A series of half graben like faulted basins were developed in Jurassic in the northern edge of Qaidam basin

which was mainly controlled by extensional tectonic framework. The sedimentation of the Middle and Lower Jurassic in the fault depression was remarkably controlled by faults

thus the Early Middle Jurassic basin was faulted basin. While faults basically had no impacts on the sedimentation of the Upper Jurassic

thus the Late Jurassic basin was a downwarped basin. In Cretaceous

the northern edge of Qaidam basin was mainly controlled by compressional tectonic framework

with fault propagation folds to be formed in the process of compression in the foreland of Qilianshan. The Cretaceous sedimentation was controlled by the fault propagation folds formed during the process of compression

thus the Cretaceous basin was a compressional basin.