TY - JOUR A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume A1 - Lippert, Peter C. A1 - van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J. A1 - Dekkers, Mark J. A1 - Waldrip, Ross A1 - Ganerod, Morgan A1 - Li, Xiaochun A1 - Guo, Zhaojie A1 - Kapp, Paul T1 - What was the Paleogene latitude of the Lhasa terrane? A reassessment of the geochronology and paleomagnetism of Linzizong volcanic rocks (Linzhou basin, Tibet) JF - Tectonics N2 - The Paleogene latitude of the Lhasa terrane (southern Tibet) can constrain the age of the onset of the India-Asia collision. Estimates for this latitude, however, vary from 5 degrees N to 30 degrees N, and thus, here, we reassess the geochronology and paleomagnetism of Paleogene volcanic rocks from the Linzizong Group in the Linzhou basin. The lower and upper parts of the section previously yielded particularly conflicting ages and paleolatitudes. We report consistent Ar-40/Ar-39 and U-Pb zircon dates of similar to 52Ma for the upper Linzizong, and Ar-40/Ar-39 dates (similar to 51Ma) from the lower Linzizong are significantly younger than U-Pb zircon dates (64-63Ma), suggesting that the lower Linzizong was thermally and/or chemically reset. Paleomagnetic results from 24 sites in lower Linzizong confirm a low apparent paleolatitude of similar to 5 degrees N, compared to the upper part (similar to 20 degrees N) and to underlying Cretaceous strata (similar to 20 degrees N). Detailed rock magnetic analyses, end-member modeling of magnetic components, and petrography from the lower and upper Linzizong indicate widespread secondary hematite in the lower Linzizong, whereas hematite is rare in upper Linzizong. Volcanic rocks of the lower Linzizong have been hydrothermally chemically remagnetized, whereas the upper Linzizong retains a primary remanence. We suggest that remagnetization was induced by acquisition of chemical and thermoviscous remanent magnetizations such that the shallow inclinations are an artifact of a tilt correction applied to a secondary remanence in lower Linzizong. We estimate that the Paleogene latitude of Lhasa terrane was 204 degrees N, consistent with previous results suggesting that India-Asia collision likely took place by similar to 52Ma at similar to 20 degrees N. KW - remagnetization KW - rock magnetism KW - geochronology KW - India-Asia collision Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2014TC003787 SN - 0278-7407 SN - 1944-9194 VL - 34 IS - 3 SP - 594 EP - 622 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J. A1 - Lippert, Peter C. A1 - Guo, Zhaojie A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume T1 - Paleomagnetic tests of tectonic reconstructions of the India-Asia collision zone JF - Geophysical research letters N2 - Several solutions have been proposed to explain the long-standing kinematic observation that postcollisional upper crustal shortening within the Himalaya and Asia is much less than the magnitude of India-Asia convergence. Here we implement these hypotheses in global plate reconstructions and test paleolatitudes predicted by the global apparent polar wander path against independent, and the most robust paleomagnetic data. Our tests demonstrate that (1) reconstructed 600-750km postcollisional intra-Asian shortening is a minimum value; (2) a 52Ma collision age is only consistent with paleomagnetic data if intra-Asian shortening was 900km; a 56-58Ma collision age requires greater intra-Asian shortening; (3) collision ages of 34 or 65Ma incorrectly predict Late Cretaceous and Paleogene paleolatitudes of the Tibetan Himalaya (TH); and (4) Cretaceous counterclockwise rotation of India cannot explain the paleolatitudinal divergence between the TH and India. All hypotheses, regardless of collision age, require major Cretaceous extension within Greater India. KW - India-Asia collision KW - tectonic reconstruction KW - paleomagnetism Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL063749 SN - 0094-8276 SN - 1944-8007 VL - 42 IS - 8 SP - 2642 EP - 2649 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J. A1 - Dekkers, Mark J. A1 - Garzanti, Eduardo A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume A1 - Lippert, Peter C. A1 - Li, Xiaochun A1 - Maffione, Marco A1 - Langereis, Cor G. A1 - Hu, Xiumian A1 - Guo, Zhaojie A1 - Kapp, Paul T1 - Paleolatitudes of the Tibetan Himalaya from primary and secondary magnetizations of Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks JF - Geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems N2 - The Tibetan Himalaya represents the northernmost continental unit of the Indian plate that collided with Asia in the Cenozoic. Paleomagnetic studies on the Tibetan Himalaya can help constrain the dimension and paleogeography of "Greater India,' the Indian plate lithosphere that subducted and underthrusted below Asia after initial collision. Here we present a paleomagnetic investigation of a Jurassic (limestones) and Lower Cretaceous (volcaniclastic sandstones) section of the Tibetan