Abstract:The Qiangtang Basin, located in the central Tibetan Plateau, is an evaporate basin with deposited sodium salt and sylvite prospect. The recent discovery of salt springs with abnormally high sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) contents in the Late Jurassic Xiali Formation provides an important clue for sylvite exploration. However, to date, there is little study about the paleoenvironment of the Late Jurassic Xiali Formation, which largely constrain our understanding of key issues (such as formation conditions and possible layers of evaporates) in the Qiangtang Basin during late Jurassic. A highresolution paleomagnetic analysis was performed on ~ 608 m thick of the Xiali Formation sediments in the Yanshiping section of the Qiangtang Basin to reconstruct the paleoclimatic history of the Qiangtang Basin during the Late Jurassic. At last, this study analyzed the integrated conditions of structure, climate and provenance with respect to the possible formation of potash and halite deposits in the Qiangtang Basin. The analysis of κT diagram, hysteresis loop and thermal demagnetization demonstrates that magnetite and hematite are the primary magnetic minerals. Magnetic parameters of the rocks show an obviously increased content of hematite, revealing that the upper member of the Xiali Formation formed under an arid climate. The comprehensive studies on tectonism, paleoclimate and provenance reveal that the upper member of the Xiali Formation was favorable for the formation of evaporites in the Qiangtang Basin during the Late Jurassic.