Structural Coupling Between the Qiman Tagh and the Qaidam Basin, Northern Tibetan Plateau: A Perspective From the Yingxiong Range by Integrating Field Mapping, Seismic Imaging, and Analogue Modeling

The Qiman Tagh and the Qaidam Basin within the northern Tibetan Plateau are contrasting in geomorphological, geological, and geophysical features. The Yingxiong Range is the largest anticlinal belt in the SW Qaidam Basin and holds a key in understanding the relationship between the above two tectonic units. Herein, we investigated the geometry, shortening, timing and mechanism of the structural deformation across the Yingxiong Range by integrating field mapping, interpretation of 3‐D/2‐D seismic reflection data and analogue modeling. The structural interpretation demonstrates that the Yingxiong Range is primarily controlled by NE‐directed basement‐involved reverse faults. These faults likely sole into a décollement layer at depth of ~15 km through the excess area‐depth analysis. This pattern is complicated by the development of a local salt layer that decouples the deformation of underlying and overlying strata, as indicated by analogue modeling. Deformation initially occurred at ~8.1 Ma but strengthened at ~2.5 Ma, with total shortening up to ~5 km in the NW part but decreasing to