Magnetostratigraphy of the Yaha section, Tarim Basin (China) : 11 Ma acceleration in erosion and uplift of the Tian Shan mountains.

Julien Charreau (1) , Stuart A. Gilder (2) , Yan Chen (1) , Stéphane Dominguez (3) , Jean-Philippe Avouac (4) , Sevket Sen (5) , Marc Jolivet (3) , Yongan Li (6) , Weiming Wang (7)

1 ISTO - Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans
2 IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
3 LDL - Laboratoire Dynamique de la Lithosphère
4 Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences [Pasadena]
5 Paléobiodiversité et paléoenvironnements
6 INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES - Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources
7 NANJING INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND PALAEONTOLOGY - Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology

We report a magnetostratigraphic and rock magnetic study of the Yaha section, located on the southern flank of the central Tian Shan mountains, Asia. Our results show a two-fold increase in sedimentation rate as well as marked changes in rock magnetic characteristics ca. 11 Ma. After 11 Ma, sedimentation rate remained remarkably constant until at least 5.2 Ma. These findings are consistent with sedimentary records from other sections surrounding the Tian Shan. We conclude that uplift and erosion of the Tian Shan accelerated ca. 11 Ma, long after the onset of the collision between India and Asia, and that the range rapidly evolved toward a steady-state geometry via a balance between tectonic and erosion processes.

Keywords: Tarim; Tian Shan; uplift; erosion; magnetostratigraphy; Tarim.

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Earth Sciences; Tectonics

Julien Charreau, Stuart A. Gilder, Yan Chen, Stéphane Dominguez, Jean-Philippe Avouac, et al.. Magnetostratigraphy of the Yaha section, Tarim Basin (China) : 11 Ma acceleration in erosion and uplift of the Tian Shan mountains.. Geology, 2006, 34 (3), pp.181-184 ⟨10.1130/G22106.1⟩. ⟨hal-00022874⟩