Comment on “Cenozoic tectonic deformation and uplift of the South Tian Shan: Implications from magnetostratigraphy and balanced cross-section restoration of the Kuqa depression” by Tao Zhang, Xiaomin Fang, Chunhui Song, Erwin Appel, and Yadong Wang [Tecto

•We amplify understanding of the base of the Xiyu Formation.•We argue the age assignment for the Kezilenuer Section.•The Dynamic Time Warping algorithm was applied to the Kezilenuer magnetostratigraphic analyses.

The recent paper entitled: “Cenozoic tectonic deformation and uplift of the South Tian Shan: Implications from magnetostratigraphy and balanced cross-section restoration of the Kuqa depression” by Zhang et al. [Tectonophysics, 2014, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2014.04.044] discusses the Cenozoic tectonic deformation and uplift of the South Tianshan Mountains by integrating tectonic investigations, seismostratigraphic analysis and paleomagnetic dating of the thrust–fold belt in the Kuqa Depression at the southern border of the Tianshan. To support their conclusions the authors have reinterpreted a high resolution magnetostratigraphic study of the Kezilenuer Section in a paper entitled “Magnetostratigraphic study of the Kuche Depression, Tarim Basin, and Cenozoic uplift of the Tian Shan Range, Western China” by Huang et al. [Earth and Planetary Science Letters Volume 251, pages 346–364 (2006)]. We note here (i) that apparent conflicts in definition of the Xiyu Formation in the Kuche Depression as proposed by Zhang et al. (2014) require amplification and (ii) argue that their age assignment for the Kezilenuer Section is incorrect and yields an anomalously low sedimentation rate for the infilling of this foreland basin.