Minhe Basin is a Mesozoic-Cenozoic intermont basin grew on Precambrian metamorphic rock basement in middle Qilian uplift zone.Total thickness of Mesozoic-Cenozoic is about 7000 meters.

民是发育在中祁连隆起带前寒武系变质岩基底之上的一个中、新生代山间。

The basin tectonic model: it is intermont basin during late Jurassic to early Cretaceous, developed into faulted-lacustrine basin in Eogene, and evolved into depression in Neogene and Quaternary.

“”构造发育模式为：晚侏罗世到白垩纪末期发育的山间“”开始、发展到早三纪断陷湖的发育、再演化为晚三纪纪陷发育阶段。