Revisiting the mechanisms of mid-Tertiary uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau

A new model proposes that small-scale mantle convection beneath northeast Tibet, impeded by thicker cratonic lithosphere, drove mid-Tertiary surface uplift and volcanism. Contrary to prior theories attributing uplift to crustal shortening, this study's comprehensive analysis of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and volcanism in the West Qinling, Hoh Xil, and Qaidam basins reveals synsedimentary normal faults indicating supracrustal stretching and widespread mid-Tertiary magmatism. The absence of volcanics in the Qaidam basin further supports this edge-driven convection mechanism, offering a unified explanation for key geological phenomena that previous models could not reconcile.

Wei, H.-H., Wu, G.-L., Ding, L., Fan, L.-G., Li, L., & Meng, Q.-R. (2023). Revisiting the mechanisms of mid-Tertiary uplift of the NE Tibetan Plateau. National Science Review, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwad008