Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How old are the Paleozoic rocks found in the Tien Shan?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Tien Shan
The Tien Shan mountain range and the Takla Makan Desert.
The Paleozoic rocks found in the Tien Shan mountains date to the Paleozoic Era, which spanned approximately 540 to 250 million years ago.1
These rocks are categorized by their location and the timing of the mountain-building (folding) events that shaped them:
- Northern and Eastern Tien Shan: These regions underwent folding during the early Paleozoic. Much of this area is characterized by crystalline and granitic rocks.1
- Southern and Western Tien Shan: These areas experienced folding during the late Paleozoic and consist primarily of sedimentary metamorphosed rock, along with some intrusive and volcanic rock.1