Neogene continental climate dynamics prior to the late Miocene uplift of the Northern Tien Shan (Kazakhstan)

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Continental settings of Central Asia witnessed increased desertification and the establishment of a monsoonal climate during the Cenozoic as a result of India’s collision with Asia. These continental-scale climate shifts are connected to the uplift of mountain ranges such as the Tibetan-Himalaya complex and the final retreat of the Paratethys. However, their interplay with the global climate evolution and their timing is yet poorly constrained, partially because of the paucity of available data. An Oligocene-Miocene succession exposed in the Aktau Hills, Ili Basin (northern Tien Shan, Kazakhstan), has a great potential as an archive for continental paleoclimate dynamics in Central Asia because of its high thickness and excellent exposure. We here propose to carry out a reconnaissance field trip to the Aktau Hills and follow-up laboratory work. Our objective is to document the succession in high resolution in order to perform (i) an on-site evaluation of the sedimentary facies based on modern sedimentological concepts; (ii) to document possible discontinuities; and (iii) to evaluate the state of preservation of palynomorphs. If our reconnaissance work proves successful, follow-up studies are planned to be applied in future proposals.