Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses

Abstract The Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision closed the Meso‐Tethys Ocean, but the exact timing of this event remains hotly debated. Here, we present geochronological and paleomagnetic analyses conducted on Cretaceous volcanics from western Qiangtang to constrain the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western T...

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Main Authors: Peiping Song, Lin Ding, Jinxiang Li, Yahui Yue, Jing Xie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110264
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author Peiping Song
Lin Ding
Jinxiang Li
Yahui Yue
Jing Xie
author_facet Peiping Song
Lin Ding
Jinxiang Li
Yahui Yue
Jing Xie
author_sort Peiping Song
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision closed the Meso‐Tethys Ocean, but the exact timing of this event remains hotly debated. Here, we present geochronological and paleomagnetic analyses conducted on Cretaceous volcanics from western Qiangtang to constrain the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet. Our investigations yield a paleolatitude of ∼30.5 ± 5.0°N for western Qiangtang during ca. 110–100 Ma. A reanalysis of previously acquired Mesozoic‐Cenozoic paleomagnetic data from western Qiangtang suggests a stationary position during ca. 136–34 Ma. Examination of paleomagnetic data from western Lhasa reveals a significant reduction in northward paleolatitudinal motion during the Early Cretaceous, dropping from ∼12.3 cm/yr to nearly zero. Integration of our paleomagnetic findings with available geological records has led to conclude that the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet occurred at ca. 132 Ma. Additionally, we infer that crustal shortening on the order of ∼1,000 km happened between Lhasa and Qiangtang during the Early Cenozoic.
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spelling doaj-art-bacda18238f1418e910183a12490a3d72025-08-20T01:51:57ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-07-015114n/an/a10.1029/2024GL110264Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic AnalysesPeiping Song0Lin Ding1Jinxiang Li2Yahui Yue3Jing Xie4State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Environment and Resources (TPESER) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Environment and Resources (TPESER) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Environment and Resources (TPESER) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Environment and Resources (TPESER) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Environment and Resources (TPESER) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaAbstract The Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision closed the Meso‐Tethys Ocean, but the exact timing of this event remains hotly debated. Here, we present geochronological and paleomagnetic analyses conducted on Cretaceous volcanics from western Qiangtang to constrain the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet. Our investigations yield a paleolatitude of ∼30.5 ± 5.0°N for western Qiangtang during ca. 110–100 Ma. A reanalysis of previously acquired Mesozoic‐Cenozoic paleomagnetic data from western Qiangtang suggests a stationary position during ca. 136–34 Ma. Examination of paleomagnetic data from western Lhasa reveals a significant reduction in northward paleolatitudinal motion during the Early Cretaceous, dropping from ∼12.3 cm/yr to nearly zero. Integration of our paleomagnetic findings with available geological records has led to conclude that the Lhasa‐Qiangtang collision in western Tibet occurred at ca. 132 Ma. Additionally, we infer that crustal shortening on the order of ∼1,000 km happened between Lhasa and Qiangtang during the Early Cenozoic.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110264
spellingShingle Peiping Song
Lin Ding
Jinxiang Li
Yahui Yue
Jing Xie
Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses
Geophysical Research Letters
title Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses
title_full Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses
title_fullStr Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses
title_full_unstemmed Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses
title_short Unraveling the Lhasa‐Qiangtang Collision in Western Tibet: Insights From Geochronological and Paleomagnetic Analyses
title_sort unraveling the lhasa qiangtang collision in western tibet insights from geochronological and paleomagnetic analyses
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110264
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AT jinxiangli unravelingthelhasaqiangtangcollisioninwesterntibetinsightsfromgeochronologicalandpaleomagneticanalyses
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