TY - JOUR
T1 - Mesozoic Tectonic Evolution in the Kurgovat-Vanch Complex, NW Pamir
AU - Li, Yipeng
AU - Robinson, Alexander C.
AU - Zucali, Michele
AU - Gadoev, Mustafo
AU - Oimuhammadzoda, Ilhomjon
AU - Lapen, Thomas J.
AU - Carrapa, Barbara
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) grant EAR‐1450899. Drs. Laura Webb and Dan Jones at the University of Vermont are thanked for Ar/Ar analysis. Dr. Gelu Costin at Rice University is thanked for his assistance on Electron Microprobe analyses. Drs. Minako Righter and Yongjun Gao at the University of Houston are thanked for their assistance on LA‐ICP‐MS and Fusion‐ICP‐OES analyses. Drs. Lori Hathon and Zhengfan Liu at the Department of Petroleum Engineering, the University of Houston, are thanked for kindly providing an opportunity for Raman spectrum analysis. Dr. Laurent Jolivet is thanked for his editorial handling. Dr. Edward Sobel, Dr. Mike Searle, and an anonymous reviewer are thanked for their constructive and insightful reviews, which significantly improve the quality of this manuscript. The first author thanks Dr. Suoya Fan for the discussion on structural deformation interpretation. The first author thanks another two members of the dissertation committee, Dr. Michael Murphy at the University of Houston and Dr. Bradley Hacker at UCSB, for their discussions and comments on this work. 40 39
Funding Information:
This work was funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) grant EAR-1450899. Drs. Laura Webb and Dan Jones at the University of Vermont are thanked for 40Ar/39Ar analysis. Dr. Gelu Costin at Rice University is thanked for his assistance on Electron Microprobe analyses. Drs. Minako Righter and Yongjun Gao at the University of Houston are thanked for their assistance on LA-ICP-MS and Fusion-ICP-OES analyses. Drs. Lori Hathon and Zhengfan Liu at the Department of Petroleum Engineering, the University of Houston, are thanked for kindly providing an opportunity for Raman spectrum analysis. Dr. Laurent Jolivet is thanked for his editorial handling. Dr. Edward Sobel, Dr. Mike Searle, and an anonymous reviewer are thanked for their constructive and insightful reviews, which significantly improve the quality of this manuscript. The first author thanks Dr. Suoya Fan for the discussion on structural deformation interpretation. The first author thanks another two members of the dissertation committee, Dr. Michael Murphy at the University of Houston and Dr. Bradley Hacker at UCSB, for their discussions and comments on this work.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Different crustal deformation histories between Tibet and the Pamir reflect along-strike variations in geodynamics of the Tethys orogen. To investigate the less well-documented deformation history of the Pamir, which has been a barrier in understanding the nature of these differences, we conducted an integrated study in the Kurgovat-Vanch region, NW Pamir. The lithologies are primarily Ediacaran-to-Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks intruded by Carboniferous plutons, which then experienced Late Triassic to Early Jurassic regional metamorphism. Structural mapping and analyses document a low-angle NW-directed thrust fault, the Poshkharv thrust, separating the overlying upper-greenschist facies Poshkharv complex from the underlying amphibolite facies Kurgovat complex. Regional geologic maps indicate the Poshkharv thrust continues for ∼300 km across the NW Pamir. Our study also documents another regional thrust fault, the top-to-the-SE Vanch thrust that juxtaposes the Southern Kurgovat complex above the lower-grade Vanch complex in the south. Biotite 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology indicates Early Cretaceous movement on all structures with ∼135–125 Ma exhumation along the NW-directed Poshkharv thrust and ∼125–115 Ma exhumation along the SE-directed Vanch thrust. Regional crustal deformation in the Northern Pamir was formed in a Cretaceous retro-arc setting, unrelated to the Cenozoic India-Asia collision. Cretaceous deformation in the NW Pamir was broadly coeval with the NE Pamir, but preceded Cretaceous shortening and coeval arc magmatism in the Southern Pamir. We interpret Early Cretaceous thrusting and crustal thickening followed by southward migration of shortening and magmatic flare-up in the Pamir to have resulted from a transition of Neotethys subduction from northward flat-slab advancing to southward retreating.
AB - Different crustal deformation histories between Tibet and the Pamir reflect along-strike variations in geodynamics of the Tethys orogen. To investigate the less well-documented deformation history of the Pamir, which has been a barrier in understanding the nature of these differences, we conducted an integrated study in the Kurgovat-Vanch region, NW Pamir. The lithologies are primarily Ediacaran-to-Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks intruded by Carboniferous plutons, which then experienced Late Triassic to Early Jurassic regional metamorphism. Structural mapping and analyses document a low-angle NW-directed thrust fault, the Poshkharv thrust, separating the overlying upper-greenschist facies Poshkharv complex from the underlying amphibolite facies Kurgovat complex. Regional geologic maps indicate the Poshkharv thrust continues for ∼300 km across the NW Pamir. Our study also documents another regional thrust fault, the top-to-the-SE Vanch thrust that juxtaposes the Southern Kurgovat complex above the lower-grade Vanch complex in the south. Biotite 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology indicates Early Cretaceous movement on all structures with ∼135–125 Ma exhumation along the NW-directed Poshkharv thrust and ∼125–115 Ma exhumation along the SE-directed Vanch thrust. Regional crustal deformation in the Northern Pamir was formed in a Cretaceous retro-arc setting, unrelated to the Cenozoic India-Asia collision. Cretaceous deformation in the NW Pamir was broadly coeval with the NE Pamir, but preceded Cretaceous shortening and coeval arc magmatism in the Southern Pamir. We interpret Early Cretaceous thrusting and crustal thickening followed by southward migration of shortening and magmatic flare-up in the Pamir to have resulted from a transition of Neotethys subduction from northward flat-slab advancing to southward retreating.
KW - Barrovian metamorphic terrane
KW - biotite Ar/Ar dating
KW - Cordilleran margin
KW - Cretaceous shortening
KW - Pamir
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141692651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85141692651&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/2021TC007180
DO - 10.1029/2021TC007180
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85141692651
SN - 0278-7407
VL - 41
JO - Tectonics
JF - Tectonics
IS - 10
M1 - e2021TC007180
ER -