The Cenozoic volcanic rocks in central Qiangtang are tectonically outcropped in the transitional area where crust of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau thins northwards and the Passion’s ratios of the crust increases abnormally northwards. Of all Cenozoic volcanic rocks of northern Tibet, the volcanic rocks in Qiangtang area is the oldest one with ages from 44.1±1.0 Ma to 32.6±0.8 Ma. Petrological and geochemical studies of the volcanic rocks in central Qiangtang suggest they formed in the extension environment of post collision-orogeny and were the product of mixture of magmas from crust and mantle. The uplift of the northern plateau is closely related to decoupling of mantle lithosphere, crustal extension and thinning as well as volcanism. Therefore, it is inferred that the main uplift of the northern plateau began from about 40 Ma ago. The Cenozoic volcanic rocks in central Qiangtang are tectonically outcropped in the transitional area where crust of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau thins northwards and the Passion’s ratios of the crust increases abnormally northwards. Of all Cenozoic volcanic rocks of northern Tibet, the volcanic rocks in Qiangtang area is the oldest one with ages from 44.1 ± 1.0 Ma to 32.6 ± 0.8 Ma. Petrological and geochemical studies of the volcanic rocks in central Qiangtang suggest they formed in the extension environment of post collision-orogeny and were the product of mixture of magmas from crust and mantle. The uplift of the northern plateau is closely related to decoupling of mantle lithosphere, crustal extension and thinning as well as volcanism. Therefore, it is inferred that the main uplift of the northern plateau began from about 40 Ma ago.