Raising Tibet

Thermochronologic, sedimentologic, oceanographic, and paleoclimatic studies suggest that rapid uplift and unroofing of southern Tibet began about 20 million years ago and that the present elevation of much of the Tibetan plateau was attained by about 8 million years ago. Hypotheses advanced to expla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1992-03, Vol.255 (5052), p.1663-1670
Main Authors: Harrison, T. Mark, Copeland, Peter, Kidd, W. S. F., Yin, An
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
540110
580000 - Geosciences
ASIA
CENOZOIC ERA
Convergent boundaries
Cooling
Earth
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGY
Geology, Structural
GEOSCIENCES
Lithospheres
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MIOCENE EPOCH
Modeling
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PALEONTOLOGY
Plateaus
Plutons
Structural geology
Tectonic uplift
Tectonics
TERTIARY PERIOD
TIBET
Topographical elevation
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Summary:Thermochronologic, sedimentologic, oceanographic, and paleoclimatic studies suggest that rapid uplift and unroofing of southern Tibet began about 20 million years ago and that the present elevation of much of the Tibetan plateau was attained by about 8 million years ago. Hypotheses advanced to explain the tectonic evolution of the India-Asia collision, which began about 40 to 50 million years ago, predict the timing and rates of crustal thickening of the southern margin of Asia. However, these models do not predict the prominently enhanced early Miocene denudation and uplift that are manifested in a variety of geological records. A model involving continental extrusion, development of a crustal-scale thrust ramp of the Main Central Thrust beneath the Gangdese belt, and lithospheric delamination provides a history consistent with these observations.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.255.5052.1663