Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)

Abstract Many lake basins on the Tibetan Plateau are affected by tectonic activity. It is therefore important to consider seismotectonic influence on lake evolution when discussing climate impact on hydrology and sediment budgets. Lake Donggi Cona serves as an example to demonstrate the influence of...

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Main Authors: Dada Yan, Bernd Wünnemann, Yongzhan Zhang, Kai Hartmann, Bernhard Diekmann, Nils Andersen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-10-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094571
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author Dada Yan
Bernd Wünnemann
Yongzhan Zhang
Kai Hartmann
Bernhard Diekmann
Nils Andersen
author_facet Dada Yan
Bernd Wünnemann
Yongzhan Zhang
Kai Hartmann
Bernhard Diekmann
Nils Andersen
author_sort Dada Yan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Many lake basins on the Tibetan Plateau are affected by tectonic activity. It is therefore important to consider seismotectonic influence on lake evolution when discussing climate impact on hydrology and sediment budgets. Lake Donggi Cona serves as an example to demonstrate the influence of the Kunlun left‐lateral strike‐slip fault on lake formation with subsidence in the pull‐apart basin. The results show that comparable fluvial sandy sediments generated at low lake levels during the Late Glacial and early Holocene occur at different water depths within a double lake‐internal pull‐apart structure, suggesting mean subsidence rates of 2.6–4.3 mm/a since 13.5 cal. ka BP. Such pulses prevailed throughout the Holocene, pointing to repeated seismic events and ongoing neotectonic activity. Sediment distribution and changing morphological shape by subsidence are important factors that affected other lakes on the Tibetan Plateau and enable us to distinguish between neotectonic and paleoclimatic impacts.
format Article
id doaj-art-9aa367ed31eb41e9b139907069882fef
institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2021-10-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-9aa367ed31eb41e9b139907069882fef2025-08-20T02:09:35ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-10-014820n/an/a10.1029/2021GL094571Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)Dada Yan0Bernd Wünnemann1Yongzhan Zhang2Kai Hartmann3Bernhard Diekmann4Nils Andersen5Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu ChinaFaculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering Southwest Jiaotong University Chengdu ChinaSchool of Geography and Ocean Science Nanjing University Nanjing ChinaInstitute of Geographical Science Freie Universität Berlin Berlin GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam GermanyLeibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Stable Isotope Research Christian Albrechts Universität zu Kiel Kiel GermanyAbstract Many lake basins on the Tibetan Plateau are affected by tectonic activity. It is therefore important to consider seismotectonic influence on lake evolution when discussing climate impact on hydrology and sediment budgets. Lake Donggi Cona serves as an example to demonstrate the influence of the Kunlun left‐lateral strike‐slip fault on lake formation with subsidence in the pull‐apart basin. The results show that comparable fluvial sandy sediments generated at low lake levels during the Late Glacial and early Holocene occur at different water depths within a double lake‐internal pull‐apart structure, suggesting mean subsidence rates of 2.6–4.3 mm/a since 13.5 cal. ka BP. Such pulses prevailed throughout the Holocene, pointing to repeated seismic events and ongoing neotectonic activity. Sediment distribution and changing morphological shape by subsidence are important factors that affected other lakes on the Tibetan Plateau and enable us to distinguish between neotectonic and paleoclimatic impacts.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094571pull‐apart basinsubsidenceTibetan Plateaulake sedimentsHolocene
spellingShingle Dada Yan
Bernd Wünnemann
Yongzhan Zhang
Kai Hartmann
Bernhard Diekmann
Nils Andersen
Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)
Geophysical Research Letters
pull‐apart basin
subsidence
Tibetan Plateau
lake sediments
Holocene
title Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)
title_full Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)
title_fullStr Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)
title_full_unstemmed Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)
title_short Neotectonic Subsidence Along the Cenozoic Kunlun Fault (Tibetan Plateau)
title_sort neotectonic subsidence along the cenozoic kunlun fault tibetan plateau
topic pull‐apart basin
subsidence
Tibetan Plateau
lake sediments
Holocene
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094571
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AT berndwunnemann neotectonicsubsidencealongthecenozoickunlunfaulttibetanplateau
AT yongzhanzhang neotectonicsubsidencealongthecenozoickunlunfaulttibetanplateau
AT kaihartmann neotectonicsubsidencealongthecenozoickunlunfaulttibetanplateau
AT bernharddiekmann neotectonicsubsidencealongthecenozoickunlunfaulttibetanplateau
AT nilsandersen neotectonicsubsidencealongthecenozoickunlunfaulttibetanplateau