Using BQART Model to Reconstruct Paleo-relief in Deep Time Based on Quantitative Paleogeography: A case study from the Late Permian central Emeishan Large Igneous Province.

Paleo-relief reconstruction in source-to-sink system analysis is currently a hot topic in sedimentology, playing an important role in understanding regional tectonic evolution, climate change, surface weathering, sediment supply, and their interrelationships, and it is a key component of source paleogeographic reconstruction. Source areas in deep time are not well preserved due to later tectonic destruction, weathering, and denudation, making it difficult to reconstruct paleo-relief. The BQART sediment flux model depicts the relationship between sediment flux, bedrock lithology, river discharge, drainage area, maximum relief, and annual average temperature in an exorheic setting. When sediment flux and other parameters are acquired from the sedimentary record, maximum relief can be calculated using the BQART model. Through integration of lithofacies paleogeography, cyclostratigraphy, paleohydrolog-ical and paleogeomorphological relationship methods, a BQART model-based approach is proposed for paleo-relief reconstruction in deep time and, based on quantitative paleogeographic reconstructions, and uplift amplitudes and rates can be calculated by employing the sediment-volume backfilling method. Based on this approach, the inner zone of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP) was estimated to be rising slowly during the Late Permian, reaching more than 200 m at the end of the Permian, with total tectonic uplift estimated as 500-750 m. This comprehensive analysis demonstrates that deep-time paleo-relief reconstruction approaches are suitable for a middle-large exorheic basin with a warm and humid paleoclimate, which is of great significance for the exploration and development of mineral resources in energy-rich basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]