The closing of Tethys and the tectonics of the Himalaya

Searle, Michael P.; Windley, Brian F.; Coward, M. P.; Cooper, David J.W.; Rex, A. J.; Rex, D. C.; Li, Tingdong; Xiao, Xia; Jan, M. Q.; Thakur, V. C.; Kumar, S. V.

doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1987)98<678:tcotat>2.0.co;2

Cited by 687 publications

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“…1c) (e.g., Searle et al, 1987). Numerous studies indicate that the Jurassic-Early Eocene Gangdese granitoids in southern Tibet are characterized by high and positive ε Nd (t) (up to + 5.5) and ε Hf (t) (up to + 16.5) values (Harris et al, 1988;Jiang et al, 1999; Mo et al, 2007;Wen, 2007;Wen et al, 2008a,b;Ji et al, 2009a;Ravikant et al, 2009;Zhu et al, 2011;Chu et al, 2011), indicating an important contribution from mantle-derived materials.…”

Section: Implications For Crustal Growth In Gangdese Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Cretaceous crustal growth in the Gangdese area, southern Tibet: Petrological and Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotopic evidence from Zhengga diorite–gabbro

et al. 2013

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Section: Implications For Crustal Growth In Gangdese Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Cretaceous crustal growth in the Gangdese area, southern Tibet: Petrological and Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotopic evidence from Zhengga diorite–gabbro

et al. 2013

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“…Although syncollisional thrusts have been mapped within Tethyan strata on the northern flank of the Himalaya [Wang et al, 1983;Burg, 1983], no Tertiary, crustal-scale thrusts have been reported from the Lhasa Block. However, geologic relationships, in particular the juxtaposition of Tethyan continental margin deposits against Andean-type plutonic rocks (the Gangdese batholith), suggest that a south directed, intracontinental thrust system may have been active in southern Tibet subsequent to collision [e.g., Searle et al, 1987]. In light of thermochronological results from southeastern Tibet that appear to require such a structure, we previously proposed [Harrison et al, 1992a] the existence of a fault we termed the Gangdese thrust system (GTS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tertiary structural evolution of the Gangdese Thrust System, southeastern Tibet

Yin¹,

Harrison²,

Ryerson³

et al. 1994

J. Geophys. Res.

356

285

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Abstract. Structural and thermochronological investigations of southern Tibet (Xizang) suggest that intracontinental thrusting has been the dominant cause for formation of thickened crust in the southernmost Tibetan plateau since late Oligocene. Two thrust systems are documented in this study: the north dipping Gangdese system (GTS) and the younger south dipping Renbu-Zedong system ( RZT). West of Lhasa, the Gangdese thrust juxtaposes the Late Cretaceous forearc basin deposits of the Lhasa Block (the Xigaze Group) over the Tethyan sedimentary rocks of the Indian plate, whereas east of Lhasa, the fault juxtaposes the Late Cretaceous-Eocene, Andean-type arc (the Gangdese batholith) over Tethyan sedimentary rocks. Near Zedong, 150 km southeast of Lhasa, the Gangdese thrust is marked by a >200-m-thick mylonitic shear zone that consists of deformed granite and metasedimentary rocks. A major south dipping backthrust in the hanging wall of the Gangdese thrust puts the Xigaze Group over Tertiary conglomerates and the Gangdese plutonics north of Xigaze and west of Lhasa. A lower age bound for the Gangdese thrust of 18.3±0.5 Ma is given by crosscutting relationships. The timing of slip on the Gangdese thrust is estimated to be 27-23 Ma from 40 Ar/ 39 Ar thermochronology, and a displacement of at least 46±9 km is indicated near Zedong. The age of the Gangdese thrust (GT) is consistent with an upper age limit of -24 Ma for the initiation of movement on the Main Central thrust. In places, the younger Renbu-Zedong fault is thrust over the trace of the GT, obscuring its exposure. The RZT appears to have been active at circa 18 Ma but had ceased movement by 8±1 Ma. The suture between India and Asia has been complexly modified by development of the GTS, RZT, and, locally, strike-slip and normal fault systems.

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“…The final stage of Tethyan evolution involved the separation of India from Gondwana sometime after $130 Ma [Robb et al, 2005], marked by magnetic anomaly M10 offshore Western Australia, to open the Indian Ocean at the expense of the intermediary Meso-and Neo-Tethys [Veevers et al, 1991]. The Yarlung-Tsangpo Suture Zone (Figure 1) represents the main contact between the Indian and Eurasian continents where Indian epicontinental shallow-marine sediments juxtapose those of Eurasian affinities [Najman and Garzanti, 2000;Searle et al, 1987;Yin and Harrison, 2000]. However, the timing of the first mixing between Greater Indian and Eurasian sediments remains controversial, resulting in poorly constrained dynamics of the collision.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights on the kinematics of the India‐Eurasia collision from global geodynamic models

Zahirovic

Müller

Seton

et al. 2012

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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[1] The Eocene India-Eurasia collision is a first order tectonic event whose nature and chronology remains controversial. We test two end-member collision scenarios using coupled global plate motion-subduction models. The first, conventional model, invokes a continental collision soon after $60 Ma between a maximum extent Greater India and an Andean-style Eurasian margin. The alternative scenario involves a collision between a minimum extent Greater India and a NeoTethyan back-arc at $60 Ma that is subsequently subducted along southern Lhasa at an Andean-style margin, culminating with continent-continent contact at $40 Ma. Our numerical models suggest the conventional scenario does not adequately reproduce mantle structure related to Tethyan convergence. The alternative scenario better reproduces the discrete slab volumes and their lateral and vertical distribution in the mantle, and is also supported by the distribution of ophiolites indicative of Tethyan intraoceanic subduction, magmatic gaps along southern Lhasa and a two-stage slowdown of India. Our models show a strong component of southward mantle return flow for the Tethyan region, suggesting that the common assumption of near-vertical slab sinking is an oversimplification with significant consequences for interpretations of seismic tomography in the context of subduction reference frames.

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The closing of Tethys and the tectonics of the Himalaya

Cited by 687 publications

References 0 publications

Late Cretaceous crustal growth in the Gangdese area, southern Tibet: Petrological and Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotopic evidence from Zhengga diorite–gabbro

Late Cretaceous crustal growth in the Gangdese area, southern Tibet: Petrological and Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotopic evidence from Zhengga diorite–gabbro

Tertiary structural evolution of the Gangdese Thrust System, southeastern Tibet

Insights on the kinematics of the India‐Eurasia collision from global geodynamic models

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