Paleoelevation of Tibetan Lunpola basin in the Oligocene–Miocene transition estimated from leaf wax lipid dual isotopes

• Leaf wax n-alkane δ13C and δD as proxies of paleoelevation
• Paleoelevation of ~ 3000 m independently estimated from the dual isotope proxies
• A reduction of ~ 900 m in paleoelevation from 25.5 Ma to 21.6 Ma

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions of leaf wax n-alkanes are promising paleoelevation proxies. In this paper, the two proxies were applied to the Dingqing Formation in the Lunpola basin in the central Tibetan Plateau to reconstruct paleoelevation of the basin from the latest Oligocene to the early Miocene. Values of δ13C and δD of C29n-alkane were − 29.8 ± 0.7 ‰ (n = 38) and − 188 ± 10 ‰ (n = 22), respectively. Using the δ13C and δ18O of the early Miocene Siwalik paleosol carbonate in south Asia as lowland references, paleoelevation of ~ 3000 m was independently estimated from the two isotopic proxies. The results are consistent with recent estimates from pollen and mammal fossil studies. Furthermore, the time-series leaf wax δ13C and δD records consistently suggest a reduction of ~ 900 m from 25.5 Ma to 21.6 Ma, which is likely associated with rapid erosion or tectonic unroofing.