Extension of Tian Shan along a nascent shear zone

Extension of Tian Shan along a nascent shear zone | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Extension of Tian Shan along a nascent shear zone Qi Ou, John Elliott, Yasser Maghsoudi, Chris Rollins, Milan Lazecky, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7529996/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Our understanding of the dynamics of mountain belt growth is hampered by the lack of high-resolution kinematic observations spanning entire orogenic belts. This is particularly the case for the structurally complex and nascent Tian Shan plateau. Here we use 8 years of Sentinel-1 data across 2 million square kilometres of the Tian Shan to show that the mountain range is extending along its strike, predominantly by shearing along a newly identified northeast-trending distributed shear zone. This zone is conjugate to the range strike but aligned with fast axes of shear-wave splitting measurements and a band of strike-slip earthquakes. We interpret this broad zone of shear be resulting from the rotation of the indenting Tarim Basin, facilitated by the conjugate strike-slip components on numerous basin-bounding faults with favourable strikes. The present-day vertical deformation of Tian Shan results from a mix of tectonic, climatic, and anthropogenic forcings, with uplift of the highest peak facilitated by thrust along a south-dipping Nalati fault that could be promoted by deglaciation. Earth and environmental sciences/Solid Earth sciences/Tectonics Earth and environmental sciences/Hydrology Earth and environmental sciences/Climate sciences/Cryospheric science Earth and environmental sciences/Natural hazards Tian Shan Sentinel-1 velocity strain shear zone continental deformation active tectonics permafrost groundwater deglaciation rebound Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupportinginformationforTianShan.docx Extension of Tian Shan along a nascent shear zone Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7529996","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":520305273,"identity":"5e9ec23b-8d8b-4628-8bb6-6f8e889dfad2","order_by":0,"name":"Qi 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