Meso-cenozoic Tectonic Uplift and Evolution of Central and Western Ordos Basin

Through using the fission-track analysis and thermal evolution simulation, this paper discusses the Meso-cenozoic tectonic-dynamic thermal evolution of Central and Western Ordos Basin and its geological response. The AFT age of different tectonic units and the related strata in the studying area reveal that there may be two times uplift process occurred in the end of Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene (79~65Ma) and Eocene to Early Miocene (56~15Ma). The spatial distribution of AFT ages suggests that the uplift and cooling time in south is early than in north, and the overall uplift was occurred in later period. The thermal evolution simulation indicates that this studying area had wholly experienced rapid uplift in Late Cretaceous, and the low uplift was happened in Paleocene to Late Miocene, while the further rapid uplift was occurred after Late Miocene. The tectonic uplift of Late Cretaceous in this studying area may be related to the evolution of Qinling tectonic units. The tectonic uplift of Cenozoic is consistent with the evolution of rifting around this basin. The rapid uplift since late Miocene may be related to the remote effect of the Tibetan Plateau uplift.