Paleo-uplift in Cratonic Basin: An Important Window to disclose the Intra-plate deformation

The cratonic basin is a relatively stable tectonic subsiding area, and composed of uplift and depression. As a positive tectonic unit, responding to the tectonic processes of the peripheral plates and the activation of the deep mantle, the uplift develops faulting, folding, and magma activity, and regional unconformities due to uplifting and exhumation. The uplift is thus a key window to disclose the intra-plate deformation. In the sedimentary basin, the uplift plays an important role in the differentiation of sedimentary facies belts, and its slopes are area for high-energy depositional zone, or karstification system when uplift. It is common the main sites for mineral deposit enrichment such as oil, gas, coal, salt, zinc, lead, and uranium. The uplift is hot area both for studying the intra-deformation and the deposit exploration.

The Tarim, Sichuan, and Ordos basins in the central and western China underwent the three extension and compression cycles such as the Middle and Late Proterozoic to Silurian, Devonian to Triassic, and Jurassic to Quaternary, corresponding to the evolution stages of the proto-Tethys (or Paleo-Asian), the paleo-Tethys (or Paleo-Pacific), and the Neo-Tethys (or the Pacific) Oceans respectively.

The cratonic blocks in the central and western China extended extensively during the Middle and Late Proterozoic, exhumed strongly of basement rocks, and formed the basement paleo-highs. It underwent large-scale tectonic processes during Caledonian Orogeny, and formed the detached thrust uplifts or the compressive forebulge uplifts. It developed thrust-and-folded paleo-highs in the basins during the Hercynian Orogeny corresponding to the close of the adjacent oceans. It resulted in the transpressive uplifts due to the relative slip or rotation of the continental blocks in Mesozoic controlled by the subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and the Pacific Ocean far away. During Cenozoic, the basin margins thrust extensively, and the basin interiors are folded on a crustal-scale or tilted owing to the collision between the India and the Eurasia plates and the ongoing uplifting of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and the spreading of its northern margin. The uplifts of the multi-periods, the different orientations, and the varied scales superimposed and gave complicated mosaic architecture.