Abstract: The Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene shallow marine carbonates in the Tethys Himalaya of southern Tibet are important historical witnesses of the evolution of the northern Indian continental margin, the closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and the initial India-Asia continental collision. The polarizing microscope was used to collect polarizing microphotographs of carbonate or mixed carbonate-siliciclastic rocks from late Cretaceous Bolinxiala Formation, Jiubao Formation, Zhepure Shanpo Formation and early Paleogene Zongpu Formation in the Tethys Himalaya of southern Tibet. The photomicrograph dataset includes 465 carbonate or mixed carbonate-siliciclastic samples from 5 stratigraphic sections. The location, stratigraphic age, petrographic characteristics of these samples are described in detail. It is expected to provide basic geological information for the reconstruction of sedimentary environment before and after the initial India-Asia continental collision and the timing of initial India-Asia continental collision.
Keywords: photomicrograph; carbonate; Late Cretaceous-early Paleogene; Tethys Himalaya; South Tibet