Indian Lithospheric Mantle Research Articles

3D Shear‐Wave Velocity Structure of the Crust and Upper Mantle Beneath India, Himalaya and Tibet

AbstractWe perform Rayleigh‐wave group‐velocity dispersion measurements from 14,706 regional‐waveforms at periods of 10–120 s, followed by ray‐based tomography and inversion to obtain 3D‐Vs structure of the crust and upper mantle. The group‐velocity maps have 3–5° lateral resolution, and Vs models have ∼3%–7% average‐Vs uncertainty. The Moho depth is assigned to the bottom of the steepest‐gradient layer with Vs between 4.1 and 4.5 km s−1, and the sedimentary‐layers have Vs ≤ 2.9 km s−1. Indian cratons have high average‐crustal‐Vs of 3.6–3.9 km s−1 and thickness of 40–50 km. The intervening rift‐basins are filled with low‐Vs sedimentary‐rocks. The Himalayan Foreland Basin has along‐arc variation in sedimentary thickness with the thickest layer (8–10 km) beneath the Eastern Ganga Basin. The Indian lithospheric mantle has high‐Vs (>4.4 km s−1), and along with high‐Vs crust attest to a cold, rigid lithosphere. This lithosphere underthrust entire Western Tibet and up to the Qiangtang Terrane in Central‐Eastern Tibet. The top of the underthrusting Indian‐crust is marked by lower‐Vs and thrust‐fault earthquakes. The shallow crust beneath Tibet (0–10 km) has high‐Vs and is mechanically strong; whereas, the mid‐crust (20–40 km) has ∼5%–10% low‐Vs anomalies due to radiogenic/shear heating within the thickened crust. This layer is weak and decouples the deformation of the shallow and deep layers. Low‐Vs upper‐mantle with deeper high‐Vs layer is present beneath the Deccan and Raj‐Mahal Traps, suggesting plume‐volcanism related thermal anomaly and refertilization of the upper mantle. The intra‐cratonic basins with circular geometry, high‐Vs lithosphere and no basement earthquakes, possibly formed by thermal subsidence of isostatically‐balanced cratonic lithosphere.

Degassing of Mantle‐Derived Helium From Hot Springs Along the India‐Asia Continental Collision Settings: Origins, Migration Velocity and Flux

AbstractMantle‐derived volatile degassing lacks quantitative evaluation in continental regions without active magmatism, such as the Tibetan Plateau. Ten new gas abundance and helium isotope data points combined with 286 hydrothermal volatile literature data points in India–Asia continental collision settings demonstrate widespread mantle‐derived volatiles across the thick (∼70 km) crust. The mantle‐derived 3He is best explained by direct mantle volatile input from subcontinental lithospheric mantle (1%–36.5%) or the asthenospheric wedge (1%–27.8%) instead of fossil residual magmatic fluids or Quaternary mantle‐derived melt intrusion into crustal depth. Mantle‐derived 3He is transported from the deep mantle to the surface at an upflow rate of 30–11,700 mm/year based on a newly developed steady‐state one‐dimensional flow model, corresponding to a mantle‐derived 3He flux of 17 to 1.5 × 107 atoms m−2 s−1 (81.7%–99.4% of the total 3He flux) and a mantle‐derived 4He flux from 2.0 × 106 to 1.8 × 1012 atoms m−2 s−1 (1.4%–36.5% of the total 4He flux). The mantle‐derived helium fluxes in the study area are comparable to those of other nonvolcanic hydrothermal systems in the tectonically active regions but lower than those of volcanic fields. The helium transit time ranges from 5.3 ka to 2.3 Ma, indicating that the spatial pattern of 3He/4He ratios in the India‐Asia continental collision settings can provide a snapshot of the state of the Indian mantle lithosphere between those revealed by potassic‐rich mafic rocks (25–8 Ma) and seismic methods (present).

