研究我国西北干旱区形成演化过程对认识我国现今构造—环境格局形成及演变具有重要意义。通过我国西北地区中—新生代重要的构造和环境事件的梳理,显示我国西北地区中生代以来经历了印支、早燕山、晚燕山和喜马拉雅个构造旋回,气候在三叠纪—始新世以干热为主,渐新世以来冷干。古亚洲洋闭合及羌塘、拉萨、印度板块渐次与亚洲南部碰撞使西北地区越来越远离海洋水汽。西北地区气候演化经历了三叠纪—中侏罗世、晚侏罗世—始新世和渐新世—第四纪3个阶段,并存在晚三叠世—中侏罗世温湿、晚侏罗世—白垩纪干热及渐新世—第四纪冷干3个气候转型阶段,分别由5次湿热、5次干热和5次冷干气候波动事件组成。同时,发现在晚三叠世—侏罗纪以古天山—古祁连山为界,构造与气候格局存在南北差异,构造活动南弱北强、气候北干南湿。而在白垩纪,西北地区构造活动西强东弱,气候南干北湿。我国西北干旱区的形成既是对全球变化的响应,也是区域构造活动叠加的结果,构造活动先于全球变化影响我国西北地区的气候环境变化。渐新世以来两极冰盖出现、青藏高原整体快速隆升和副特提斯海退出塔里木是现今西北干旱区形成的主要原因。
The formation of the arid northwest China(ANW) is significant to the understanding of the present tectonic and environmental patterns of China.Based on the integrated study of the tectonic and environmental events in northwest China,we found four-phases of tectonic movement,including Indosinian,Early Yanshanian,Late Yanshanian and Himalayan,occurred in this region during Mesozoic and Cenozoic,which had played important role in the formation of ANW.Generally,it was dry and hot during the period from Triassic to Eocene but has been dry and cool since Oligocene in this region.The closure of the Paleo-Asian ocean and the subsequent collision of Qiangtang,Lhasa and India with Asia made northwest China gradually moving away from the ocean and resulted in the dropping of moisture.The climate has changed through three transitional phases,i.e.,the wet and hot Late Triassic-Early Jurassic including 5 wet and hot climatic events,the dry and hot Late Jurassic-Late Cretaceous,including 5dry and hot climatic events,and the dry and cool Oligocene-Quarternary,including 5dry and cool climate events.We also found that the tectonic and the climate patterns were different in the north and south of this region.Taking the Paleo-Tienshan and Paleo-Qilian Mts.as a boundray,strong tectonic movement and dry climate occurred in the north,but relatively steady and wet climate in the south during the period of Late TriassicJurassic.However,in Cretaceous,as the tectonic movement was intensified in the west but remained steady in the east,and climate was dry in the south but wet in the north of NW China.The formation of ANW is the consequence of both the global change and the local tectonic movement.The local tectonic movement happened usually prior to the global change.The occurrence of the dipolar ice-sheet,the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the retreating of the Paratethys from the Tarim jointly caused the formation of ANW since Oligocene.