ABSTRACT
The relationship between the sinistral strike-slip Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) and the internal tectonic deformation of the Qaidam Basin remains a controversial issue. Uncovering the relationship between the structures along the southern slope of the ATF is a viable solution to this problem. The ‘snake-like’ Hongsanhan superposed fold is located on the southern slope of the ATF. The Hongsanhan structure is controlled by the superposition of two generations of folds. The first-generation NW–SE-trending f1 fold, which developed during the Oligocene, constitutes the principal component of the present-day Hongsanhan fold, while the second-generation NE–SW-trending f2 folds formed during the middle Miocene. The structure of the Hongsanhan superposed fold proves that the large-scale sinistral strike-slip movements along the ATF began during the Oligocene. In addition, a flower structure associated with the ATF continuously extends into the Qaidam Basin.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Dr. Robert j. Stern for the help in submitting this paper for review. Many thanks to the three reviewers for their helpful suggestions. We are indebted to Qiquan Zhang and Chuanwu Wang for their assistance in data analyses. We thank Changhao Zhang for assistance in the field.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.