U-Pb SHRIMP and 40Ar/39Ar ages constrain the deformation history of the Karakoram fault zone (KFZ), SW Tibet

► We present U-Pb SHRIMP and 40Ar/39Ar analyses of samples from Namru and Zhaxigang regions along the Karakoram Fault. ► Zircons record a 44Ma and a 18.7Ma ages respectively, both followed by mica 40Ar/39Ar age between 12.8-11.5 Ma. ► The mica 40Ar/39Ar ages provide evidence that the 12.8-11.5 Ma age represent the initiation of the KFZ in the study area.