Indian plate segmentation along the Himalayan arc: A multi-proxy approach

The underthrusting Indian plate beneath the Himalaya is considered to be segmented along its arc which is manifested in terms of variations in the angle of underthrusting of the Indian mantle lithosphere (IML) and its northern limit beneath Tibet. The pre-existing transverse ridges in the Ganga foreland basin have also been related to these segmentation boundaries. These segmentations imply a change in the mechanical properties of adjoining blocks which should manifest in the form of spatial variations in the topography build-up and other related parameters. We have analyzed the normalized river channel steepness index (ksn) for the entire Himalaya in conjunction with the northern extent of the IML, width of the Ganga foreland basin, and Bouguer gravity anomaly of the orogen to identify its possible correlation with the lithospheric segments and their boundaries. The results reveal spatial variability in the ksn along the arc linked to the segmentation of the Indian plate. The study suggests six distinct sectors in the Himalaya, similar to the ones delineated based on correlation between the width of the Ganga foreland basin and disposition of major Himalayan thrusts. Major offsets in the pockets of the high ksn from the arc-parallel distribution are related to the transverse tectonic fabric of the Indian plate in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains. Integration of these results support mechanically strong Indian lithosphere for the Kashmir-Himachal sector and the eastern part of the Arunachal sector and weakest lithosphere for the central-eastern Nepal sector.

Isolated Crustal Partial Melting in the Southern Tibetan Plateau From H‐κ‐c Method

AbstractThe crustal thickness and average Vp/Vs ratio are basic parameters to understand the current state and the tectonic processes in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). We gather receiver functions in the central‐southern TP and extract spatial variation of crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio using the H‐κ‐c method with careful quality control and stability analysis. Our results highlight the regions with high Vp/Vs ratios in the central‐southern Qiangtang block and two isolated patches around the Yarlung‐Zangbo suture, suggesting crustal partial melting. The disconnected high‐Vp/Vs patches imply a restrained pattern for present‐day crustal flow in the southern TP. Further correlation with mantle observations suggests that the high Vp/Vs region in the north can be attributed to mantle upwelling after lithospheric delamination, and the two isolated patches in the south may be related to the tearing of the Indian mantle lithosphere.

High-resolution lithospheric structure of continental China from joint inversion of surface wave and gravity data

The lithospheric structure of continental China has been previously determined by seismic travel time tomography, surface wave tomography, and joint inversion of body wave and surface wave data. However, due to the inherent limitations of seismic data, the lithospheric structure of continental China is still not well resolved in the shallow part and in some regions where the station coverage is relatively sparse. In this study, we aim at improving the lithospheric structure by joint inversion of seismic surface wave data and satellite gravity data to take advantage of the uniform distribution and complementary strength of the gravity data. The empirical relationship between velocity and density is used as a bridge for joint inversion of surface wave and gravity data. The joint inversion shear-wave velocity Vs (density) model, named as USTClitho1.0g, can fit both surface wave and gravity data well. This high-resolution Vs model can better fit the active airgun source seismic arrival times and better delineate some features in continental China, such as the velocity contrast across the north–south gravity lineament (NSGL), the lithosphere thinning in eastern China, the crustal footprint of the Hainan mantle plume, the likely magma chamber beneath volcanos in northeast China, the middle-lower crust low velocity layer beneath the Tibetan plateau, and the tearing of subducted Indian mantle lithosphere. Our joint inversion Vs model can provide a reference model for geosciences in continental China and surrounding areas.

Impact of slab tearing along the Yadong-Gulu rift on Miocene alkaline volcanism from the Lhasa terrane to the Himalayas, southern Tibet

Slab tearing is widely reported in oceanic slabs; however, tearing in continental slabs is still not very well understood. Geophysical data have shown the existence of tearing of the Indian lithosphere underneath the Yadong-Gulu rift in southern Tibet. Along this rift, the Jiacun lamprophyres and the Yangying trachytes comprise the youngest alkaline volcanic rocks in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen, and hence provide evidence for understanding the operation of continental slab tearing. Jiacun lamprophyres, with an age of 13 Ma as determined by Ar-Ar dating, are the only outcrop of alkaline volcanic rocks in the Himalayan block. Geochemical analysis indicates that they were derived from a peridotite source in the Indian lithospheric mantle near the spinel field. Yangying trachytes, dated at 8.81 ± 0.15 Ma by the U-Pb dating method, were derived from a pyroxenite melt in the Tibetan lithospheric mantle with a higher crustal influence. Both sites show high phlogopite and pyroxene temperatures, indicating a hot influx favoring the melting of these magmas, which is likely associated with the tearing of the Indian slab. Ages of this magmatism suggest that the activity along the rift lasted at least 4 m.y. and migrated from south to north. This shows that slab tearing can trigger over-thickened lithospheric melting in a collisional orogen.

