Magnetostratigraphy of the Late Cenozoic sediments of the West Kunlun foreland and its tectonic implications

[Objective] The West Kunlun Mountains, located on the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, is a key area for studing the tectonic uplift and outward growth of the plateau. However, the Cenozoic uplift of the West Kunlun Mountains is still controversial. [Methods] This study focuses on the well-exposed late Cenozoic sediments on the Pusika aticline, West Kunlun foreland. Using high-resolution magnetostratigraphy to constrain the base of the growth strata, we further define the uplift timing of the West Kunlun Mountains from the perspective of mountain-basin coupling. [Results]The results indicate that the magnetic minerals of the sediments in this study are hematite and magnetite. The high-resolution magnetostratigraphic results show that the age range of the Pusika section is between ~6.8 Ma and ~2.4 Ma, and the base age of growth strata is ~5.3 Ma, indicating that the deformation of this anticline initiated at ~5.3 Ma. [Conclusion] Integrating previously published results of sedimentation, tectonics, and low-temperature thermochronology in the West Kunlun foreland, we propose that the West Kunlun Mountains have subjected an intensive uplift since ~5.3 Ma, suggesting that the Tibetan Plateau experienced a significant uplift since the beginning of the Pliocene, with tectonic stress began to propagate toward the Tarim Basin. [Significance] This study provides new perspectives and evidence for understanding the complex relationship between the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the sedimentary responses in its periphery, contributing to a further unraveling of the comprehensive impact of the Tibetan Plateau.