Complicated crustal deformation beneath the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau and its adjacent areas revealed by multi-station receiver-function gathering

Xu, Xiaoming; Niu, Fenglin; Ding, Zhongli; Chen, Qi‐Fu

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2018.06.010

Cited by 54 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Figure 8 shows the distribution of crustal and uppermost mantle velocities and there was a significantly positive correlation between them. In other words, the stronger crust corresponds to the stronger mantle, which is consistent with the coupled lithospheric-scale deformation in this region (Deng et al 2018;Xu et al 2018). It should be noted that, the Vp/Vs have uncertainties from the H-k stacking method, while the different Vp/Vs would mainly have trade-off with the Moho depth but not the velocity (Li et al 2017a;Deng et al 2018), which herein does not change our final conclusion.…”

Section: The Coupled Deformation In Ne Tibetsupporting

confidence: 81%

The lithospheric-scale deformation in NE Tibet from joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave dispersion

Deng

Song³

et al. 2019

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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As a region far away from the Indian-Asian collision front, Northeastern (NE) Tibet has attracted great attention due to its implications for the plateau growth and the devastating earthquakes. Several geodynamic models have been proposed for the deformation mechanism of NE Tibet, but it remains controversial. Here we introduce the crustal Vp/Vs ratios from the H-k stacking to the joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave dispersion, which is based on the Neighborhood Algorithm. The crustal and uppermost mantle velocities are obtained beneath 203 stations in NE Tibet. The results show (1) deep Moho in Songpan-Ganzi and Qiangtang terranes, and distinct Moho depth between northwest and southeast Qilian; (2) positive correlation between the average velocity in the crust and in the uppermost mantle, suggesting a coupled lithospheric-scale deformation; (3) diverse high upper mantle velocities distributing in northern part of the study region, which may indicate the existing of local lithosphere or a non-uniform southward subduction of Asian lithosphere.

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Section: The Coupled Deformation In Ne Tibetsupporting

confidence: 81%

The lithospheric-scale deformation in NE Tibet from joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave dispersion

Deng

Song³

et al. 2019

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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“…(3) There is a local crustal thickness maximum in the location of our inferred duplex ( Fig. 1C; Yue et al, 2012;Tian et al, 2014;Xu et al, 2018). Although there is a smooth decrease in crustal thickness to the east along strike of the Qilian Shan, the north-south variations are more erratic.…”

Section: Duplex Development Beneath the Qilian Shanmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…1). Geophysical observations show that the crust is locally 55-65 km thick (Zhao et al, 2001;Yue et al, 2012;Gao et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2018), and the relatively stable crust beneath Ordos Basin to the north is ~42 km thick ( Fig. 1; Liu et al, 2006;Pan and Niu, 2011).…”

Section: Geology Of Northern Tibetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Underthrusting and duplexing beneath the northern Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen

Zuza

Wang

et al. 2018

Lithosphere

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The Cenozoic Qilian Shan thrust belt is the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, which developed in part due to progressive India-Asia convergence during Himalayan-Tibetan orogeny. Available geologic observations suggest that this thrust belt started deforming shortly after initial India-Asia collision at 60-55 Ma, and thus its kinematic development is intrinsically related to the construction and evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we present new field observations from a geologic traverse across the Qilian Shan to elucidate the style of deformation across the active thrust belt. In particular, we infer protracted out-of-sequence deformation here that is consistent with this thrust system remaining a stationary northern boundary to the Tibetan Plateau since the early Cenozoic. We present a lithosphere-scale model for this region that highlights the following: (1) coupled distributed crustal shortening and underthrusting of the North China craton beneath Tibet, which explains the spatial and temporal distribution of observed crustal shortening and thickness, (2) this underthrusting exploited the south-dipping early Paleozoic Qilian suture paleo-subduction mélange channel, and (3) development of a lower-crustal duplex at the lithospheric underthrusting ramp. This last inference can explain the relatively high elevation, low relief, and thickened crust of the central Qilian Shan, as well as the comparative aseismicity of the region, which experiences fewer earthquakes due to less upper-crustal faulting. Both the northern and southern margins of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen appear to have developed similarly, with continental underthrusting and crustal-scale imbrication and duplexing, despite vastly different climatic and plate-velocity boundary conditions, which suggests that the orogen-scale architecture of the thrust belt is controlled by neither of these forcing mechanisms. Instead, strength anisotropies of the crust probably control the kinematics and style of deformation, including the development of northern Tibet, where thrust systems are concentrated along pre-Cenozoic suture zones.

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“…Many geophysical studies (Bao et al, ; Bao, Sun, et al, ; Fu et al, ; Jiang et al, ; Lei et al, ; J. Li et al, ; X. Liang et al, , ; Q. Y. Liu et al, ; Tian et al, ; C. Wang et al, ; X. Wang et al, ; Xu et al, ; Yao et al, , ; Yu & Chen, ; X. Zhang et al, ; Zhou & Lei, ) explored evidence supporting one or more of the aforementioned models. However, views on the development of the Tibetan Plateau are diverse and often exclusive of one another or of opposing schools of thought.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Y. Liu et al, 2014;Tian et al, 2014;C. Wang et al, 2008;Xu et al, 2018;Yao et al, 2008Yao et al, , 2010Yu & Chen, 2016;X. Zhang et al, 2017;Zhou & Lei, 2016) explored evidence supporting one or more of the aforementioned models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seismic Tomography of Eastern Tibet: Implications for the Tibetan Plateau Growth

Zhang

et al. 2018

Tectonics

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The eastern region of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions have gentle to moderate topographic gradients, contrasting the steep margins in northern and southern Tibet. The mechanisms for plateau growth in eastern Tibet are uncertain so far. Here we present a new shear wave tomography model of the Tibetan Plateau derived from S wave traveltimes from teleseismic waveforms recorded by the dense ChinArray seismic network. The model reveals the deep structures beneath the eastern region of the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions, showing clear velocity contrast boundaries roughly along the eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau. We interpret the slow velocity anomalies beneath the Tibetan Plateau as soft lithosphere, which absorbed most of the northeastward push of the Indian Plate, while the fast velocity anomalies beneath the region surrounding the plateau represent craton‐like rigid block roots. The deformation of the soft/weak lithospheric mantle beneath the Tibetan Plateau is constrained by the convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates, and the framework of the surrounding rigid blocks. We suggest that weak lithosphere deformation (horizontal shortening and vertical stretching) accounts for the plateau growth in eastern Tibet.

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Complicated crustal deformation beneath the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau and its adjacent areas revealed by multi-station receiver-function gathering

Cited by 54 publications

References 69 publications

The lithospheric-scale deformation in NE Tibet from joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave dispersion

The lithospheric-scale deformation in NE Tibet from joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave dispersion

Underthrusting and duplexing beneath the northern Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen

Seismic Tomography of Eastern Tibet: Implications for the Tibetan Plateau Growth

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