25 ± 0.05 mm a–1, respectively. These two
values agree with each other, within errors, but
because of the greater uncertainty of the smaller
offset, we use the value of 0.22 ± 0.03 mm a–1
for the vertical component of the slip rate of the
Jiayuguan fault. For the Jintanan Shan fault,
we obtain 0.11 ± 0.03 mm a–1 of vertical slip
rate, by using H = 12.1 ± 1.5 m and t = 115.3 ±
21.6 ka (maximum age).
The Jiayuguan fault and Jintanan Shan fault
have developed as part of the growth of the
Tibetan Plateau. During this process, many
thrust faults formed in the foreland of the Hexi
Corridor and adjacent to the mountains on
its northern margin. Our vertical slip rates of
0.22 ± 0.03 mm a–1 during the past ~107 ka
for the Jiayuguan fault and 0.11 ± 0.03 mm
a–1 over the past ~115 ka for the Jintanan
Shan fault are consistent with geological and
GPS constraints (Wang et al., 2001; Zhang
et al., 2004; Zheng, 2009), suggesting that
NNE-SSW shortening across the northeastern
Tibetan Plateau is distributed on several active
faults, each with a low slip rate of ≤1 mm a–1
(Chen, 2003; Hetzel et al., 2002, 2004a; Min
et al., 2002; Palumbo et al., 2009; Tapponnier
et al., 1990; Zheng, 2009; Zheng et al., 2013)
(Fig. 7 and Table 3).
349
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Zheng et al.
A
B
1320
6.5 ± 0.8 m
1310
1300
4.1 ± 0.5 m
10.5 ± 0.7 m
Alluvial surface
View to W
P1
Depth:75 cm
8.5 ± 0.8m
1310
3.3 ± 0.4m
1300
1290
1320
104.1 ± 7.6 ka
P2
11.6 ± 0.6 m
10.0 ± 1.2 m
1310
1300
(13.0 ± 0.8)m
3.2 ± 0.3 m
P4
C Alluvial surface
10.5 ± 1.5 m
1300
13.4 ± 0.9 m
1290
0
200
400
600
57.4 ± 3.2 ka
800 1000 1200 1400 1600
Distance (m)
D
View to W
E
Dip angle:68°
10
× -1
Be (atoms g SiO 2)
× × × ™ )
cm
z(
45
01
5
07-YH-004 (80 cm)
–1
g
(#
Be
10
[
)]
–1
10
Depth (cm)
07-YH-005 (115 cm)
=
[
([1 2.1
.8 9 ×
4
×1 10 5
0 6 ±1
±3 .7
.7 6 ×
0
×1 10 5
0 5 ]+
]×
e –0.
07-YH-003 (50 cm)
)
4
07-YH-001 (0 cm)
[ Be(# g )] = [1.62 ×10 ± 7.82×10 ] +
6
5
–0.0125 z(cm)
([1.84×10 ± 2.89×10 ] × e
)
1310
View to W
ult
P3
1290
1320
Fa
3.1 ± 0.3m
Depth:120cm
Elevation (m)
1290
1320
07-YH-007 (200 cm)
Kinematic direction of fault
Site and number of sample
07-YH-001
Result of
Survey scarp profile
Maximum age: 115.3 ± 21.6 ka
Minimum age: 113.5 ± 28.8 ka
10
Be sample
Figure 6. Scarp profiles, photographs of pits, and profiles of dates for the Jintanan Shan fault. (A) Topographic
profiles across the alluvial surface and the two fault scarps. (B) Photograph of pit where the optically stimulated
luminescence (OSL) sample was taken. (C) Photograph of a trench wall crossing the fault. (D) Photograph of 10Be
sampling sites on alluvial surface shown in Figures 5B and 5C. Five samples were taken, at the surface and at
depths of 50, 80, 115, and 200 cm. (E) 10Be content versus depth and best-fit exponential functions. Two values for
exponential depth dependence (–0.0125 cm–1 and –0.0145 cm–1) give similar fits.
Shortening Across the Yumen Basin
and Its Relationship to Left-Lateral
Strike Slip Near the Eastern End of
the Altyn Tagh Fault
With these vertical components of slip rate
and dip angles of 80° and 68° for the Jiayuguan
and Jintanan Shan faults, we calculate horizontal shortening rates perpendicular to the faults
to be 0.03–0.04 mm a–1 and 0.04–0.05 mm a–1,
respectively. With these rates, we obtain esti-
350
mates of shortening rates for all active faults
in the Yumen and Jiuquan Basins (Fig. 7 and
Table 3). (Note also that if dips at depth were
45°, horizontal and vertical components of slip
would be the same.)
