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The submarine fan with a narrow shelf is usually reactive to environmental signal propagation; however, source-to-sink functioning can be further complicated by several allogenic forcings. Here, we document the high-frequency provenance variations and different sediment delivery models recorded in the late Triassic Zhuoni fan developed in the northeastern Paleo-Tethys Ocean, mainly based on process-based sedimentological and provenance study of the Panyuan section in the West Qinling area in the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau. High-, low-density turbidites, hybrid event beds and hyperpycnites are distributed in the lobe-dominated submarine fan succession. Field sedimentological evidence from surrounding outcrops suggests that shelf-edge failure was the main cause of most high-and low-density turbidites with the overall absence of submarine slides or slumps, whereas the narrow shelf configuration together with late Triassic humid pulses is favourable for the occurrence of flood-related hyperpycnites in the Zhuoni fan. Detrital zircon grains (N = 6; n=123-272) generally have Palaeozoic-Mesozoic ages (ca. 350-250 Ma and 500-400 Ma) and Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic ages (ca. 2100-1750 Ma and 2600-2400 Ma), but they can be further categized into three age groups due to different proportions of Precambrian age populations. The results demonstrate that the potential source areas may include the South and North Qinling Orogenic Belt, Qilian Orogenic Belt, different segments of North China Craton and the tectonic junction area between the Qinling and Qilian Orogenic Belts. The temporal changes in provenance signals, which are reflected by both the detrital zircon age spectra and heavy mineral assemblages, indicate different contributions of those sources in response to sea-level fluctuation. It could thus give rise to temporal variations between reactive and buffered source-to-sink sediment delivery models of the Zhuoni fan, despite the overall narrow shelf configuration. The development of the lowstand Zhuoni fan was directly related to extrabasinal hyperpycnal delivery from the river mouth and its high-frequency provenance variability recorded different efficiencies of signal transfer through the onshore catchment with significantly influence of temporal storage, fluvial rejuvenation or even regional climate variability. The highstand submarine fan was thought to be formed by shelf-edge failure with sediment buffering in the shelf region, which was associated with a strong magnitude of provenance mixing. Our work provides a new perspective for deciphering the different origins of deep-water sediment delivery in response to high-frequency sea-level and climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palustrine‐lacustrine carbonates of the well‐dated Xichagou section (ca. 43 to ca. 13 Ma) next to the active Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) are investigated in terms of abundance, lithofacies, strontium, carbon and oxygen isotopes, to differentiate tectonic and climatic controls on the evolution of intermontane lakes in the Tibetan Plateau. Volumetrically dominant siliciclastic strata document five depositional stages: mid‐Eocene alluvial fan (onshore), late Eocene fan delta (nearshore), Oligocene semi‐deep lake (offshore), early Miocene braided fluvial delta (nearshore) and mid‐Miocene fluvial plain (onshore). Carbonates are most abundant in the middle three lacustrine stages and contain various lithofacies, including calcretes, microbialites, grainstones and marlstones. Oxygen isotopes show two positive excursions (−1.17‰ and −2.59‰) at the first nearshore and late offshore stages, indicating two relatively saline stages linked to the Eocene and late Oligocene global warming climates. Carbon isotopes show a positive excursion (from −4.0‰ to +2.9‰) at the middle semi‐deep lake stage and meanwhile strontium isotopes of carbonates show a large negative excursion (from 0.7120‰ to 0.7113‰), both in response to the early Oligocene global humid and cooling climate and resultant lake expansion at the Qaidam Basin. Except for this lake expansion event, the first‐order lake transgressing, shallowing and regressing evolution at the Xichagou section were not consistent with Cenozoic global climatic change trends. Instead, the two‐stage strike‐slip faulting of the ATF probably induced the northeastward and eastward migration of basin depocenter and resulted in the lake transgression‐regression at the Xichagou section. The widespread presence and relatively minor variation in oxygen isotopes (from −7.5‰ to −7.0‰) of early Miocene microbialites in the northern Tibetan Plateau suggest a warm climate and a low relief before ca. 15 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions among late Cenozoic global cooling, tectonic activity and regional climate evolution of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau remain elusive. To further understand the relative contributions of global climate change and tectonism, we conducted a comprehensive study of heavy minerals, rock magnetism, and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in late Cenozoic sediments of the Laojunmiao section (ca. 12.7 Ma to 5 Ma) in the Jiuxi Basin. Our results reveal a notable increase in magnetic susceptibility (χ) and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) at 8.5 Ma, aligning with an accelerated decrease in temperature captured by brGDGTs. Combined with heavy mineral analysis, we propose that the profound changes in magnetic parameters and temperature are closely linked to the intensive uplift of the northern Qilian Shan since 8.5 Ma. Furthermore, this ongoing uplift has occurred simultaneously with persistent aridification in the Jiuxi Basin and its adjacent regions. The Qilian Shan might have reached a threshold elevation and began to act as a moisture barrier to northwestward moisture since 8.5 Ma. By synthesizing hydroclimate evolution records from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, we deduce that changing topography resulting from tectonic uplift may have exerted a significant influence on regulating the moisture distribution in this region during the mid- to late Miocene. • Temperature reconstructed using brGDGTs declined at an accelerated rate at 8.5 Ma • Magnetic enhancement of lacustrine-delta fan sediments occurred at 8.5 Ma. • The northern Qilian Shan was uplifted at 8.5 Ma, simultaneous with regional drying. • Tectonic uplift was the primary driver of this climate transition at 8.5 