Guide Information for  Geological Scientific Expeditions of Tibet 2001

The Qing-Tibet Plateau has long been known as the natural geological museum. the golden key to the global orogenic mechanism, the natural laboratory for the continental dynamics theory, and the pulser of the global changes, which is the important source region and the competition field deriving new theories, knowledge and discoveries.

"Mega" of Young Geologists -  The Unique Geological Features of  Tibet Plateau: 

However it will not be a easy task to do scientific expedition on the World's Roof.
The planned expeditions were designed by top geoscientists who have had long experiences in the research fields of Tibet Plateau & Himalayas. It will be a good start for you to make an on-the-spot investigation on the unique, rich, and varied geological phenomena on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

About 200 million years ago,  Himalayas and Qing- Tibet Plateau were uplifted by the collision between Eurasian continent and India Sub-continent. From the view of earth science, Qing- Tibet Plateau is one of the most interesting region in the world. 
It is the highest plateau in the world - average altitude 4,500 m (14,763 ft) with a crust thickness of 70km.
It is the front line of Eurasian continent and India Sub-continent, and these two mass of land are still press each other today. 
It has the two highest mountains in the world - Mt. Everest (8,850 m = 29,035 ft) and Mt. K2 ( 8,611 m = 28,250 ft).
It has the largest canyon in the world - Yalung Tsangpu (Brahmaputra) River Great Canyon (depth  5,382 m = 17,657 ft with a total length of 496.3 km. 
It is still geologically active with frequent earthquake, glacier movements, earth heat field and hot waterfall exploring.
It has the largest scale of vertical ecosystem zones - from the highest point on the earth 8,850 m, to the bottom of valley >900 m elevation.
It has numerous glaciers and the originates of many important rivers are here.
It has very unique environment and many unique plants & animals.
Its natural ecosystem has been reserved very well. 

The World's Roof is the "Mega" of Geologists. It is the scientific treasure of the whole world.

Part I - Eastern Margin of Qing-Tibet Plateau

Geological Feature of Eastern Margin of Qing-Tibet Plateau:

The Xianshuihe fault belt, the Songpan-Ganzi orogenic belt, the Longmenshan thrust belt, and the foreland basin are the regional units unique to the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and are the treasure of geoscience.

It is not only the typical region to study the geodynamic processes between the Plateau and the periphery basins (the basin motivity), but the key position to verify if the Plateau is derived from the crustal thickening or from the extrusion by the sinistral rotation to absorb the northward diapirism of the Indian continent after the collision between Indian and Asian continents; it is also the critical region to conduct investigations into the change in climate, hydrographic net, and ecological environment of the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

The margin spans the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Longmenshan mid-high mountain, and the piedmont alluvial plain, which covers the relatively developed economic region (including Pengzhou City, Dujiangyan City, and Yaan Prefecture) of the Chengdu Plain, and the underdeveloped region of the Aba and the Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefectures. There are gaps between the two regions in economics, natural form, traffic, and human geography.

During the recent years, a number of overseas geoscientists from USA (MIT, CIT etc), UK, France, Swithzerland, Australia, Japan, and Germany took field trips to the region and were involved in some research projects to varying extent .

About the Geological Scientific Expedition 2001:

  Excursion stops

1.Day-1: Chengdu-Dujiangyan

Introduction

_{Stop 1-1(HKT-1)}

_{Loction: Guankou}

_{Highlights: Late Jurassic Lianhuakou Formation within the Western Sichuan Foreland Basin}

_{Stop 1-2(HKT-2)}

_{Location: Yinjiachang}

_{Highlights: Discordant contact relationship between the Jurassic and the Late} 

_{Triassic of the Western Sichuan Foreland Basin} 

_{Stop 1-3(HKT-3)}

_{Location: Dingjiawan} 

_{Highlights: Klippe that is transported over the Quarternary conglomerates.}

_{Stop1-4(HKT-4)}

_{Location: Dayudong}

_{Highlight: Dayudong Klippe with Permian thrust over the late Triassic}

_{Stop1-5(HKT-5)}

_{Location: Dragon Trail – north wall of road cutting.}

_{Highlight: Weathered gravel bed of Quaternary} 

_{Stop1-6(HKT-6)}

_{Location: Dujiangyan}

_{Highlight: Dujiangyan Irrigation Works}

_{Stop 1-7(HKT-7)}

_{Location: East side of the Yulei Park highway, about 150m south of the Erwang Temple (Fig.2-10).}

