Cenozoic evolution of the eastern Pamir: Implications for strain-accommodation mechanisms at the western end of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen

Robinson, Alexander C.; Yin, An; Manning, Craig E.; Harrison, T. Mark; Zhang, Shuan‐Hong; Wang, Xiaofeng

doi:10.1130/b25981.1

Cited by 205 publications

(420 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…They proposed c. 1000 km of right-lateral motion along the Karakoram Fault, and c. 500 km of left-lateral slip along the Altyn Tagh Fault. However, the granites they matched in the Pamirs to the Gangdese granites in southern Tibet were never part of the same batholith and have a different mineralogy, composition and age (Searle 1996;Searle et al 1998Searle et al , 2010aRobinson et al 2004Robinson et al , 2007. Estimates of geological offsets along the Karakoram Fault range from almost none (Jain & Singh 2008) through a minimum of 25 km (Searle et al 2010a), 65 AE 5 km (Murphy et al 2000), c. 120 km Phillips et al 2004) to 149-167 km (Robinson 2009a).…”

Section: 'Rigid Block' Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The northwestern end terminates in a series of contractional faults in the central Pamir where mapping has demonstrated that major gneiss domes (e.g. Kongur, Muztagh Ata) are not offset across the fault (Robinson et al 2007;Robinson 2009a,b). The southeastern end of the Karakoram Fault merges into the Indus-Yarlung Tsangpo suture zone south of Mount Kailas, where north-directed backthrusting occurs along the northern margin of the Indian plate (Searle 1996;Searle et al 1997b) and north-south extensional faulting occurs in the Purang graben (Murphy et al 2000;Murphy & Yin 2003).…”

Section: Karakoram Faultmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crustal–lithospheric structure and continental extrusion of Tibet

Searle

Elliott

Phillips

et al. 2011

JGS

240

154

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Crustal shortening and thickening to c. 70-85 km in the Tibetan Plateau occurred both before and mainly after the c. 50 Ma India-Asia collision. Potassic-ultrapotassic shoshonitic and adakitic lavas erupted across the Qiangtang (c. 50-29 Ma) and Lhasa blocks (c. 30-10 Ma) indicate a hot mantle, thick crust and eclogitic root during that period. The progressive northward underthrusting of cold, Indian mantle lithosphere since collision shut off the source in the Lhasa block at c. 10 Ma. Late Miocene-Pleistocene shoshonitic volcanic rocks in northern Tibet require hot mantle. We review the major tectonic processes proposed for Tibet including 'rigid-block', continuum and crustal flow as well as the geological history of the major strikeslip faults. We examine controversies concerning the cumulative geological offsets and the discrepancies between geological, Quaternary and geodetic slip rates. Low present-day slip rates measured from global positioning system and InSAR along the Karakoram and Altyn Tagh Faults in addition to slow long-term geological rates can only account for limited eastward extrusion of Tibet since Mid-Miocene time. We conclude that despite being prominent geomorphological features sometimes with wide mylonite zones, the faults cut earlier formed metamorphic and igneous rocks and show limited offsets. Concentrated strain at the surface is dissipated deeper into wide ductile shear zones.

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Section: 'Rigid Block' Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Karakoram Faultmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal–lithospheric structure and continental extrusion of Tibet

Searle

Elliott

Phillips

et al. 2011

JGS

240

154

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The lateral margins of the northward overthrusting along the MPT represent strike-slip faults that suggest transpression at the Darvaz Fault Zone (DFZ) in the west and transtension at the Karakoram Fault Zone (KFZ) in the east (e.g Fan et al, 1994;Robinson et al, 2007). The Late Quaternary lateral motion is ∼12 mm/yr across the DFZ (Trifonov, 1978).…”

Section: H E R a T Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additional shortening of ∼300 km may have occurred along Pamir internal thrusts (Burtman and Molnar, 1993;Waldhoer et al, 2001). The timing of this shortening might include pre-Cenozoic periods (Robinson et al, 2007).…”

