HEAT FLOW ON THE QINGHAI-XIZANG(TIBETAN) PLATEAU AND THE MODELING OF THE TECTONO-THERMAL EVOLUTION

Abstract

Thirteen observed heat flow values in combination with relevant geological and geophysical information are employed in the current paper to conduct a model study by means of direct inversion. The modeling demonstrates the tectono-thermal evolution of the Tibetan Plateau during the last 40 Ma since the continent-continent collision. The authors stress the fact that the tectonic deformations of terranes are usually the inducing factors for the deep-seated thermal activities in the crust and upper mantle. On this basis a series of kinematic equations of 3-D deformations of terranes in forms of shortening-thickening-uplifting-erosion-mass sliding were deduced using the principle of plate kinematics. These equations are further used as systematically defined initial and boundary conditions for simulating the integrated processes of tectono-thermal evolution, The results of the model study suggest that there exist sharp differences in the tectono-thermal evolution between the old northern terranes and the new southern ones. However, even in the warm terranes in the south, the scale of the deep-seated thermal processes is lower than that uxnally expected.