Crustal structure of the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas revealed from ambient noise tomography

How the Tibetan Plateau deformed in the Indian-Eurasian continental collision has been long debated, more specifically, over the relationship between the deep processes and surface structural complexity. Here, we use ambient noise tomography to obtain a high-resolution crustal S-wave velocity model beneath the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas involving a comprehensive dataset from over 500 stations. Our images reveal that the crustal flow should be in a limited scale according to the intermittent low-velocity zones (LVZs) observed in the middle crust at 20–40-km depth of the Tibetan Plateau. The distributions and strengths of LVZs further imply that different deep processes promote the surface deformation in various regions of the Tibetan Plateau. The LVZs in the northern plateau, collocated potassic magmatism and low velocity anomalies in the upper mantle, should be originated from the lithospheric delamination. However, in the southern plateau, the S-wave velocity showed an apparent lateral segmentation feature correlated with the north–south trending rifts. The feature indicates that the LVZs were likely controlled by the lateral tearing of the subducted Indian mantle lithosphere, which promotes the rifting deformation. Moreover, the LVZ in the central Tibet should have contributed to the formation of the conjugate strike-slip fault system. In the Tarim Basin, our model showed a high-velocity anomaly in the lower crust that may be related to ancient mantle plume activity.

Crustal structure of the Qiangtang and Songpan-Ganzi terranes (eastern Tibet) from the 2-D normalized full gradient of gravity anomaly

Numerous geophysical studies have revealed the lithospheric structure of the Qiangtang and the Songpan-Ganzi terranes in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. However, crust–mantle evolution and crustal response to the Indian lithospheric subduction are still controversial. Answering these questions requires additional information regarding crustal structure. In this study, the 2-D normalized full gradient (NFG) of the Bouguer gravity anomaly was used to investigate anomalous sources and interpret the crustal structure underneath the Qiangtang and Songpan-Ganzi terranes. The NFG-derived structures with low-order harmonic numbers (N = 33 and N = 43) showed that an anomalous source beneath the southern Qiangtang terrane had a characteristic northeastward-dipping shape, suggesting the northeastward motion of the crustal material induced by underthrusting Indian lithospheric mantle. The NFG images with harmonic number N = 53 showed a large-scale anomalous source in the lower crust of the transformational zone from the Qiangtang terrane to the Songpan-Ganzi terrane, consistent with thickening crust and resistance of lower crustal flow. The anomalous source demonstrated by the NFG results with harmonic number N = 71, located in the upper crust underneath the Ganzi-Yushu fault, suggested a seismogenic body of the 2010 MW6.9 Yushu event.

Structure and Stress Field of the Lithosphere Between Pamir and Tarim

AbstractThe Pamir plateau protrudes ∼300 km between the Tajik‐ and Tarim‐basin lithosphere of Central Asia. Whether its salient location and shape are caused by forceful indentation of a promontory of Indian mantle lithosphere is debated. We present a new local‐seismicity and focal‐mechanism catalog, and a P‐wave velocity model of the eastern part of the collision system. The data suggest a south‐dipping Asian slab that overturns in its easternmost segment. The largest principal stress at depth acts normal on the slab and is orientated parallel to the plate convergence direction. In front (south) of the Asian slab, a volume of mantle with elevated velocities and lined by weak seismicity constitutes the postulated Indian mantle indenter. We propose that the indenter delaminates and overturns the Asian slab, underthrusts the Tarim lithosphere along a compressive transform boundary, and controls the location and shape of the Pamir plateau.

India‐Tarim Lithospheric Mantle Collision Beneath Western Tibet Controls the Cenozoic Building of Tian Shan

AbstractThe ongoing India‐Asia collision principally regulates the Cenozoic tectonic deformation of the Asian interior, and builds a far‐away but active spectacular intraplate orogen—Tian Shan. However, the deep processes and dynamics of far‐field deformation propagation and the resultant Tian Shan building remain ambiguous. Here, we construct systematic numerical models with variable thermo‐rheological properties of the orogen‐featured blocks and convergence rates, which reveal that the far‐field effect of India‐Asia collision on the Tian Shan building is strongly controlled by the direct collision of Indian lithospheric mantle with the rigid Tarim block beneath western Tibet. The model results, together with the well‐established geological and geophysical constraints, not only reconcile the first‐order crustal and lithospheric structures of the western Tibetan plateau and Tian Shan, but also confirm a >30 Myr time lag between the initial India‐Asia collision and the far‐field Tian Shan building.

