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Arid Land Geography ›› 2001, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (3): 193-200.doi: 10.13826/j.cnki.cn65-1103/x.2001.03.001

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GEOTECTONIC ENVIRONMENT OF THE TAIL-END-LAKES EVOLUTION, XINJIANG, CHINA

MU Gui-jin1, BAO An-min1, HAO Jie2   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, 830011, China;
    2. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS, Beijing, 100029, China
  • Received:2001-04-09 Published:2025-12-31

Abstract: The outline of geotectonic and geomorphology of the Central Asia is characterized by range and basin complex. All the closed basins develop tai-l end-lake (or lakes). After later Tertiary, strong collision between the India Plate and the Euro-Asia Plate, and powerful pressing northeast-ward in right-turn activated the inner-plate structures, re-lifted the mountains which had been deflated into peneplain, formed range and basin complex, and resulted in evolution of lacustrine basins and migration of the lakes. The evolution of the lacustrine basins includes combination, disaggregation, migration and deformation.
There were at least 3 great lakes spreading from the west to the east of the North Tarim Basin during Miocene, including Lake Anjuyan, Lake Awaty and Lake Luntai. Later the lakes migrated eastward, and some of them were disaggregated. Lake Anjuyan became salt lake soon in Miocene, and Lake Awaty went into splentour period. Lake Luntai migrated eastward, and separated out a new lake, Lake Alagan, at the end of Miocene. Lop Nur depression was formed after the evolution of Lake Alagan in early Pleistocene along with the formation of Tarim River. The last period of the Lop Nur vicissitude was directly related to the migration of lower reaches of Kongqi River, and has not been excluded the result of active tectonic movement.
Manas Lake should exist before Pleistocene, and was the conflux center of the basin. The conflux center disaggregated apart during early Pleistocene. Evidences show that Ertis River and Ulungur River once flowed into the center. Hutubi River and the rivers originated from the northern Tianshan on the west also flowed into the center. In about early time of middle Pleistocene Ertis River and Ulungur River were divorced from the center toward the west one after another in result of uplift faulting. The west part of the center subsided down in result of thrust and strike-slip movement of Dalabute Fault, the water body migrated westward, and lacustrine terraces were formed.
Aidin Lake and Aiby Lake are 2 typical young lakes are affected by Boleholuo Strike-slip Fault. The lacustrine basins are typical transverse basins, migrate directionally along with right-turn movement of the fault. Aidin lake keeps subsiding into the second low-land of the world, and Aiby lake becomes the lowest place of Jungar Basin.
Lakes are not only migrating along with the tectonic evolution of the lacustrine basin, but also diversifying with the properties of physics, chemistry, hydrology and ecology directly in result of influence of tectonic movement on the water-discharging system. The evolvements of the tai-l end lakes of Central Asia under the neotectonic movement are provided with regional synchronization and sectional otherness. Most of them, Aidin, Aiby and Manas, for instance, are distinctly influenced by active tectonic movement.

Key words: Tail-end lake, Evolvement of lakes, Tectonic Environment, Xinjiang

CLC Number: 

  • P931