Seismic evidence for the North China plate underthrusting beneath northeastern Tibet and its implications for plateau growth

Ye, Zhuo; Gao, Rui; Li, Qiusheng; Zhang, Hongshuang; Shen, Xuzhang; Liu, Xuzhou; Gong, Chen

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.06.024

Cited by 122 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…We interpreted these anomalously linear reflectors as representing a major ductile shear zone that was caught on an island arc fragment. A corresponding low velocity layer observed in both wide-angle seismic data and receiver function data (Ye et al, 2015) support this interpretation. The Maxian Shan fault zone truncates the ductile shear zone to the south, while the northernmost areas of the seismic transect show it connects to the southwestdipping crustal-scale reflections that coincide with the Haiyuan fault zone (Figs.…”

Section: Long Deep Seismic Reflection Datasupporting

confidence: 73%

“…1), indicating this structure's role in separating two distinct crustal domains: the Central Qilian to the south and the North Qilian to the north. It is noteworthy that previous wide-angle seismic studies and receiver function studies (Ye et al, 2015) also detected lateral variation in velocity structure on both sides of the Maxian Shan fault zone. Previous geochemical and petrologic studies (Xiao et al, 2009;Yang et al, 2015) further support the interpretation that the Maxian Shan fault zone represents a tectonic boundary that separates the Japan-type central Qilian arc to the south from the Mariana-type North Qilian arc to the north (Xiao et al, 2009) (Fig.…”

Section: Long Deep Seismic Reflection Datamentioning

confidence: 87%

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Lithospheric architecture and deformation of NE Tibet: New insights on the interplay of regional tectonic processes

Guo

Gao

et al. 2016

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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Editor: P. ShearerKeywords: deep seismic reflection image residual gravity NE Tibet lithospheric architecture deformation pattern GPS measurements indicate rapid lateral extrusion of the NE Tibetan Plateau, which causes active NEdirected crustal shortening and has initiated oblique shearing along the margins of NE Tibet. However, the Tibetan highlands terminate around 103 • E longitude and topographic relief disappears to the northeast. The exact reasons for this drop in elevation remain obscure due to widespread Tertiary sediments and Quaternary loess, which obscure details of the lithospheric structure. This study describes a new 310 kmlong deep seismic reflection line striking NE-SW across the interior of NE Tibet. Integrating its data with a previously described 165 km-long deep seismic profile of the Tibet-Ordos transition zone together, these datasets provide a complete picture of the crustal architecture of the north-easternmost Tibetan Plateau. Gravity anomaly and previous geological evidence also help constrain complex deformation pattern in the region. Interpretations of these patterns indicate the importance of the large-scale sinistral Haiyuan fault zone and inherited vertical variation in mechanical properties of the lithosphere in the overall tectonic evolution of the NE Tibetan Plateau. The overall crustal architecture obtained in this study provides spatial context for the neotectonic evolution of NE Tibet and helps constrain the interplay of geologic and geodynamic processes affecting NE Tibet and adjacent regions.

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Section: Long Deep Seismic Reflection Datasupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Long Deep Seismic Reflection Datamentioning

confidence: 87%

Lithospheric architecture and deformation of NE Tibet: New insights on the interplay of regional tectonic processes

Guo

Gao

et al. 2016

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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“…However, in contrast to the abundant seismic evidence for the subducting Indian plate under southern Tibetan Plateau, evidence for subduction of the Asian lithosphere under northern Tibet has been limited and inconclusive (Kind et al, 2002;Zhao et al, 2011). Zhao et al (2011) and Ye et al (2015) reported evidence for possible southward underthrusting of Asian lithosphere beneath central and northern Tibet based on receiver functions of local temporary seismic array. However, the results of receiver functions can be affected by station coverage, which might lead to the overgeneralization of the lithosphere deformation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Is the Asian lithosphere underthrusting beneath northeastern Tibetan Plateau? Insights from seismic receiver functions

Shen

Yuan

Liu

2015

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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“…Most of the underthrusting of the upper‐middle crust of the Tibetan Plateau appears to be over the strong India plate to the south, but there is some thrusting at the northern margin of Tibet (e.g., Kind et al, ; Ye et al, ; W. Zhao et al, ; J. Zhao et al, ). The northern margin involves terranes of varying age and strengths, but there are strong terranes of the Tarim Basin to the northwest and the Sichuan Basin to the east.…”

Section: Collision Of Tibet and Indiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Mountain Building Orogeny in Precollision Hot Backarcs: North American Cordillera, India‐Tibet, and Grenville Province

Hyndman

2019

JGR Solid Earth

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In this article I discuss the new perspectives on continental collisional orogeny from recent evidence that most continental subduction zones have 200‐ to 1,000‐km‐wide uniformly hot backarcs. Such hot backarcs are involved in most current and past continental collisions. I give the examples of the current India‐Asia and ancient Grenville orogens. (1) In continental collision, at least one side of the closing ocean has a backarc sufficiently hot and weak to be deformed by normal plate driving forces, in contrast to cool stable lithosphere that is too strong. Most deformation is concentrated on the subduction zone side of collision zones. (2) Precollision backarcs are hot enough to generate a ductile detachment in the lower crust, facilitating subsequent thrusting of the incoming stable continent under the upper‐middle crust of the backarc. (3) In hot backarcs there is a precollision low‐viscosity channel in the lower crust that facilitates lateral flow from beneath collision‐generated thickened crust. In continental collision orogenic belts, the high temperatures indicated by ductile deformation, metamorphism, and igneous activity are usually ascribed to heating by the orogenic process. I argue that the primary heat source is the uniformly hot backarc that predates collision. Most continental backarcs have temperatures of 800–850 °C at a 35‐km Moho, compared to ~450 °C for normal stable crust, and lithosphere thicknesses of 60–70 km compared to about 200 km. High temperatures that weaken the lithosphere may not be a consequence of orogeny but rather a precollisional requirement for most orogenic deformation and crustal thickening.

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Seismic evidence for the North China plate underthrusting beneath northeastern Tibet and its implications for plateau growth

Cited by 122 publications

References 63 publications

Lithospheric architecture and deformation of NE Tibet: New insights on the interplay of regional tectonic processes

Lithospheric architecture and deformation of NE Tibet: New insights on the interplay of regional tectonic processes

Is the Asian lithosphere underthrusting beneath northeastern Tibetan Plateau? Insights from seismic receiver functions

Mountain Building Orogeny in Precollision Hot Backarcs: North American Cordillera, India‐Tibet, and Grenville Province

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