Pn tomography and anisotropic study of the Indian shield and the adjacent regions

High-resolution P-wave velocity and anisotropy structure of the hitherto elusive uppermost mantle beneath the Indian shield and its surrounding regions are presented to unravel the tectonic imprints in the lithosphere. We inverted high quality 19,500 regional Pn phases from 172 seismological stations for 4780 earthquakes at a distance range of 2° to 15° with a mean apparent Pn velocity of 8.22 km/s. The results suggest that the Pn velocity anomalies with fast anisotropic directions are consistent with the collision environments in the Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau, Tarim Basin, and Burmese arc regions. The higher Pn anomalies along the Himalayan arc explicate the subducting cold Indian lithosphere. The cratonic upper mantle of the Indian shield is characterized by Pn velocity of 8.12–8.42 km/s, while the large part of the central Indian shield has higher mantle-lid velocity of ~8.42 km/s with dominant anisotropic value of 0.2–0.3 km/s (~7.5%) suggesting the presence of mafic ‘lava pillow’ related to the Deccan volcanism. The impressions of the rifts and the mobile belts are conspicuous in the velocity anomaly image indicating their deep seated origin. The Pn anisotropy in the Indian shield exhibits a complex pattern and deviates from the absolute plate motion directions derived from the SKS study, demonstrating the presence of frozen anisotropy in the Indian lithospheric uppermost mantle, due to the large scale tectonic deformation after its breakup from the Gondwanaland. Whereas, Pn and SKS anisotropic observations are well consistent in Tarim basin, Tibetan regions, eastern Himalayan syntaxis and the Burmese arc. The modeled anisotropic Pn clearly manifests a lower velocity anomaly bounded by 85°E and 90°E ridges in the southern Bay of Bengal. Further, 85°E ridge spatially separates the BoB lithosphere into faster and slower regions consistent with the body wave tomography and free-air gravity observation.

Upper Mantle Heterogeneity and Radial Anisotropy Beneath the Western Tibetan Plateau

AbstractP‐wave radial anisotropy (RAN) tomography of the upper mantle beneath the western Tibetan Plateau is determined using teleseismic arrival time data recorded at 71 temporal seismic stations of the ANTILOPE‐I and Y2 arrays, which reveals a complex deformation pattern in the upper mantle. A high‐velocity anomaly with prominent positive RAN is visible to the south of 31°N, which may reflect the underthrusting Indian lithospheric mantle (ILM). Further north, another high‐velocity zone appears at depths >200 km, which is possibly related to the foundering ILM, or the northward advancing ILM affected by previously attached Tethyan oceanic slab. Considering the continuity of the high‐velocity zones and similarity of the RAN anomalies, we suggest that there is no slab tearing or breakoff at present beneath western Tibet. To the north of 31°N, E‐W trending variations of velocity and RAN at shallow depths (<150 km) suggest that small‐scale convection occurs between 79°E and 81°E, whereas the residue of the Eurasian lithospheric mantle is located in the eastern side. We deem that the formation of the Ya‐Re Rift and Puran Graben was caused by variations of the lithospheric thickness instead of slab tearing or asthenospheric upwelling, considering locations of the rift and the graben and our present results.