The Altyn Tagh fault strikes almost eastwest along the northern margin of the Yumen
Basin. The left-lateral strike-slip rate has
been measured to be 1.4 ± 0.4 mm a–1 (Xu
et al., 2005; Zhang et al., 2007; Fig. 7). If the
Altyn Tagh fault ends at the Yumen Basin,
Geosphere, April 2013
this amount of left slip must be absorbed by
crustal shortening in the direction parallel to
the fault (Fig. 7). We have mapped the strike of
each active fault in the basin and determined
its shortening rate. We can thus calculate the
component of horizontal shortening parallel to
the Altyn Tagh fault, 0.90–1.43 mm a–1 (Fig. 7;
Table 3), which agrees with the left-lateral
strike-slip rate in the easternmost section of
the fault. Moreover, if we assumed that at
depth all faults dipped at 45°, that component
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China)
97°°
96°°
Tarim
V: 0.35 ± 0.05 mm a–1 V: 0.24mm a –1
V: 0.18 mm a –1
S: 0.18 ~ 0.66 mm a –1 S: 0.09 ~ 0.42 mm a –1 S: 0.07 mm a –1
Min et al., 2002
Min et al., 2002
Basin Hetzel et al., 2002
H: 2.2 ± 0.2 mm a–1 H: 1.4 ± 0.4 mm a–1
Zhang et al., 2007
Xu et al., 2005
Hei Shan
V: 0.25 mm a –1
S: 0.43 mm a –1
Min et al., 2002
eS
ha
t
xu
ault
ul
Da
Fault
an F
Hexi Corridor
V: 0.22 ± 0.03 mm a–1
–1
S : 0.03 ~ 0.04 mm a
This study
Qil
ian
n
Fo
do
ng
mi
–1
Sha
n
50 km
Active fault
V: 0.55 mm a
S: 0.26 mm a –1
Chen , 2003
ao
-H
on
ga
izi
Fa
V: 0.41 ± 0.09 mm a–1
S: 0.19 ~ 0.47 mm a –1
Zheng, 2009
Strike-slip fault
40°°
Jinta
Jitanan
Shan F
Jiayuguan
ault
Jiuquan
Jiuquan
Basin
Fa
V: ~0.25 mm a
S: 0.09 ~ 0.14 mm a –1
H: 1.17 ± 0.04 mm a–1
Zheng et al., 2012
gma
n Sh
n
–1
Qilia
ua
Chan
3
Yumen
Basin
ug
hern
2
1
V: 0.11 ± 0.03 mm a–1
–1
S: 0.04 ~ 0.05mm a
This study
Fault
ay
Yumen
Nort
Gobi-Alashan Block
V: 0.20 ~ 0.30 mm a –1
–1
S: 0.07 ~ 0.11 mm a
Zheng , 2009
Ji
h F a u lt
A lt y n Ta g
Changma
99°°
98°°
Thrust fault
ul
t
39°°
Fault with unknown kinematics
Figure 7. Map showing slip rates on faults at the front of western Qilian Shan and Hexi Corridor. In addition to our results, we indicate
slip-rate estimates of others (Min et al., 2002; Hetzel et al., 2002; Chen, 2003; Palumbo et al., 2009; Tapponnier et al., 1990; Zheng, 2009;
Zheng et al., 2012). H—Horizontal slip rate; V—Vertical slip rate; S—Shortening rate across fault. Numbers represent the names of the
faults: 1—Yumen fault; 2—Xinminpu fault; 3—Yinwashan fault.
parallel to the Altyn Tagh fault of the shortening rate would be 1.5–2.2 mm a–1.
We should point out that this shortening
rate is a minimum estimate because petroleum seismic exploration in the Yumen Basin
reveals significant folding (EGPGY, 1989;
GBGMR, 1989; Yang et al., 2007) (Fig. 8).
The interpretation of seismic reflection profiles shows that the Quaternary sedimentary
rock, such as the Yumen formation (early
Quaternary) and Jiuquan formation (middle Quaternary), has not only been faulted,
but also folded within the basin (Fig. 8).
