Located in a key position in the northeastern margin of the Qaidam Basin, exploring the uplift history of the surrounding mountains. Methods:Choose the Huaitoutala section on the northeast edge of the Qaidam Basin to collect detrital zircon samples from the Miocene Lower Youshashan Formation, Upper Youshashan Formation, and Miocene—Pliocene Shizigou Formation, and conduct U- Pb dating tests on detrital zircons. Results:Research shows that the Th/U ratio of detrital zircons in the study area ranges from 0. 03 to 3. 3, mainly composed of magmatic zircons. The detrital zircon age ranges from 200 to 300 Ma, 400 to 500 Ma, 750 to 950 Ma, 1. 6 to 2. 0 Ga, and 2. 2 to 2. 5 Ga. Conclusions:Based on the analysis of the MDS（Multidimensional scaling) plots, it is shown that during the middle sedimentary period of the Upper Youshashan Formation (14. 8~12. 5 Ma), a source transformation occurred in the study area, indicating that the Emnik Mountain in the south underwent uplift and became the source of the study area. In the early sedimentary period of the Shizigou Formation (8. 6 to 7. 0 Ma), the source of material in the study area underwent another change, indicating a rapid uplift of the South Qilian Mountains, providing a source of material for the study area. Accordingly, this article proposes that the northeast growth of the Qinghai—Xizang(Tibet) Plateau leads to the tectonic uplift of the northeastern margin of the Qaidam Basin, which sequentially propagates to the northeast.