ON OROGENIC TO BASINAL TECTONIC TRANSFER ALONG THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF WEST TIANSHAN MOUNTAINS, CHINA

The Tianshan Orogen was gradually transferred to Kuqa-Baicheng foreland basin along the northern margin of Tarim basin at the sourthern part of West Tianshan mountains. The transfer was completed through folding and thrusting of foreland. A series of fold-and-thrust systems formed, including Kuergan- Tielimeti root fold system, South Tianshan southern margin thrusted fault system, foreland thrusted nappe system, foreland double thrust fold belt, foreland blind thrust front marginal belt, and Shaya-Luntai front marginal overlapping deformation belt. The development of foreland basin covered four stages, that is, late Permianearly Triassic, middle Triassic-Jurassic, Cretaceous-early Tertiary and late Tertiary-post late Tertiary. The dominant stages are late Permian, late Triassic and Jurassic. There was clear tectonic effect during the evolution of foreland basin in the Tianshan Orogen.