Here we present experimental results of compressional wave velocity (Vp) of muscovite-biotite gneiss from Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) at the temperature up to 950℃ and the pressure of 0.1-400 MPa. At 400 MPa, when the temperature is lower than 600℃, Vp decreases linearly with increasing temperature at the rate of (∂Vp/∂T) p = −4.43×10 −4 km/s ℃. In the temperature range of 600-800℃, Vp drops significantly and the signal is degraded gradually due to the dehydration of muscovite and α-quartz softening. When the temperature rises from 800℃ to 875℃, Vp increases and the signals become clear again as a result of the temperature going through the β-quartz range. The experiments indicate that the duration has great influence on the experimental results when temperature is above the dehydration point of biotite. During the first 30 h at 950℃, the Vp decreases substantially from 5.9 to 5.4 km/s and the signal amplitude is attenuated by more than 80%. After the 30-h transition, the Vp and the amplitude of ultrasonic wave signals become steady. The decrease of Vp and attenuation of the signals at 950℃ are associated with the breakdown reactions of biotite. The experiments suggest that the breakdown of muscovite and/or quartz softening can contribute to the low seismic wave velocity in thickened quartz-rich felsic-crust such as what is beneath southern Tibet. Additionally, α-β quartz transition generates a measurable high seismic velocity zone, which provides a possibility of precisely constraining the temperature in the upper-middle continental crust. Our study also demonstrates that duration is a key factor to obtain credible experimental results. α-β quartz transition, dehydration of mica, experiments at high temperature and high pressure, intracrustal high or low wave velocity layers, temperature gradient Seismic exploration is one of the most important means to reveal the structures and compositions of deep crust, and to infer the crustal evolution. However, in order to interpret the seismic data, scientists need relations between seismic wave velocities, endogenic properties of rocks (such as mineral compositions, lattice-preferred orientation of minerals, pore and pore fluid), and exogenic environments (such as temperature and pressure) [1][2][3][4][5] . These relations are the foundation of constraining the interpretation [6][7][8][9][10][11] . In tectonically active area with the thickening of crust and rather large geothermal gradient such as Tibetan Plateau and Andean orogenic zone, it is irreversible that some minerals undergo transitions which will consequently influence the physical properties of rocks [12][13][14][15][16] . Substantial decrease