Geophysical constraints on the nature of lithosphere in central and eastern Tibetan plateau

The structure and rheology of lithosphere are fundamental to understanding lithospheric deformation operating within the Tibetan plateau and hence holds significant implications for continental dynamics. Yet, some of these aspects remain less well constrained in Tibet. In this study we construct new models of isotropic-average shear-wave velocity and radial anisotropy from previously published Rayleigh-wave and Love-wave phase velocities at periods of 8–143 s. Integrating with other previously published geophysical data, we demonstrate that a weak mid-to-lower crust is pervasive within the plateau, as directly inferred from seismically low velocity and high conductivity at these depths along with high Moho temperature. When combining with the observation of positive radial anisotropy patterns (Vsh > Vsv), we speculate that this weak mid-to-lower crust could probably flow towards southeastern Tibet, whereas in the Qinling Orogen this crustal flow is absent. This weak mid-to-lower crust in Tibet could decouple upper crust and lower crust/upper mantle, accommodating active deformation in response to the Indian-Asian convergence. Additionally, our results show that the subduction front of Indian lithospheric mantle (LM) could reach to the Bangong-Nujiang-Suture (BNS) in central Tibet and to the Jingsha-River-Suture (JRS) in eastern Tibet. We find no expected high velocity beneath northern Tibet to support southward subduction of the Asian LM. Instead, the northern Tibet is characterized with a continuous low-velocity-anomaly from Moho to 200 km. Coupled with the observations of shallow Curie-point depths and high Moho temperature, we infer that the Tibetan upper mantle in the north is hotter than that in the south, probably resulting from mantle upwelling due to either the Indian LM subduction, or thickened Tibetan lithosphere delamination with some contributions of shear heating and radioactive heating from the thickened Tibetan crust. This study highlights the nature of lithosphere, associated dynamic processes and the overall deformation within the Tibetan plateau.

Deep thermal state on the eastern margin of the Lhasa-Gangdese belt and its constraints on tectonic dynamics based on the 3-D electrical model

Since the Mesozoic, the Lhasa-Gangdese block has undergone several stages of tectonism-magmatism caused by the closure of the New-Tethys Ocean and the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, which led to the lithospheric shortening and crustal uplift. Through the careful processing and analysis of the magnetotelluric data on the eastern margin of the Lhasa-Gangdese block near 92°E, a reliable 3D electrical model was obtained to examine the relationship between the lithospheric electrical structure and geodynamics. Some conductive and resistive layers were obtained, which may be formed in some tectonic processes. The thermal model of the lithospheric uppermost mantle (75–100 km) were calculated using the Arrhenius equation and the Hashin-Shtrikman (HS) boundary condition. Combined with the terrestrial heat flow point and curie isothermal in the study area, the temperature distribution at the 30–100 km depths was calculated. The melt fractions of the mid-lower crust calculated by the classical Archie's law, pressure calculated by density and temperature at different depths can be obtained in a meantime. The resistor beneath the Tethys-Himalaya terrane represented the subduction of the Indian plate with a deep angle. The subduction of the Indian crust may not exceed the Indus-Yarlung Zangbo suture, while the Indian lithospheric mantle may not reach the Luobadui-Milashan fault. Additionally, our electrical and thermal structure indicated that the Indian lithospheric mantle probably detached from the Indian crust. Our study further discussed the underplating of the mantle-derived materials and the southern extrusion along the Main Himalaya Trust, and offered a subsidiary evidence for the possible “south-eastward crustal flow” in a local area. Finally, the relationship between the electrical structure and the deep metallogenic mechanism was briefly established.

Subduction of the Indian Plate and the Nature of the Crust Beneath Western Tibet: Insights From Seismic Imaging

AbstractThe northward extent of subducted Indian plate is a fundamental component of hypotheses explaining deformation and magmatism within the Tibetan Plateau. Yet, these aspects of the plate are debated in west Tibet. Here we report a new three‐dimensional lithospheric structure of seismic velocity and radial anisotropy under west Tibet constructed from Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity maps at periods of 20–167 and 20–125 s, respectively. Our results show the Indian lithospheric mantle to be subhorizontally subducted under west Tibet across the Bangong‐Nujiang suture to the Qiangtang terrane, as indicated by a prominent fast velocity anomaly accompanied with positive radial anisotropy (Vsh > Vsv). We find a positive spatial correlation of this result with information on the distribution of late Cenozoic potassic‐adakitic rocks in western Tibet. Additionally, we show that the midcrust of west Tibet is characterized by an anomalously low shear wave velocity (3.2–3.4 km/s at ~30‐km depth) and positive anisotropy, which is consistent with an estimated ~3% fraction of partial melt. We suggest that the midcrust of this region is capable of flowing and that its three‐dimensional structure shows it to extend south of the Karakoram fault (KKF), a shear zone interpreted as a barrier to crustal flow. Instead, our results are consistent with the KKF embedded in weak middle crust along with several other structures that display a pattern of distributed deformation in the western portion of the Tibetan Plateau.

