S U M M A R YSeventeen sites were drilled from ca. 53 Ma old mafic dykes intruded in the Linzizong Formation of the Linzhou Basin for palaeomagnetic studies. From 10 sites a higher coercivity component demagnetized between 20 and 100 mT could be isolated. Detailed rockmagnetic analyses reveal Ti-rich titanomagnetite as the remanence carrier, which indicates that the rock is not much altered and the remanent magnetization is likely of primary origin. This is supported by a positive fold test. Tilt correction could be performed by the bedding of overlying fluvial lacustrine sediments and tilt angles of ignimbrite columns post-dating the dyke emplacement. Bedding corrected directions give an overall mean direction of D/I = 12.3 • /27.2 • (α 95 = 10.6 • , k = 21.7, N = 10) corresponding to a palaeolatitude of 14.4 • ± 5.8 • N. Comparison with previous Cretaceous data mainly from the Takena Formation yields a stable position of the Lhasa terrane during Cretaceous and Early Eocene. The difference between expected palaeolatitudes determined from the APWP of Eurasia and observed ones reveals relative northward movement of the Lhasa terrane of ca. 1847 ± 763 km since early Eocene. This is attributed to indentation of India into Asia and implies a considerable amount of north-south crustal shortening. Together with the extent of 'Greater India', we can derive an age for the India-Asia collision between ca. 53-49 Ma with a 95 per cent confidence limit of ± 6 Ma.

Mapping combined with structural analyses in the foreland edge of the metamorphic core of the Himalayas in SW Nepal highlights the existence of two north‐dipping shear zones with opposite sense of shear. Here, the metamorphic core is mainly affected by non‐coaxial top‐to‐the‐south sense of shear at temperatures between 450 °C and 550 °C that switch to a top‐to‐the‐north sense of shear at the top of the metamorphic core. We regionally correlate this upper shear zone with the South Tibetan detachment system. Ar‐dating on white mica indicates that both shear zones operated between 23 Ma and 17 Ma. Restoration of the folded South Tibetan detachment in far western Nepal yields a minimum dip‐slip distance of 190 km, compatible with predictions made by models of extrusion of a weak mid‐crustal channel. Our results support an orogenic model in which channel flow in the hinterland coexisted with thrust wedge mechanics in the foreland.

Geologic field mapping surveys integrated with structural, thermochronological, and geochronological analyses confirm the existence of an orogen-parallel strike-slip-dominated shear zone in the upper Karnali valley of northwestern Nepal. This shear zone obliquely cuts through the upper Greater Himalayan Sequence and is characterized by a S-dipping, high-strain foliation and intensely developed ESE-WNW-trending, shallow-plunging mineral elongation lineation. Monazite grains within the Greater Himalayan Sequence are deformed and transposed parallel to the orogen-parallel shear zone and ESE-WNW elongation lineations. In situ U-Th/Pb monazite geochronology constrains metamorphism between 19 and 15 Ma, which is consistent with the timing of Neohimalayan metamorphism and S-directed extrusion of the Greater Himalayan Sequence across the Himalaya, and it is therefore interpreted to have preceded orogen-parallel strike-slip deformation. Mineral deformation mechanisms and quartz c-axis patterns of orogen-parallel fabrics record a rapid increase in temperature of deformation from ~350 °C along upper levels of the shear zone to greater than 630 °C at ~2.5 km depth structurally below the shear zone. Symmetric quartz c-axis fabrics further suggest deformation included a significant component of pure shear. The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar thermochronology of foliation-defining muscovite indicates that orogen-parallel shearing was active in the area between ca. 13 and 10 Ma while temperatures cooled through the muscovite closure temperature for argon. By integrating these data with the current understanding of tectonic processes in the Himalaya, we interpret a transition from S-directed extrusion of the Greater Himalayan Sequence to orogen-parallel extension between ca. 15 and 13 Ma in the upper Karnali valley. Integration of our findings with chronological constraints from other migmatite-cored domes supports the growing recognition of a Himalayan-wide mid-Miocene initiation of orogen-parallel extension. GEOLOGIC SETTINGThe geology of the Himalaya consists of four distinct lithotectonic domains bounded by crustal-scale fault systems, all of which are laterally continuous across the length of the orogen (Fig. 1A). The two northernmost LITHOSPHERE GSA Data Repository Item 2015204

The metamorphic conditions and the age of thermal overprint were determined in meta-pelites, metaarenites and metabasites of the Tethyan Himalayan Sequence (THS) in SE Tibet using Kübler Index and vitrinite reflectance data and applying thermobarometrical (Thermocalc and PERPLEX) and geochronological methods (illite/muscovite K-Ar and zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He chronology). The multiple folded thrust pile experienced a thermal overprint reaching locally peak conditions between the diagenetic stage (c. 170 °C) and the amphibolite facies (c. 600 °C at 10 kbar). Burial diagenesis and heating due to Early Cretaceous dyke emplacement triggered the growth of illite in the metapelites. Eocene collision-related peak metamorphic conditions have been reached at c. 44 Ma. During collision the different tectonic blocks of the THS were tectonically buried to different structural levels so that they experienced maximum green-schist to amphibolite facies metamorphism. Later, during Oligocene to Miocene times the entire THS underwent anchi- to epizonal metamorphic conditions, probably associated to continuous deformation in the flysch fold-thrust-system. This period terminated at c. 24-22 Ma. Adjacent to the north Himalayan metamorphic domes, the base of the THS was metamorphosed during Miocene times (c. 13 Ma). Post-metamorphic cooling below c. 180 °C lasted until Late Miocene and took place at different times

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) combined with structural analysis are used in this work with the aim to characterize the tectonic evolution of the Triassic flysch within the eastern Tethyan Himalaya Thrust Belt in SE Tibet. The attitude of the magnetic foliation and lineation are concordant with the planar and linear structures of tectonic origin defined by the preferred orientation of the iron-bearing silicates. Two different tectonic domains can be defined: (a) the southern domain is controlled by the Eohimalayan tectonic foliation (S1) recorded in the magnetic foliation which trends east–west and dips to the north; (b) the northern domain is dominated by the Neohimalayan magnetic foliation with WNW–ESE strike and dips to the south opposite to the vergence of the main structures. A slightly prolate magnetic ellipsoid has been found in between the two domains recording the intersection of S1 and the subtle development of the S2 tectonic foliation. Hinterland propagation of the deformation lead to the Great Counter backthrust generation, pointed out by the SSW steeply plunging magnetic lineation. Furthermore different orientations of magnetic foliation may indicate an Early Miocene c. 20° clockwise vertical-axis rotation.