_{Highlight: Guan Xian – An Xian Nappe (a frontal nappe of the Longmen Shan} 

_{Thrust-Nappe Belt) and the Pengzhou-Guanxian Fault that is part of the} 

_{Guan Xian – An Xian fault system.}  

_{Day-2: Dujiangyan-Yingxiu-Wolong}

_Introduction

_{Dujiangyan-Yingxiu-Wolong is a 123 km east to west route from the Western Sichuan Foreland Basin into the Longmenshan. The road from Dujiangyan, along the Minjiang River, to Yingxiu then heads north to Wolong (Fig.2-1). Along this route, the coal-bearing units of the Late Triassic Xujiahe Formation, the Jiudianping Klippe, the Pengguan Basement Complex and its bounding faults (Maowen and Yingxiu Faults) can be observed. The structural deformation features developed in the Silurian–Devonian Maoxian and Weiguan Formations outcrop between Genda and Zhenghe, and the Triassic Xikang Formation and the Carboniferous—Permian strata are encountered between Zhenghe and Wolong. At the end of this route we will visit the Panda Nature Preservation Zone.}

_{Stop 2-1(HKT-8)}

_{Location: Zipingpu}

_{Highlights: The Jiudianping Klippe and Quaternary Terraces}

_{Stop 2-2(HKT-9)}

_{Location: Yingxiu - on the highway north of Zhongtanbao, Yingxiu township, 120m from the 1005th milestone.}

_{Highlight: Pengguan Basement Complex Nappe and Yingxiu Fault}

_{Stop 2-3(HKT-10)}

_{Location: Yuzixi Power Station}

_{Highlight: Wenchuan- Maowen Shear Zone and Maowen Fault}

_{Stop 2-4(HKT-11)}

_{Location: Shawan}

_{Highlights: Strike-Slip and thrust structures within the Wenchuan- Maowen Shear Zone}

_{Stop 2-5(HKT-12)}

_{Location: Longtangou}

_{Highlight: Polyphase deformation in the Wenchuan- Maowen Shear Zone}

_{Stop 2-6(HKT-13)}

_{Location:Zhenghe}

_{Highlight: Wenchuan-Maowen Shear Zone, Permian Calcirudite, andlarge-scale recumbent fold.}

_{Stop 2-7(HKT-14)}

_{Location: Wolong}

_{Highlight: Visit to Wolong Panda Nature Preservation Zone.}

_{Stop 2-8(HKT-15)}

_{Location: Yinchangou}

_{Highlight: Multiple deformation (D1, D2) of Xikang Group in the eastern margin of Songpan-Ganzi Fold Belt}

_{Stop 2-9(HKT-16)}

_{Location: Xindiangzi}

_{Highlights: Permian Pillow Basalt and large recumbent fold.}

_{Day 3: Wolong-Danba}  

_Introduction

    _{Stop 3-1(HKT-17)}

    _{Location: Balangshan Mountain (4487m)}

    _{Highlights: Glacial geomorphology of Balangshan and Sigulianshan (The Fourth Girl) Mountains. Stop 3-2(HKT-18)}

_{Location: Dawei}

_{Highlights: Rotation of the regional structural grain and F1 folding of Xikang Group turbidites.}

_{Stop 3-3(HKT-19)}

_{Location: Rier}

_{Highlights: Large flute casts within Xikang Group turbidites (Fig.2-28) and the continued rotation of regional structural grain.}

_{Stop 3-4(HKT-20)}

_{Location: Maziqiao}

_{Highlights: Deformed turbidites of the Xikang Group.}

_{Stop 3-5(HKT-21)}

_{Location: Dabakou}

_{Highlights: Quaternary terraces and characteristic S2-parallel thrust structures.}

_{Stop 3-6(HKT-22)}

_{Location: Zailong}

_{Highlights: Polyphase deformation superposition in Triassic schists west of Xiaojin.} 

   _{Stop 3-7(HKT-23)}

   _{Location: Guanzhou}

   _{Highlights: Biotite Zone within the Danba Metamorphic Complex.}

   _{Stop 3-8(HKT-24)}

   _{Location: East of Danba}

   _{Highlights: Staurolite zone within the Danba Metamorphic Complex.}

_{Day 4: Danba-Kangding}

_Introduction

_{The length of this route is about 232km. The active Himalayan Xianshuihe Fault Zone is one of the highlights of today’s route. We examine evidence of recent strike-slip movement on the fault, its deformation and kinematic features, the hot springs near Reshuiquan and a related pull-apart basin with various palaeoseismic traces. In addition, the metamorphic and deformational characteristics of Danba Complex and the Plateau landscapes can once more be observed.}

_{Stop 4-1(HKT-25)}

_{Location: Gongcha}

_{Highlights: Lower Silurian detachment and migmatised basement lithologies of the Yangtze margin.}

