COLLISIONAL STRUCTURES AND BASINAL DEFORMATION IN THE NORTH QAIDAM BASIN

As a result of the collision of Indian plate and Asian plate during the Oligocene and the Miocene-Pliocene and the continuing squeezing, the thrust sheets of the South Qilan Orogenic Belt advanced to the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin. The Meso-Cenozoic basin in the North Qaidam underwent two generations of deformation. It was characterized by progressive deformation from the imbricate thrust and fault-folded structures in the Saishenteng-Gaqiu Frontal Faulted Zone to the listric thrust fault and fault-folded structures in the Kunteyi Slope Depression Zone, and then to the decollement fault and fold structures in the Eboliang-Yibei area.