Section: H E R a T Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Along the eastern boundary of the Pamir, the crustal extension is accommodated along the Kongur Shan extensional system (e.g. Fan et al, 1994;Robinson et al, 2007). Robinson et al (2007) link the overall pattern of decreasing magnitude of east-west extension from ∼35-30 km in the north (Kongur Shan) to ∼20 km (Muztagh Ata) and <3 km (along the Tashkorgan fault) in the south to the radial overthrusting of the Pamir salient along the MPT.…”

Section: H E R a T Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tectonic and climatic forcing on the Panj river system during the Quaternary

Fuchs

Gloaguen

Pohl

2013

Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)

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Surface processes involve complex feedback effects between tectonic and climatic influences in the high mountains of Pamir. The ongoing India-Asia collision provokes the development of east-west-trending mountain ranges that impose structural control on flow directions of the Pamir rivers. The evolving relief is further controlled by strong moisture gradients. The decreasing precipitations from the southern and western margins of the Pamir Plateau to its center, in their turn, control the emplacement of glaciers. Chronologies of glacial records from the Pamir Plateau attest for strong climatic variability during the Quaternary. Corresponding remnants of glacial advances suggest glacial morphodynamic restricted to >4,000 m a.s.l. since marine isotope stage (MIS) 4. The Panj, the trunk river of Pamir, deflects from the predominant westward drainage, connecting its main tributaries at the western margin of the drainage basin. The geometry of the river network and the pattern of incision characterize the Panj as a composite river. River reaches of indicated low incision coincide with west-trending valleys, parallel to domes and their bounding faults. Valley shape ratios reflect increased incision in north-trending sections, but do not match with changes in the catchment geometry or erodibility of rock types. Modelled riverbed profiles distinguish three Panj reaches. The upstream increase in convexity suggests successive river captures in response to local base-level changes. The northward-deflected river reaches link the local base levels, which coincide with the southern boundaries of the Shakhdara and Yazgulom Dome and Darvaz Range. We argue that tectonics plays a large role controlling the drainage system of the Panj and hence surface processes in the Pamir mountains.

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Low‐temperature thermochronologic record of Eocene migmatite dome emplacement and late Cenozoic landscape development, Shuswap core complex, British Columbia

et al. 2014

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Exhumed mid-to-lower crustal rocks offer an opportunity to determine the mechanisms, conditions, timing, and consequences of the ascent of hot rocks from deep to shallow crustal levels. We used results of low-T thermochronology (zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He, apatite fission track) to document the very shallow emplacement (<2 km) of high-grade metamorphic rocks and to determine the timing and rates of Cenozoic cooling, exhumation, and subsequent incision of the Thor-Odin migmatite dome of the Shuswap metamorphic core complex, British Columbia (Canada). Samples collected at high elevation in the dome (>1800 m) have preserved Eocene fission-track ages and evidence of rapid cooling (≥60°C/Myr). This Eocene cooling event corresponds to rapid exhumation by upward flow of partially molten crust and final exhumation by detachment faulting. Samples collected below 1800 m in elevation display a wide range of apatite fission track ages (43-15 Ma) and track length distributions that reflect prolonged residence in the apatite partial annealing zone. These age-elevation relations imply that the dome rocks reached the near surface (<2 km) during initial upward flow and tectonic exhumation in the Eocene and that little erosion of the Eocene surface has occurred since that time. Thermal modeling of the lowest elevation samples (≤~600 m) and intrasample apatite (U-Th)/He age variations reveal enhanced erosion and relief production at the onset of continental glaciations at~3 Ma. Our work illustrates the dynamic links between deep and shallow crustal processes and the evolution of topography in a deeply incised hot orogen.

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Cenozoic evolution of the eastern Pamir: Implications for strain-accommodation mechanisms at the western end of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen

Cited by 205 publications

References 46 publications

Crustal–lithospheric structure and continental extrusion of Tibet

Crustal–lithospheric structure and continental extrusion of Tibet

Tectonic and climatic forcing on the Panj river system during the Quaternary

Low‐temperature thermochronologic record of Eocene migmatite dome emplacement and late Cenozoic landscape development, Shuswap core complex, British Columbia

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