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Lithospheric foundering and underthrusting imaged beneath Tibet

Author

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  • Min Chen

    (318 Keith-Wiess Geology Lab, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA)

  • Fenglin Niu

    (318 Keith-Wiess Geology Lab, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
    State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resource and Prospecting, and Unconventional Natural Gas Institute, China University of Petroleum)

  • Jeroen Tromp

    (Princeton University
    Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University)

  • Adrian Lenardic

    (318 Keith-Wiess Geology Lab, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA)

  • Cin-Ty A. Lee

    (318 Keith-Wiess Geology Lab, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA)

  • Wenrong Cao

    (318 Keith-Wiess Geology Lab, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA)

  • Julia Ribeiro

    (318 Keith-Wiess Geology Lab, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA)

Abstract

Long-standing debates exist over the timing and mechanism of uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and, more specifically, over the connection between lithospheric evolution and surface expressions of plateau uplift and volcanism. Here we show a T-shaped high wave speed structure in our new tomographic model beneath South-Central Tibet, interpreted as an upper-mantle remnant from earlier lithospheric foundering. Its spatial correlation with ultrapotassic and adakitic magmatism supports the hypothesis of convective removal of thickened Tibetan lithosphere causing major uplift of Southern Tibet during the Oligocene. Lithospheric foundering induces an asthenospheric drag force, which drives continued underthrusting of the Indian continental lithosphere and shortening and thickening of the Northern Tibetan lithosphere. Surface uplift of Northern Tibet is subject to more recent asthenospheric upwelling and thermal erosion of thickened lithosphere, which is spatially consistent with recent potassic volcanism and an imaged narrow low wave speed zone in the uppermost mantle.

Suggested Citation

  • Min Chen & Fenglin Niu & Jeroen Tromp & Adrian Lenardic & Cin-Ty A. Lee & Wenrong Cao & Julia Ribeiro, 2017. "Lithospheric foundering and underthrusting imaged beneath Tibet," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15659
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15659
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    Cited by:

    1. Bingfeng Zhang & Xuewei Bao & Yingkai Wu & Yixian Xu & Wencai Yang, 2023. "Southern Tibetan rifting since late Miocene enabled by basal shear of the underthrusting Indian lithosphere," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Xiang-Chao Wang & Jin-Ting Wang & Chu-Han Zhang, 2023. "Deterministic full-scenario analysis for maximum credible earthquake hazards," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. John J. Y. He & Paul Kapp, 2023. "Basin record of a Miocene lithosphere drip beneath the Colorado Plateau," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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