PALEO-ELEVATION OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU INFERRED FROM CARBON AND OXYGEN ISOTOPES OF LACUSTRINE DEPOSITS

Abstract

Functional relationship exists among carbon and oxygen isotopes of lacustrine deposits, elevation and mean annual temperature in the Tibetan Plateau. Paleo-altimetry was established by statistical analyses on carbon and oxygen isotopes of 35 lacustrine samples from 14 outcrops at different elevations in the southern Tibetan Plateau. Such a paleo-altimetry was used for calculating paleo-annual temperature and paleo-elevation of the Tibetan Plateau based on carbon and oxygen isotopes of lacustrine sediments formed in the Oligocene. Early-Middle Miocene and Pliocene-Early Pleistocene. The results show that most areas of the Tibetan Plateau uplifted to ∼4000m, the Wudaoliang Basin and the southern part of Kunlun Mts. to ∼3500m and the Qaidam Basin to ∼2500m in the Early-Middle Miocene. These data are of significance for better understanding uplifting process and environment change of the Tibetan Plateau.