Himalaya. The limestones yielded positive fold test, showing a prefolding origin of the isolated remanent magnetizations. Detailed paleomagnetic analyses, rock magnetic tests, end-member modeling of acquisition curves of isothermal remanent magnetization, and petrographic investigation reveal that the magnetic carrier of the Jurassic limestones is authigenic magnetite, whereas the dominant magnetic carrier of the Lower Cretaceous volcaniclastic sandstones is detrital magnetite. Our observations lead us to conclude that the Jurassic limestones record a prefolding remagnetization, whereas the Lower Cretaceous volcaniclastic sandstones retain a primary remanence. The volcaniclastic sandstones yield an Early Cretaceous paleolatitude of 55.5 degrees S [52.5 degrees S, 58.6 degrees S] for the Tibetan Himalaya, suggesting it was part of the Indian continent at that time. The size of "Greater India' during Jurassic time cannot be estimated from these limestones. Instead, a paleolatitude of the Tibetan Himalaya of 23.8 degrees S [21.8 degrees S, 26.1 degrees S] during the remagnetization process is suggested. It is likely that the remagnetization, caused by the oxidation of early diagenetic pyrite to magnetite, was induced during 103-83 or 77-67 Ma. The inferred paleolatitudes at these two time intervals imply very different tectonic consequences for the Tibetan Himalaya. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GC005624 SN - 1525-2027 VL - 16 IS - 1 SP - 77 EP - 100 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J. A1 - Maffione, Marco A1 - Orme, Devon A. A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume A1 - Guilmette, Carl A1 - Ding, Lin A1 - Guo, Zhaojie A1 - Kapp, Paul T1 - Lower Cretaceous Xigaze ophiolites formed in the Gangdese forearc: Evidence from paleomagnetism, sediment provenance, and stratigraphy JF - Earth & planetary science letters N2 - The India-Asia suture zone of southern Tibet exposes Lower Cretaceous Xigaze ophiolites and radiolarian cherts, and time-equivalent Asian-derived clastic forearc sedimentary rocks (Xigaze Group). These ophiolites have been interpreted to have formed in the forearc of the north-dipping subduction zone below Tibet that produced the Gangdese magmatic arc around 15-20 degrees N, or in the forearc of a subequatorial intra-oceanic subduction zone. To better constrain the latitude of the ophiolites, we carried out an integrated paleomagnetic, geochronologic and stratigraphical study on epi-ophiolitic radiolarites (Chongdui and Bainang sections), and Xigaze Group turbiditic sandstones unconformably overlying the ophiolite's mantle units (Sangsang section). Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of tuffaceous layers from the Chongdui section and sandstones of the Xigaze Group at the Sangsang section provides maximum depositional ages of 116.5 +/- 3.1 Ma and 128.8 +/- 3.4 Ma, respectively, for the Chongdui section and an Asian provenance signature for the Xigaze Group. Paleomagnetic analyses, integrated with rock magnetic experiments, indicate significant compaction-related inclination 'shallowing' of the remanence within the studied rocks. Two independent methods are applied for the inclination shallowing correction of the paleomagnetic directions from the Sangsang section, yielding consistent mean paleolatitudes of 16.2 degrees N 113 degrees N, 20.9 degrees N] and 16.8 degrees N [11.1 degrees N, 23.3 degrees N], respectively. These results are indistinguishable from recent paleolatitude estimates for the Gangdese arc in southern Tibet. Radiolarites from the Chongdui and Bainang sections yield low paleomagnetic inclinations that would suggest a sub-equatorial paleolatitude, but the distribution of the paleomagnetic directions in these rocks strongly suggests a low inclination bias by compaction. Our data indicate that spreading of the Xigaze ophiolite occurred in the Gangdese forearc, and formed the basement of the forearc strata. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Xigaze ophiolite KW - sedimentary contact KW - paleomagnetism and rock magnetism KW - inclination shallowing Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.01.032 SN - 0012-821X SN - 1385-013X VL - 415 SP - 142 EP - 153 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Yang A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - Zhang, Yuanyuan A1 - Poujol, Marc A1 - Guillot, Stephane A1 - Roperch, Pierrick A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume A1 - Guo, Zhaojie T1 - Detrital zircon provenance comparison between the Paleocene-Eocene Nangqian-Xialaxiu and Gongjue basins: New insights for Cenozoic paleogeographic evolution of the eastern Tibetan Plateau JF - Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences N2 - Paleogeographic reconstructions of terranes can greatly benefit from the provenance analysis of sediments. A series of Cenozoic basins provide key sedimentary archives for investigating the growth of the Tibetan Plateau, yet the provenance of the sediments