Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic basin evolution and topographic growth of the Hoh Xil Basin, central Tibetan Plateau

A study of the Hoh Xil Basin on the central Tibetan Plateau reveals significant topographic growth from the Late Cretaceous to the Cenozoic, driven by tectonic activity. The research demonstrates that the eastern and western parts of the basin evolved as a unified system during this period, with sediment accumulation providing evidence of regional tectonic shifts. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages indicate changes in sediment provenance, suggesting contractional deformation and flexural subsidence in the south-central Qiangtang terrane before the India-Asia collision. Post-collision, the basin transformed from a foreland to a hinterland, with upper-crustal shortening and mantle lithosphere loss contributing to its elevation. The study integrates lithostratigraphy, isotopic analysis, and deformation features to reconstruct the basin's dynamic history.

Li, L., Garzione, C. N., Pullen, A., Zhang, P., & Li, Y. (2017). Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic basin evolution and topographic growth of the Hoh Xil Basin, central Tibetan Plateau. GSA Bulletin, 130(3-4), 499–521. https://doi.org/10.1130/b31769.1