Low‐Temperature Thermochronology of the Chatkal‐Kurama Terrane (Uzbekistan‐Tajikistan): Insights Into the Meso‐Cenozoic Thermal History of the Western Tian Shan

A new thermochronological study of the Chatkal-Kurama terrane in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan reveals distinct Meso-Cenozoic thermal histories on either side of the Talas-Fergana Fault. The research, combining zircon [U-Th-Sm]/He, apatite fission track, and apatite [U-Th-Sm]/He data from 30 igneous samples, shows that the terrane experienced rapid Triassic-Jurassic cooling linked to Palaeo-Asian Ocean closure or Qiangtang accretion. Unlike the Kyrgyz central Tian Shan to the east, which showed continuous fast cooling, the Chatkal-Kurama region exhibited Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous tectonic stability and marine incursions from the Paratethys Sea, suggesting a topographic divide induced by the fault. Renewed Cenozoic tectonic activity, tied to India-Eurasia collision and Pamir indentation, led to crustal tilting, exposing deeper rocks to the southwest.

Jepson, G., Glorie, S., Konopelko, D., Gillespie, J., Danišík, M., Mirkamalov, R., Mamadjanov, Y., & Collins, A. S. (2018). Low‐Temperature Thermochronology of the Chatkal‐Kurama Terrane (Uzbekistan‐Tajikistan): Insights Into the Meso‐Cenozoic Thermal History of the Western Tian Shan. Tectonics, 37(10), 3954–3969. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017tc004878