Although we cannot quantify easily the additional shortening associated with folding, it
demonstrates that the shortening rate parallel to the Altyn Tagh fault of 0.90–1.43 mm
a–1 (or 1.6–22 mm a–1) is an underestimate.
This observation, plus the additional component of shortening perpendicular to the Altyn
Tagh fault, suggests that the deformation in
the Yumen Basin results from a combination
of the accommodation of strike slip on the
Altyn Tagh fault and crustal shortening due
to the northward growth of the Qilian Shan
(Fig. 8).
Implications for Outward Growth of
the Tibetan Plateau
High-angle reverse faulting without a left-lateral strike-slip component on the Jintanan Shan
fault suggests that this fault would not be the
eastward continuation of the Altyn Tagh fault.
The Altyn Tagh fault appears to end west of the
Jiayuguan fault (Fig. 2).
The highest elevation of the Jintanan Shan is
130 m above the surface of the adjacent basin
to the north (Fig. 2). The low range consists of
Tertiary red beds. An unpublished near-surface
shallow seismic reflection survey indicates that
the Tertiary red beds lie ~30–40 m beneath the
surface of the basin on the footwall north of
the Jintanan Shan fault. Thus the total vertical
offset of the Tertiary red beds on the Jintanan
Shan fault is 160–170 m. If the slip rate on the
Jintanan Shan fault has been constant since initiation of faulting, the vertical slip rate of 0.11 ±
0.03 mm a–1 suggests an onset of Jintanan Shan
faulting at 1.5–1.6 Ma. Zheng (2009) suggested
that the Heli Shan, a similar low range east of the
Jintanan Shan, also initiated ca. 2 Ma (Fig. 1). It
seems that the low ranges bounding the north-
Geosphere, April 2013
ern side of the Hexi Corridor basin started to
form since ca. 2 Ma. Previous studies show that
the shortening across the Qilian Shan began, or
accelerated, near 10 Ma (Métivier et al., 1998;
Zheng et al., 2010). The Yumu Shan, the northernmost spur of the Qilian Shan, began to rise at
3.7 ± 0.9 Ma (Palumbo et al., 2009). The northward younging of crustal shortening suggests
that the Tibetan Plateau has grown northward
into the Gobi Alashan since ca. 2 Ma. To summarize, deformation in the Yumen Basin accommodates strike slip at the eastern end of the
Altyn Tagh fault, and northward thrust slip of
the Qilian Shan onto the basin also contributes
to the shortening. The rise of the Jintanan Shan
and Heli Shan appears to reflect a northeastward
growth of the Qilian Shan.
CONCLUSIONS
Using structural investigations, air-photo
imagery, topographic profiling, OSL dating,
and 10Be exposure dating, we estimate the
vertical components of slip rates to be 0.22 ±
0.03 mm a–1 on the Jiayuguan fault during the
past ~107 ka., and 0.11 ± 0.03 mm a–1 on
351
Geosphere, April 2013
98.20
98.71
Jiyuguan fault
Hei Shan fault
40.03
39.83
39.98
39.98
39.87
0.20–0.35
0.22 ± 0.03
0.11 ± 0.03
0.24
0.18
0.35
0.45–0.50
0.4–1.0
0.55
Slip rate
(mm a–1)
0.25
1.06–1.87
0.26
0.18–0.66
0.43
0.09–0.42
0.03–0.04
Shortening rate
perpendicular to the Altyn
Tagh fault
(mm a–1)†
0.07
–3000
–2000
–1000
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
S
C-K
Carboniferous-Cretaceous
S
C-K
N
Q
E
E
N
S
Neogene
N
Q
Q
E
Quaternary
Q
Fold
Yumen Fault
Yumen Basin
C-K
Paleogene
Fold
Hanxia–Dahuanggou
Fault
0.90–1.43
0.24
0.16–0.57
0.40
0.03–0.14
0.02–0.03
Shortening rate
parallel to the Altyn
Tagh fault
(mm a–1)†
0.05
Be
Be
10
10
TL dating
TL dating
N
Age
(ka)
3.20 ± 0.25
T2a: 36–38
40–32
E
E
S
C-K
Zheng, 2009
This study
This study
Min et al., 2002
Min et al., 2002
Hetzel et al., 2002
Zheng, 2009
Zheng, 2009
Chen, 2003
Reference
Min et al., 2002
Inferred fault
5 km
Kuantan
Shan
Altyn Tagh Fault
N
7–10
24 ± 2.3
12.1 ± 1.5
1.3
2
T4: 18
Strike-slip fault
N
Xinminpu Fault
27.7 ± 1.5
107 ± 12
115.30 ± 21.63
5.43 ± 0.42
10.64 ± 0.83
T1: 38–43
T3: 16–21
Old fan: 57
170
T5: 4–5
110–120
T4: 3–4
T4: 8.08 ± 0.39
T6: 18–20
T5: 11.14 ± 1.46
T5: 14–17
T5: 16.32 ± 1.32
Offset
(m)#
0.8
T6: 54.86 ± 4.39
T2: 17.4 ± 1.4
T1: 7.29 ± 0.58
Thrust fault
C-K
OSL dating
10
Be and 26Al
OSL dating
OSL dating
TL dating
Method of
dating§
TL dating
Figure 8. Tectonic section across the Qilian Shan, Yumen Basin, and Kuantan Shan. Geological and fault data from EGPGY (1989), GBGMR
(1989), Yang et al. (2007), and Gao et al. (1995).
Silurian
S
Qilian Shan
Northern Qilian Shan Fault
*Approximate location of each study site is given based on references.
†
These data are estimated from references and this study.
§
TL—thermoluminescence; OSL—optically stimulated luminescence.
#T—terrace in the age and offset columns. The number of the lower right T is the order of terrace.
Total
98.57
97.66
Xinminpu fault
Jitanan Shan fault
97.91
Yinwashan fault
39.22
99.21
39.85
39.57
98.42
97.67
39.51
98.47
Yumen fault
North Qilianshan fault
Fault
Hanxia-Dahuangou fault
Elevation (m)
352
Location*
Longitude Latitude (°N)
(°E)
97.96
39.68
TABLE 3. COMPILATION OF SLIP RATE DETERMINATIONS FOR THRUST FAULTS IN THE WESTERN HEXI CORRIDOR BASIN (JIUQUAN BASIN AND YUMEN BASIN) AND ITS ADJACENT REGIONS
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
Zheng et al.
Downloaded from geosphere.gsapubs.org on March 30, 2013
Late Quaternary slip rates of the thrust faults in western Hexi Corridor (Northern Qilian Shan, China)
the Jintanan Shan fault over the past ~115 ka.
These rates are consistent with low rates determined for similar thrust faults at the front of the
western Qilian Shan and in the west end of
the Hexi Corridor (Hetzel et al., 2002; Min
et al., 2002; Zheng, 2009; Zheng et al., 2013).
All of these suggest that NNE-SSW shortening across the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is
distributed on several active faults, each with a
thrust rate of ≤1 mm a–1.
GPS data and a balanced cross section across
the western part of the Qilian Shan and Hexi
Corridor reveal a shortening rate of ≤10 mm a–1
(Metivier et al., 1998; Meyer et al., 1998; Yuan,
2003; Zhang et al., 2004; Zheng et al., 2013),
which must be accommodated by slip on several
active faults. We think that the decreasing slip
rate on the eastern end of the Altyn Tagh fault
and the low slip rates of these thrust faults are
related. The total shortening rate of 0.90–1.43
mm a–1 in the direction parallel to the Altyn Tagh
fault in the Yumen Basin implies that the Altyn
Tagh fault dies out in the Yumen Basin, and the
left-lateral strike slip on it is indeed absorbed
by deformation within the Yumen Basin. We
infer that the Tibetan Plateau continues to grow
northeastward through the low-rate thrusting
faulting and fold deformation above thrust faults
in the Hexi Corridor.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported jointly by the National
Science Foundation of China (41172194, 41030317),
Fundamental Research Funds in the Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration (IGCEA1014,
IGCEA1220), Public Service Funds for Earthquake
Studies (201008003), and the National Science
Foundation of the USA through grant number EAR
0507730. We appreciate help from Dylan Ward and
Robert Anderson at the University of Colorado in
processing the Be and Al samples, and Susan Ma for
Be and Al measurements at PRIME lab. We also thank
Wang Xulong for help with OSL sample dating in the
OSL dating laboratory of the State Key Laboratory
of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth
Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dennis
Harry, An Yin, and an anonymous reviewer offered
constructive criticism of the manuscript.
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