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Continuing Colorado plateau uplift by delamination-style convective lithospheric downwelling

Author

Listed:
  • A. Levander

    (Rice University)

  • B. Schmandt

    (University of Oregon)

  • M. S. Miller

    (University of Southern California)

  • K. Liu

    (Rice University)

  • K. E. Karlstrom

    (University of New Mexico)

  • R. S. Crow

    (University of New Mexico)

  • C.-T. A. Lee

    (Rice University)

  • E. D. Humphreys

    (University of Oregon)

Abstract

Raising the Colorado plateau The Colorado plateau is intermediate in elevation between the adjacent Rocky Mountains and Basin and Range province, but unlike both these regions, which almost surround it, the plateau is largely undeformed. The causes and timing of the uplift of the Colorado Plateau to its current elevation of 2,000 metres are longstanding questions in Earth science. Levander et al. combine seismic tomography and receiver function images to resolve a vertical high-seismic-velocity anomaly beneath the west–central Colorado plateau, which extends to more than 200 kilometres in depth, topped by a dipping interface extending from the lower crust. They interpret this structure as an ongoing regional, delamination-style foundering of lower crust and continental lithosphere. Combined with Grand Canyon incision rates and Pliocene basaltic volcanism patterns, the new data suggest that this event has been active during the past 6 million years.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Levander & B. Schmandt & M. S. Miller & K. Liu & K. E. Karlstrom & R. S. Crow & C.-T. A. Lee & E. D. Humphreys, 2011. "Continuing Colorado plateau uplift by delamination-style convective lithospheric downwelling," Nature, Nature, vol. 472(7344), pages 461-465, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:472:y:2011:i:7344:d:10.1038_nature10001
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10001
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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastian Buntin & Irina M. Artemieva & Alireza Malehmir & Hans Thybo & Michal Malinowski & Karin Högdahl & Tomasz Janik & Stefan Buske, 2021. "Long-lived Paleoproterozoic eclogitic lower crust," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. 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.
    3. Haijiang Zhang & Qing-Tian Lü & Xiao-Lei Wang & Shoucheng Han & Lijun Liu & Lei Gao & Rui Wang & Zeng-Qian Hou, 2023. "Seismically imaged lithospheric delamination and its controls on the Mesozoic Magmatic Province in South China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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