Photomicrograph dataset of Cretaceous siliciclastic rocks from the central-northern Lhasa Terrane, Tibet

There are at least 5 units of Cretaceous clastic rocks widely outcropping on the central-northern Lhasa Terrane, Tibet. These sedimentary rocks faithfully recorded the information of a series of important geological events such as the demise of Bangong–Nujiang Ocean, the Lhasa-Qiangtang collision, and the early uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. In view of not enough basic geological research in the Tibetan Plateau, basic petrological data that can be consulted publicly is very scarce, and repeated petrological work is ongoing. In order to better share these basic geological data, a total of 402 pieces of Cretaceous rocks collected from the Duoni, Duba, Jingzhushan, Daxiong Formations, and Kcv Unit were taken photos by polarized light microscopes in Nanjing University. The dataset includes 23 siltstones, 235 sandstones, 15 conglomerates, 98 gravels, 2 mixed siliciclastic and carbonate rocks, 6 carbonate nodules, 14 volcanic clastic rocks, 6 igneous rocks, and 3 metamorphic rocks from the 5 Cretaceous siliciclastic units. This dataset involves 22 stratigraphic sections, which record the sample’s location, stratigraphic age, and rock characteristics in detail. The rock photomicrograph dataset of Cretaceous rocks can be widely used not only in basic geological research but also in interdisciplinary research, such as cooperative research with computer sciences. Besides, as the basic geological data, the dataset can also provide social applications on prospecting, oil exploration, teaching or sciences popularization.