Initial India-Asia Continental Collision and Foreland Basin Evolution in the Tethyan Himalaya of Tibet: Evidence from Stratigraphy and Paleontology

Early Tertiary deformation of the Zhongba–Gyangze Thrust in central southern Tibet

“…The southern belt of THS consists of Cambrian to Late Cretaceous shallow marine siliciclastic and carbonate rocks continuously covered by Paleocene-Eocene sandstone and limestone strata (Liu and Einsele, 1994;Najman et al, 2010;Hu et al, 2012;Zhang et al, 2012b). In Riwuqi section of Sangsang area, a new stratigraphic unit was found that lies parallel and unconformably on the normal Triassic-Cretaceous sequences of north THS that mainly comprises of quartz sandstone, siltstone and marl Table S2.…”

Paleogene carbonate microfacies and sandstone provenance (Gamba area, South Tibet): Stratigraphic response to initial India–Asia continental collision

“…This is a much better candidate than the Jidula/Zongpu boundary for a bulge unconformity (Cai et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2012), following stable carbonate-ramp deposition during the Middle and Late Palaeocene (Willems and Zhang, 1993;Wan et al, 2002;Wang et al, 2010). (Garzanti et al, 1987 their figs.…”

“…A Selandian age is indicated by the Rotalia-Lockhartia benthic foraminiferal assemblage contained in Member 1, whereas the Miscellanea, Ranikothalia, Orbitosiphon, Operculina assemblage in Members 2 and 3 indicates the Thanetian, and the Alveolina-Orbitolites assemblage in Member 4 the Ypresian (Fig. 3) (Wan, 1987;Willems and Zhang, 1993;Wan et al, 2002;Zhang et al, 2012). The top of the Zongpu Formation is dated at the Ypresian SBZ10 Zone (larger benthic foraminiferal data kindly provided by Marcelle BouDagher-Fadel; Shallow Benthic Zonation of Serra-Kiel et al, 1998).…”

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“…However, there are contrasting models for the slowdown of Indian plate motion and the geometry of the collision (e.g., DupontNivet et al, 2010;Van Hinsbergen et al, 2011;Aitchison et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2012). When the Himalaya emerged as a mountain range, however, remains less certain.…”