Ancheng Xiao

Cenozoic fault systems in southwest Qaidam Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Geometry, temporal development, and significance for hydrocarbon accumulation

We present a detailed structural analysis of geometry and temporal development of the Cenozoic faults in the southwestern part of the Qaidam Basin—the largest petroliferous sedimentary basin and the only one producing oil and gas within the Tibetan Plateau, northwest China—based on three-dimensional (3D) seismic and well-log data. The Cenozoic faults are mostly steep (50–70°), basement-involved reverse faults trending primarily west-northwest and secondarily north–south. The two fault sets are commonly linked to each other by west-northwest-oriented faults bending either southward at their eastern tips or northward at the western tips, and originated possibly from inversion of pre-existing extensional faults in response to the far-field effect of the Cenozoic India–Eurasia collision. Faults or fault segments active during different time periods were identified from isopach maps and verified via seismic reflection profiles, showing that the faults became active as early as the Paleocene in the southern part of the southwest Qaidam Basin and propagated dominantly northward and subordinately eastward over time. Measurement of throws on major faults indicates that fault activity intensified over time and culminated since the mid-Miocene. These faults have been an important factor in forming the oil fields in the southwest Qaidam Basin by improving permeability, forming anticlinal traps, and acting as conduits for oil migrating from source rocks to the reservoirs.

Cenozoic tectonic and sedimentary evolution of southern Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau and its implication for the rejuvenation of Eastern Kunlun Mountains

The Eastern Kunlun Mountains play an important role in the growth and eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau. Tectonic and sedimentary study of the Cenozoic Qaidam Basin, especially the southern part, provides key evidence for understanding their evolution. Here we present evidence including isopach maps, seismic sections and sedimentary analysis of single well to illustrate the sedimentary development of the basin and the structural features of its southern margin. The Qaidam Basin extended across Qiman Tagh-Eastern Kunlun Mountains in the early Cenozoic and withdrew northward at ca. 35.5 Ma, and then buckled as an EW striking elliptical depression since ca. 14.9 Ma, with the main depocenter migrating eastward. Our results support the view that the Kumukol and Hoh Xil basins joined the Qaidam Basin in the early Cenozoic time and we propose the Eastern Kunlun Mountains uplifted in the mid-Miocene.

Automatic fracture detection based on Terrestrial Laser Scanning data: A new method and case study

Abstract Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), widely known as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, is increasingly used to obtain rapidly three-dimensional (3-D) geometry or highly detailed digital terrain models with millimetric point precision and accuracy. In this contribution, we proposed a simple and unbiased approach to identify fractures directly from 3-D surface model of natural outcrops generated from TLS data and thus acquire surface density, which can provide important supplement data for fracture related research. One outcrop from the Shizigou anticline in the Qaidam Basin (NW China) is taken as the case to validate the method and obtain optimal parameters, according to the references of surface density measured in the field and from the photos taken by high-resolution camera. The results show that with suitable parameters, the proposed method can identify most structural fractures quickly, providing a solution of extracting structural fractures from virtual outcrops based on TLS data. Furthermore, it will help a lot in analyzing the development of fractures and other related fields.

Cenozoic tilting history of the south slope of the Altyn Tagh as revealed by seismic profiling: Implications for the kinematics of the Altyn Tagh fault bounding the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

The Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) plays a significant role in the northward growth of the Tibetan Plateau, but its Cenozoic kinematics and related structural response in adjacent basins remain debated. In this study, we identified a transition zone between the ATF and the Qaidam Basin interior and termed it the Altyn Slope, based on a dense network of two- and three-dimensional seismic reflection profiles and isopach maps. Tilted by a series of E-W–trending transpressional faults that constitute the positive flower structure of the ATF, the present Altyn Slope is characterized by a southeast-dipping slope with its undulating southeastern boundary with peaks coincidentally located at the major anticlinal belts in the basin. We propose a method for restoring the Cenozoic tilting history of the Altyn Slope during different time periods by identifying growth-strata geometry from the recent isopach maps. The results show that the Altyn Slope began to form in the late Eocene (ca. 40 Ma) and continued to expand until the mid-Miocene (ca. 15 Ma) albeit with a temporally developing shape. However, the Altyn Slope shrank toward the ATF and underwent significant NE-SW–directed folding since the mid-Miocene (ca. 15 Ma), resulting in formation of undulations of its southeastern boundary. We thus infer that the left-slip motion on the ATF is divided into two distinct stages: during the first stage, ca. 40–15 Ma, the ATF was activated with slow slip rate, and most transpressional stress was converted to vertical strain, raising the Altyn Slope instead of producing strike-slip motion. During the second stage, since ca. 15 Ma, faster sinistral strike-slip motion on the ATF took place, releasing the stress beneath the Altyn Slope and inducing intense NE-SW–directed shortening within the Northern Tibetan Plateau.

Structural Analysis of the Hero Range in the Qaidam Basin, Northwestern China, Using Integrated UAV, Terrestrial LiDAR, Landsat 8, and 3-D Seismic Data

Quantitative structural analysis is a useful approach for studying geologic structures. It is particularly important in remote and complex fold-thrust belts where outcrop data and high-quality seismic reflection images are challenging to obtain. In this study, we integrated terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and Landsat 8 (L8) data to extract high-resolution topographic and surface geologic information and constrain interpretations of three-dimensional (3-D) seismic reflection data in the Hero Range of the Qaidam Basin (QB) in northwestern China. UAV images were used to obtain a digital elevation model (DEM) and to measure the orientation of sedimentary bedding. Terrestrial LiDAR data were used to generate high-resolution digital outcrops and to evaluate the accuracy of the UAV-based DEM. L8 images were used to distinguish different stratigraphic units. The random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm was adopted to ascertain the best-fit plane of bedding. The results show that UAV images can be used to construct a DEM with <;1 m resolution and orthophotos with 0.15-m resolution. Collectively, these data improve the ability to identify and measure small exposures of bedding surfaces. The RANSAC algorithm improves the accuracy of measuring bedding orientations by removing erroneous selection points and facilitating the recognition of second-order variations in bedding orientation. The integrated analysis of remotely sensed and 3-D seismic data indicates that, of the three anticlines within the Hero Range, two are fault-propagation folds (the Shizigou and Youshashan anticlines) and one is associated with a pop-up structure (Ganchaigou anticline).