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A three-stage alluvial fan pattern was built since MIS3. • Cold-dry conditions promote the aggradation of debris flow deposits. • Warm-humid climate leads to perennial streamflow on the fan surface. • Climate is the main factor controlling the evolution of Xiangpi fan. Alluvial fans in the piedmont zones of mountains respond most rapidly to tectonic activity, base-level conditions, and climate changes. These allogenic signals are effectively recorded by the external morphology and internal sedimentary characteristics of the fan. Based on field survey interpretation and integrated optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) chronology, we selected a case study of the modern Xiangpi Fan on the south bank of Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau, and built a three-stage alluvial fan pattern since Marine isotope stages 3 (MIS3), namely, the debris flow lobe building stage (DFLBS), aeolian building stage (ABS), and streamflow reworking stage (SRS). The climatic indicators, such as the total organic carbon (TOC) flux, precipitation, and sediment particle size flux, are highly correlated with the above stages, indicating that the sedimentary process and changes in fan morphology effectively record orbital climate changes in the Lake Qinghai basin. During the DFLBS, the cold-dry climate accelerated the sediment yield sufficiently, leading to many coarse-grained sediments and low TOC flux being imported into the basin through debris flow processes. During the ABS, the extreme dry-cold climate caused the stagnation of fan development, and aeolian processes dominated the transport of fine sediment. In the SRS, warm-humid conditions led to limited sediment yield and perennial stream power, which promoted the transport of fine-grained material and TOC to the basin by braided–meandering channels. This study provides an excellent case showing how an alluvial fan responds to climate oscillations through changes in sedimentology and geomorphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas are a typical example for studying the relationship between plateau uplift, climate change, and surface erosion. It has been argued that the South Asian monsoon (SAM) strengthened significantly at 10–8 Ma, whereas others suggested that the SAM weakened at that time. Here we report a large deltaic-submarine fan system in the Andaman Sea with a high sediment accumulation rate during the Pliocene. We propose that the formation of the deltaic-submarine fan was a result of climate and tectonics over the past 7 Myr. Our findings are based on multi-method provenance analyses (heavy minerals, bulk-rock geochemistry, detrital zircon U Pb ages, and seismic data) of the Late Miocene-Pleistocene deltaic-submarine fan system. The analyses, in combination with those of the modern river sediments and potential source regions, suggest that the Upper Miocene sediments were mainly derived from the eastern Lhasa Terrane and northern West Burma Terrane (Upper Salween and Upper Irrawaddy, respectively), whereas the Pliocene-Pleistocene deposits were primarily derived from the eastern Lhasa Terrane, northern West Burma Terrane, and Tengchong Terrane (Lower Salween River), with small inputs from the Sibumasu and Baoshan terranes. We propose a modified scenario in which the Salween initiated in the early Late Miocene (10 Ma) and the Irrawaddy developed a modern geometrical morphology after the Pliocene. These two large rivers transported eroded materials from the SE Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea and formed the deltaic-submarine fan. The high sediment accumulation rate (>530 m/Myr) in the Pliocene is consistent with the strengthened SAM and heterogeneous crustal deformation of the SE Tibetan Plateau during the same interval. We conclude that both the climate and tectonics have direct effects on exhumation of the SE Tibetan Plateau over the past Late Miocene-Quaternary. • The Upper Miocene rocks were mainly sourced from the eastern Lhasa Terrane. • Inputs from the Tengchong and Sibumasu terranes increased after the Miocene. • The Salween formed since at least the Late Miocene (10 Ma ago). • Erosion of the SE Tibet was driven by tectonics and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid event beds (HEBs) record disequilibrium in submarine fan evolution attributed to mud-forced dampening turbulence, which could be caused by allogenic and autogenic forcings in either the proximal or distal segment of a lobe-dominated submarine fan on several timescales. Detailed field investigation combined with petrographic and mineralogical analysis of selected outcrop samples indicate that the Upper Triassic submarine fan succession mainly comprises turbidites, HEBs, and debrites in the West Qinling (WQ) area of NE Tibetan Plateau. Five types of HEBs are recognized based on the thickness, sedimentary structure, and texture. Bed-by-bed description and measurement reveal that these HEBs show a distinct distribution pattern throughout the submarine fan succession, including dominance of HEB-1 and HEB-2 beds (∼71.50%) in distributary channel to lobe off-axis (FA1–FA3) and significant portion of HEB-3 to HEB-5 beds (∼54.22%) in lobe fringe to lobe distal fringe environments (FA4–FA5). Textural and petrographic characteristics of mudclasts suggest disaggregation of heterolithic, homogenous and less cohesive mudclasts (MC-1 to MC-4 type) within H1b and H3 interval of HEBs, which could play different roles in the longitudinal mud-driven flow transformation between turbulent and laminar flow behavior patterns. The vertical distributions of the HEB-prone succession are characterized by four types of depositional scenarios, which yields significant allogenic and autogenic signatures combined with the recognition of the dominant HEB types and thickening- or thinning-upward trend of the vertically stacked submarine lobes. This study can enhance our understandings of flow transformation of sediment gravity flows (SGF) along the eastern margin of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean based on the anatomy of several undiscovered deep-water outcrops, which were reflected by the initiation, gradual switching, and avulsion of the high-frequency submarine fan evolution during the Late Triassic. • HEBs are well developed both in proximal and distal parts of the submarine fan. • Various types of mudclasts play different roles in the mud-driven transformation. • Vertical distribution of HEBs records high-frequency change in the submarine fan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]