Lithospheric structure of the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau from Rayleigh wave tomography

Fu, Yuanyuan; Gao, Yuan; Li, Aibing; Li, Lun; Chen, Anguo

doi:10.1002/2016jb013096

Cited by 45 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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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%

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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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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many geophysical studies (Bao et al, 2013;Bao, Sun, et al, 2015;Fu et al, 2017;Jiang et al, 2014;Lei et al, 2014;J. Li et al, 2011;X.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Zhang

et al. 2018

Tectonics

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“…Our tomographic images reveal widespread low SH wave velocity zones (Figures a–c and ) in the crust beneath the NE Tibetan plateau, specifically in the QOB and SGT regions. Such slow V SH is also observed in the lower crust of the southeastern Tibetan plateau (Fu et al, ), which is interpreted as an indicator of lower crustal flow. SV wave velocity obtained from Rayleigh wave ambient noise tomography indicated that the midlower crustal low velocity zones distribute across most of the Tibetan plateau (Jiang et al, ; Li et al, ; Yang et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Lithospheric SH Wave Velocity Structure Beneath the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau From Love Wave Tomography

Xiao

2019

JGR Solid Earth

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The northeastern (NE) Tibetan plateau has been a prime site to understand the dynamic processes responsible for the rise and lateral growth of the Tibetan plateau. Here we construct a high‐resolution lithospheric scale isotropic SH wave velocity model (down to the depth of 130 km) for the NE Tibetan plateau and its adjacent regions based on the measurements of fundamental‐mode Love wave dispersions (20–100 s) with seismic data recorded by ChinArray II and China Digital Seismic Array using two‐plane wave method. Prominent slow SH wave velocity (VSH) is observed in the midlower crust of the NE Tibetan plateau, specifically in the Qilian Orogenic Belt and the Songpan‐Ganzi Terrane regions, coincident with previously indicated significantly slow SV wave velocity (VSV), probably implying the existence of partial melts in the midlower crust. This low SH wave velocity anomaly could be traced down to the uppermost mantle, indicating a weak and warm lithosphere, which we interpret as a consequence of asthenosphere upwelling after lithospheric mantle removal in the NE Tibetan plateau. The asthenosphere upwelling and associated deep‐seated thermal buoyancy could explain the occurrence of partial melting in the mid‐lower crust and account for parts of high elevations in the NE Tibetan plateau. The western Qinling orogenic belt is characterized with a high velocity anomaly in most of lithosphere, which is inconsistent with the existence of channel flow within the lithosphere along the Qinling orogenic belt from the Tibetan plateau.

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“…Specifically, the model of lower crustal flow explains the crustal thickening in the Tibetan margin well and has been supported by geophysical results in recent years, including high‐conductivity anomalies (e.g., Bai et al, 2010), low‐velocity anomalies (e.g., Bao et al, 2015; M. Chen et al, 2014; Fu et al, 2017; Z. Huang et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2014; W. Wang et al, 2014; Wei et al, 2013; Yao et al, 2008, 2010), and positive radial anisotropies ( V SH > V SV ) (H. Huang et al, 2010; Xie et al, 2017) and by GPS measurements (Shen et al, 2005). Previous receiver function studies have shown a gentle variation in the Moho topography from the Tibetan Plateau to the Yangtze Craton (e.g., Sun et al, 2012; W. Wang et al, 2017; X. Xu et al, 2013), consistent with the Moho variation predicted by the lower crustal flow model.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…The crust of Tibet is thicker than that of the Yangtze Craton (Liu et al, 2014), and there is an abrupt Moho variation across the gradient zone. Relatively high velocity anomalies (Bao et al, 2015; M. Chen et al, 2014; Fu et al, 2017; Z. Huang et al, 2018; Wei et al, 2013; Yao et al, 2008) and negative radial anisotropy ( V SH < V SV ) (Xie et al, 2017) in the lower crust have been detected in the northern region of the Dianzhong subblock (Figure 10), suggesting a rigid deep crust in this region. Thus, the sharp Moho gradient across the Tibetan margin should result from the rheological contrast in the lower crust, that is, weak lower crust beneath Tibet and strong lower crust beneath the foreland of the Yangtze Craton (Dianzhong subblock).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sharp Lateral Moho Variations Across the SE Tibetan Margin and Their Implications for Plateau Growth

Huang

Wang

et al. 2020

JGR Solid Earth

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The tectonic uplift of the Tibetan Plateau is a focus in the geosciences. Middle‐lower crustal flow is a popular model to interpret the geodynamic mechanism on the margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The model predicts different surface and Moho topographies across the plateau boundary due to the different strengths of the surrounding blocks, that is, sharp boundaries on the eastern plateau boundary and gentle variations in the southeastern plateau boundary. Here, we employ receiver function and common conversion point stacking analysis with the seismic waveforms recorded by the dense ChinArray and other local seismic stations to accurately define the Moho topography in southeastern (SE) Tibet. We find that the Moho under the Tibetan Plateau is much deeper than that under the surrounding Yangtze Craton and Indochina block; abrupt Moho changes are found across the southeastern plateau margin, similar to that under the eastern plateau margin. We interpret these sharp Moho variations across the plateau margin to have developed when the Tibetan Plateau was extruded southeastward in the late Miocene. Subsequent gravity collapse resulted in crustal extension and gentle topographic variation, while the sharp Moho slope was preserved.

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Lithospheric structure of the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau from Rayleigh wave tomography

Cited by 45 publications

References 61 publications

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

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

Lithospheric SH Wave Velocity Structure Beneath the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau From Love Wave Tomography

Sharp Lateral Moho Variations Across the SE Tibetan Margin and Their Implications for Plateau Growth

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