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.

民和盆地是中祁连隆起带前寒武系变质岩基底之上一个中、新生代间盆地。

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.

“盆地”构造模式为：从晚侏罗世到白垩纪末期间“盆地”开始、展到早第三纪断陷湖盆、再演化为晚第三纪及第四纪地陷阶段。