  _{Stop 4-2(HKT-26)}

  _{Location: Tonglufan}

  _{Highlights: Brittle thrust structure.}

  _{Stop 4-3(HKT-27)}

  _{Location: Reshitang}

  _{Highlights: Xianshuihe Fault Zone and migmatised margins of the Himalayan Gonggashan Syntectonic granite}

_{Stop 4-4(HKT-28)}

_{Location: Huiyuansi}

_{Highlights: ①Pull-Apart Basin in stepover of the Xianshuihe Fault Zone;}

_{②Graphitic gouge zone and recent earthquake features.}

_{Stop 4-5(HKT-29)}

_{Location: Cibalong of Zhonggu}

_{Highlights: Gouges of the Xianshuihe Fault Zone.}

_{Stop 4-6(HKT-30)}

_{Location: Xianpishan Mount}

_{Highlights Plateau geomorphology and Plateau top.}

_{Stop 4-7(HKT-31)}

_{Location Tagong}

_{Highlights: Visting Buddhist Tower Forest}

_{Stop 8 (HKT-32)}

_{Location: Zeduoshan Mount Pass (4298m above sea level)}

_{Highlights:  Glacial geomorpholgy of Zedoushan Mountain}

 _{Surfacial fracture caused by the 1955 earthquake; magnitude 7.5.}

 _{Folded Triassic schists adjacent to the massif’s western margin.}

_{Stop 4-9(HKT-33)}

_{Location: Zeduotang Village}

_{Highlights:  Xianshuihe ductile Fault Zone}

   _{Expression of fault geomorphology related to 1955 earthquake}

   _{Palaeoseismic events revealed by trenching.}

_{Stop 4-10(HKT-34)}

_{Location: Tuanjie Township}

_{Highlights: Geomorphologic expression of te Moxi Fault}

_{Stop 4-11(HKT-35)}

_{Location: Princess Bridge at Kangding}

_{Highlight: Quaternary Fault}

_{Day-5: Kangding-Luding}

_Introduction

_{Stop 5-1(HKT36)}

_{Location: Zali}

_{Highlight: Kangding Basement Complex}

_{Stop 5-2(HKT-37)}

_{Lucation: Luding Bridge}

_{Highlight: Chain bridge across the Dadu River.}

_{Stop 5-3(HKT-38)}

_{Location: Anleba}

_{Highlights: The Daduhe Fault Zone and Quaternary river terraces.}

_{Stop 5-4(HKT-39)}

_{Location: Wajiao Township of Luding County}

_{Highlights: ①Geomorphologic expression of Neoactivity on the Daduhe Fault}

_{Palaeoseismic landforms}

_{Stop 5-5(HKT-40)}

_{Location: Ertaizi near Moxi}

_{Highlight: the southern section of the Xianshuihe Fault Zone}

_{Stop 5-6(HKT-41)}

_{Location: No.2 Campsite In Hailuogou}

_{Highlight: Hot spring}

_{Stop 5-7(HKT-42)}

_{Location: No.3 Campsite in Hailuogou}

_{Highlights: Hailuogou Glacier}  

_{Day-6: Luding-Chengdu}

_Introduction

_{The length of todays route is 296km. It passes through the Erlang Mountain tunnel and back into the Sichuan Basin. The main focus of today’s route is the infill sequence of the Western Sichuan Foreland Basin. The Jurassic-Lower Tertiary sequence can be observed near Feixianguan and the Quaternary Yann conglomerate near Baizhang. The Dayi conglomerate (N-Qd) outcrops near Dayi.}

_{Stop 6-1(HKT-43)}

_{Location: Feixianguan, Yann}

_{Highlight: Mesozoic-Cenozoic foreland basin infill sequence.} 

_{Stop 6-2(HKT-44)}

_{Location: Baizhang Town}

_{Highlight: Yaan Quaternary gravel beds.}

_{Stop 6-3(HKT-45)}

_{Location: Dayi}

_{Highlight: Dayi Conglomerate (N-Qd)}

Online Application / Reservation To reserve your  Scientific Expedition online

Home                                Next "Part II - Southern Tibet Geology"

Prof. Li Yong - Prof. of Geology, Institute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology. An outstanding geoscientist in geological research fields of Qing-Tibet Plateau and Petrol resources in Tibet. Award winner of many scientific awards. Author of 7 scientific books and >40 publications. Leader of many geological scientific expeditions of Qing-Tibet Plateau.

Prof. Li Xianghui - Associate Professor of geology, Insitute of Sedimentary Geology, Chengdu University of Technology. An outstanding geoscientist special in sedimentology, paleontology and stratigraphy fields. Leader of many geological scientific expeditions to Tibet.