in these basins has never been constrained robustly. Here we report sedimentary petrological and detrital zircon geochronological data from the Paleocene-Eocene Nangqian-Xialaxiu and Gongjue basins. Sandstone detrital modes and zircon morphology suggest that the samples collected in these two basins were sourced from recycled orogen. Detrital zircon geochronology indicates that sediments in the Nangqian-Xialaxiu Basin are characterized by two distinct age populations at 220-280 Ma and 405-445 Ma. In contrast, three predominant age populations of 207-256 Ma, 423-445 Ma, and 1851-1868 Ma, and two subordinate age populations of similar to 50 Ma and similar to 2500 Ma, are recognized in the Gongjue Basin. Comparison with detrital zircon ages from the surrounding terranes suggests that sediments in the Nangqian-Xialaxiu Basin come from the neighboring thrust belts, whereas sediments from the Gongjue Basin are predominantly derived from the distant Songpan-Ganzi Terrane with minor contribution from the surrounding areas. A three-stage Cenozoic evolution of the eastern Tibetan Plateau is proposed. During the Paleocene, the Nangqian-Xialaxiu Basin appeared as a set of small intermontane sub-basins and received plentiful sediments from the neighboring mountain belts; during the Eocene, the Gongjue Basin kept a relatively low altitude and was a depression at the edge of a proto-Plateau; since the Oligocene, the Tibetan Plateau further uplifted and the marginal Gongjue Basin was involved in the Tibetan interior orogeny, indicating the eastward propagation of the Tibetan Plateau. KW - U-Pb geochronology KW - Sandstone detrital modes KW - Cenozoic basins KW - Tectonic reconstruction KW - Eastern Tibetan Plateau Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109241 SN - 0031-0182 SN - 1872-616X VL - 533 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - Jackson, Michael J. A1 - Dekkers, Mark J. A1 - Zhang, Yang A1 - Zhang, Bo A1 - Guo, Zhaojie A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume T1 - Challenges in isolating primary remanent magnetization from Tethyan carbonate rocks on the Tibetan Plateau: Insight from remagnetized Upper Triassic limestones in the eastern Qiangtang block JF - Earth & planetary science letters N2 - Carbonate rocks, widely used for paleomagnetically quantifying the drift history of the Gondwana derived continental blocks of the Tibetan Plateau and evolution of the Paleo/Meso/Neo-Tethys Oceans, are prone to pervasive remagnetization. Identifying remagnetization is difficult because it is commonly undetectable through the classic paleomagnetic field tests. Here we apply comprehensive paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, and petrographic studies to upper Triassic limestones in the eastern Qiangtang block. Our results reveal that detrital/biogenic magnetite, which may carry the primary natural remanent magnetization (NRM), is rarely preserved in these rocks. In contrast, authigenic magnetite and hematite pseudomorphs after pyrite, and monoclinic pyrrhotite record three episodes of remagnetization. The earliest remagnetization was induced by oxidation of early diagenetic pyrite to magnetite, probably related to the collision between the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and the Qiangtang block after closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the Late Triassic. The second remagnetization, residing in hematite and minor goethite, which is the further subsurface oxidation product of pyrite/magnetite, is possibly related to the development of the localized Cenozoic basins soon after India-Asia collision in the Paleocene. The youngest remagnetization is a combination of thermoviscous and chemical remanent magnetization carried by authigenic magnetite and pyrrhotite, respectively. Our analyses suggest that a high supply of organic carbon during carbonate deposition, prevailing sulfate reducing conditions during early diagenesis, and widespread orogenic fluid migration related to crustal shortening during later diagenesis, have altered the primary remanence of the shallow-water Tethyan carbonate rocks of the Tibetan Plateau. We emphasize that all paleomagnetic results from these rocks must be carefully examined for remagnetization before being used for paleogeographic reconstructions. Future paleomagnetic investigations of the carbonate rocks in orogenic belts should be accompanied by thorough rock magnetic and petrographic studies to determine the origin of the NRM. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Triassic limestone KW - remagnetization KW - Tibetan Plateau Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.06.035 SN - 0012-821X SN - 1385-013X VL - 523 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume A1 - Lippert, Peter C. A1 - van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J. A1 - Dekkers, Mark J. A1 - Guo, Zhaojie A1 - Waldrip, Ross A1 - Li, Xiaochun A1 - Zhang, Xiaoran A1 - Liu, Dongdong A1 - Kapp, Paul T1 - Can a primary remanence be retrieved from partially remagnetized Eocence volcanic rocks in the Nanmulin Basin (southern Tibet) to date the India-Asia collision? JF - Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth N2 - Paleomagnetic dating of the India-Asia collision hinges on determining the Paleogene latitude of the Lhasa terrane (southern Tibet). Reported latitudes range from 5 degrees N to 30 degrees N, however, leading to contrasting paleogeographic interpretations. Here we report new data from the Eocene Linzizong volcanic rocks in the Nanmulin Basin, which previously yielded data suggesting a low paleolatitude (similar to 10 degrees N). New zircon U-Pb dates indicate an age of similar to 52Ma. Negative fold tests, however, demonstrate that the isolated characteristic remanent magnetizations, with notably varying inclinations, are not primary. Rock magnetic analyses, end-member modeling of isothermal remanent magnetization acquisition curves, and petrographic observations are consistent with variable degrees of posttilting remagnetization due to low-temperature alteration of primary magmatic titanomagnetite and the formation of secondary pigmentary hematite that unblock simultaneously. Previously reported paleomagnetic data from the Nanmulin Basin implying low paleolatitude should thus not be used to estimate the time and latitude of the India-Asia collision. We show that the paleomagnetic inclinations vary linearly with the contribution of secondary hematite to saturation isothermal remanent magnetization. We tentatively propose a new method to recover a primary remanence with inclination of 38.1 degrees (35.7 degrees, 40.5 degrees) (95% significance) and a secondary remanence with inclination of 42.9 degrees (41.5 degrees,44.4 degrees) (95% significance). The paleolatitude defined by the modeled primary remanence21 degrees N (19.8 degrees N, 23.1 degrees N)is consistent with the regional compilation of published results from pristine volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks of the upper Linzizong Group corrected for inclination shallowing. The start of the Tibetan Himalaya-Asia collision was situated at similar to 20 degrees N and took place by similar to 50Ma. KW - remagnetization KW - paleomagnetism applied to tectonics KW - rock and mineral magnetism KW - India-Asia collision Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011599 SN - 2169-9313 SN - 2169-9356 VL - 120 IS - 1 SP - 42 EP - 66 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Yang A1 - Huang, Wentao A1 - Huang, Baochun A1 - van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J. A1 - Yang, Tao A1 - Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume A1 - Guo, Zhaojie T1 - 53-43Ma Deformation of Eastern Tibet Revealed by Three Stages of Tectonic Rotation in the Gongjue Basin JF - Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth N2 - The Gongjue basin from the eastern Qiangtang terrane is located in the transition region where the regional structural lineation curves from east-west-oriented in Tibet to north-south-oriented in Yunnan. In this study, we sampled the red beds in the basin from the lower Gongjue to upper Ranmugou formations for the first time covering the entire stratigraphic profile. The stratigraphic ages are bracketed within 53-43Ma by new detrital zircon U-Pb ages constraining the maximum deposition age to 52.51.5Ma. Rock magnetic and petrographic studies indicate that detrital magnetite and hematite are the magnetic carriers. Positive reversals and fold tests demonstrate that the characteristic remanent magnetization has a primary origin. The Gongjue and Ranmugou formations yield mean characteristic remanent magnetization directions of D-s/I-s=31.0 degrees/21.3 degrees and D-s/I-s=15.9 degrees/22.0 degrees, respectively. The magnetic inclination of these characteristic remanent magnetizations is significantly shallowed compared to the expected inclination for the locality. However, the elongation/inclination correction method does not provide a meaningful correction, likely because of syn-depositional rotation. Rotations relative to the Eurasian apparent polar wander path occurred in three stages: Stage I, 33.33.4 degrees clockwise rotation during the deposition of the Gongjue and lower Ranmugou formations; Stage II, 26.93.7 degrees counterclockwise rotation during deposition of the lower and middle Ranmugou formation; and Stage III, 17.73.3 degrees clockwise rotation after 43Ma. The complex rotation history recorded in the basin is possibly linked to sinistral shear along the Qiangtang block during India indentation into Asia and the early stage of the extrusion of the northwestern Indochina blocks away from eastern Tibet. KW - eastern Qiangtang terrane KW - Gongjue basin KW - paleomagnetism KW - inclination shallowing KW - rotation Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2018JB015443 SN - 2169-9313 SN - 2169-9356 VL - 123 IS - 5 SP - 3320 EP - 3338 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER -