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Active construction of southernmost Tibet revealed by deep seismic imaging

Author

Listed:
  • Zhanwu Lu

    (Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences)

  • Xiaoyu Guo

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Rui Gao

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Michael Andrew Murphy

    (University of Houston)

  • Xingfu Huang

    (Guilin University of Technology)

  • Xiao Xu

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Sanzhong Li

    (Ocean University of China
    Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology)

  • Wenhui Li

    (Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences)

  • Junmeng Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Chunsen Li

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Bo Xiang

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

Abstract

Southernmost Tibet exhibits an anomalously twice the normal thickness of average continental crust. There is no available theory to explain and the driving mechanism remains uncertain. Here, we interpret a north-striking, 180 km-long deep seismic reflection profile traversing the southern Lhasa terrane (SLT) to the central Lhasa terrane (CLT). In addition to reflections showing subducting Indian crust, our results reveal lateral heterogeneity between the SLT and CLT, where north-dipping reflections beneath the CLT outline a tilted crystalline basement, while the non-reflective domain beneath the SLT represents homogeneous juvenile crust. Our integrated analysis leads to models calling upon episodic magmatism onto the southern margin of the basement to result in progressive construction of the SLT. We hypothesize that this crustal thickening via crustal-scale magma accretion contributed to surface uplift of the southern margin of the Tibetan plateau and leading to the development of the vast internal drainage system of Tibet.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhanwu Lu & Xiaoyu Guo & Rui Gao & Michael Andrew Murphy & Xingfu Huang & Xiao Xu & Sanzhong Li & Wenhui Li & Junmeng Zhao & Chunsen Li & Bo Xiang, 2022. "Active construction of southernmost Tibet revealed by deep seismic imaging," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30887-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30887-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jinyu Chen & Fabrice Gaillard & Arnaud Villaros & Xiaosong Yang & Mickael Laumonier & Laurent Jolivet & Martyn Unsworth & Leïla Hashim & Bruno Scaillet & Guillaume Richard, 2018. "Melting conditions in the modern Tibetan crust since the Miocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Jinyu Chen & Fabrice Gaillard & Arnaud Villaros & Xiaosong Yang & Mickael Laumonier & Laurent Jolivet & Martyn Unsworth & Leїla Hashim & Bruno Scaillet & Guillaume Richard, 2018. "Publisher Correction: Melting conditions in the modern Tibetan crust since the Miocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-1, December.
    3. M. J. Unsworth & A. G. Jones & W. Wei & G. Marquis & S. G. Gokarn & J. E. Spratt, 2005. "Crustal rheology of the Himalaya and Southern Tibet inferred from magnetotelluric data," Nature, Nature, vol. 438(7064), pages 78-81, November.
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