特提斯海的演化和消亡过程是新生代全球重大地质事件,对欧亚大陆特别是亚洲内陆干旱环境的形成演化产生了重大决定性影响。简要综述特提斯演化的国际计划,结合我们的研究,对特提斯海演化进展做了梳理。研究发现,特提斯海的演化可简单概括为特提斯海、副特提斯海和特提斯消亡3个演化阶段。中生代末期到新生代早期在欧洲和西亚大部分地区,以及亚洲中部地区和青藏高原南部地区,形成一个东西与新特提斯洋和大西洋相通的内陆海-特提斯海。大约34Ma以前,特提斯海与大西洋、印度洋和极地海洋相连通,其东部侵入到我国塔里木地区;随着印度大陆与欧亚大陆接近和碰撞,特提斯海从我国塔里木和青藏高原南部退出,约34~32Ma,统一的特提斯海分割成南部的古地中海和北部以中亚为主体的副特提斯海;之后,主要受全球海平面、构造隆升、地表侵蚀和沉积充填等一级作用的控制,副特提斯海在阶段性萎缩的趋势下经历了多次海面升降、面积变化以及海水通道的开关,其中对环境影响最大的是副特提斯、古地中海和印度洋三者通道的开关,渐新世以来至少发生过4次关闭与重开旋回。特提斯海的演化和消亡,特别是距今约34Ma特提斯海从塔里木地区的退出,约20Ma副特提斯海面积的缩小以及在距今7~8Ma前后特提斯海最后一次与其他大洋通道的关闭和由此导致的海面面积的急剧缩小,可能是导致亚洲内陆逐步干旱和干旱化快速加剧的主要因素。
The evolution and extinction of the Tethys was a major global geological event in Cenogoic and is one of the decisive influences on the formation and evolution of the arid environment in Eurasia,especially Asia.This paper briefly made a review of the progress of the international Tethys programs,combined with our researches.The evolution of the Tethys can be simply divided into three stages,the Tethys,Paratethys and Tethys extinction.In Late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic,most parts of Europe,Western and Central Asia region and the Southern Tibetan Plateau joined together and formed an inland sea named the Tethys which connected with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and with the Ceno-Tethys to the east.About 34 Ma ago,The Tethys connected with the Atlantic,Indian and Arctic oceans and the most eastern part of it extended into the Tarim area.With the collision of Indian and Eurasian plates,the Tethys retreated from the Southern Tibetan Plateau and the Tarim area.Then the Tethys was separated into the Mediterranean in the south and Paratethys in the north about 34 Ma ago.Under the joint effect of global sea level change,tectonic uplift,surface erosion and sediment filling,the Parathtys experienced a series of eustatic,and area changes and closing and opening of seawater channels,The greatest impact on the environment came from the channel closing-opening of the Paratethys,the ancient Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.Since Oligocene there occurred at least four times of close-open cycles.The evolution and extinction of the Tethys especially since the withdraw of Tethys from the Tarim region 34 Ma,the rapid shrinkage of Tethys about 20 Ma and the closing of water channels with other oceans around 7-8 Ma may be the main factors leading to the drying up in Asian inland area.