Abstract
By observing, measuring the fluvial sediment grain size of mid-western segment of the Qilianshan Range and studying the correlation between the grain size and uplift of the plateau, we model the correlation. These models are applied to the Laojunmiao section and the process curve of the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau against age from 8.35 Ma is illustrated here. The process curve shows that the northern Tibetan Plateau surface has uplifted from the mean altitude of 900–3700 m since 8.35 MaBP. From 8.35 to 3.1 MaBP, the Tibetan Plateau uplifted slowly, uplifted amplitude is small, the total range is 420 m. From 3.1 MaBP up to now, the Tibetan Plateau uplifted tempestuously, showing that the uplift accelerated obviously later. It uplifted totally 2400 m. About 0.9 Ma ago, the northern Tibetan Plateau surface had uplifted to over 3000 m a.s.l., showing that the Tibetan Plateau surface had reached the cryosphere; and the mountain peaks had uplifted to more than 4000 m altitude, suggesting that there was a glacier developed on the mountains.
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Fu, K., Gao, J., Fang, X. et al. Relationship model of sediment grain size and Tibetan Plateau uplift in middle-west parts of Qilian Mountain. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 44 (Suppl 1), 210–217 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02911989
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02911989