Undulating Moho beneath a near-uniform surface of central Tibet

We present 805 reliable estimates of crustal thickness in central Tibet, revealing an undulating Moho beneath a near-uniform surface of the highest and the largest plateau in the world. Our results are derived from wide-angle reflections of P-waves from virtual seismic sources near seismographs (Virtual Deep Seismic Sounding, VDSS). The virtual sources are produced by large earthquakes well-distributed in back-azimuth; and we also utilize obvious changes of measured arrival times as a function of ray-parameter to constrain independently bulk thickness and P-wave speed of the crust (about 6.3 km/s), so there is little trade-off between the two parameters. Additionally, we consider effects of known heterogeneities in the upper mantle. In regions surrounding the Hi-CLIMB linear array, there is an eastward trend, in addition to the previously proposed northward trend, of crustal thinning. Respectively, these trends are approximately parallel and normal to the Indian mantle front (IMF), or the northern, leading edge of underthrust lithospheric mantle of India, deduced from a collection of additional geophysical evidence. The Moho near the IMF also shows large, 3-D variations in depths, prompting us to propose that the leading edge of intact Indian lower crust, or the Indian crustal front (ICF) that accompanied the underthrusting Indian lithospheric mantle beneath Tibet, lies along the zone of disturbed Moho. Based on results from about a dozen permanent broadband seismographs of the China National Seismic Network, more-or-less flat-lying, and thus presumably stable, cratonic Indian Moho south of the ICF apparently extends eastward for another 500 km to about 93°E.

Seismic Structure Beneath the Tibetan Plateau From Iterative Finite‐Frequency Tomography Based on ChinArray: New Insights Into the Indo‐Asian Collision

AbstractIndo‐Asian continental collision has contributed to the growth of the Tibetan Plateau, which is one of the most prominent uplifts worldwide since Cenozoic. The crustal and upper‐mantle structures are key factors in understanding the evolutionary process as well as lateral growth of the plateau. We present a new 3‐D seismic model beneath the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas, which uses a large‐scale dense array from iterative finite‐frequency tomography. The new tomographic images show obvious east‐west geometrical change of the northward Indian lithosphere by high‐velocity anomalies beneath Tibet. The high‐velocity anomaly extends to Pamir in the western side, but it only reaches north Lhasa in central and eastern Tibet. A convective removal of the thickened Tibetan lithosphere is observed as a high‐velocity anomaly, followed by a subvertical subduction of the Indian mantle lithosphere beneath the Bangong‐Nujiang Suture in central Tibet. We speculate its link to the widespread magmatism and rapid uplift of central Tibet in late Miocene. A high‐velocity gap between 100 and 250 km underneath the Longmenshan fault indicates that lithospheric delamination may play an important role in surface evolution between eastern Tibet and surrounding rigid blocks. Our detailed seismological model will give an insight into how the continents collide.

Lithospheric structure of western Tibet – A brief review

Over the course of the last hundred years or so, there have been countless seismic experiments conducted under the aegis of different research programs, which have aimed to investigate the structure of the crust and uppermost mantle of the western Tibetan Plateau. However, there have been fewer detailed lithographic studies of the western sector of the Tibetan Plateau, and those that have been conducted have principally fallen under the research umbrella of the ANTILOPE (Array Network of Tibetan International Lithospheric Observation and Probe Experiments). In this paper, we summarize the important research findings that have been gathered using comprehensive geophysical profiles, and provide an overall view of the lithospheric structure of the western Tibetan Plateau that has resulted from the onset of tectonic collision and the continuous convergence of the Indian and Eurasian plates since ~65 Ma ago. In western Tibet, the subducted Indian lithospheric mantle is moving towards the northern edge of the Plateau, colliding with the Tarim Basin at 80°E. However, the Tarim Basin shows different nature of subductions in eastern, central and western regions itself.The maximum Moho depth (~93 km) beneath the Qiangtang Terrane marks the northern margin of the decoupled underthrusting Indian Plate’s lower crust and the lithospheric mantle. The broader, stronger terrain of the western Tibetan Plateau may indicate an eastward-broadening shape and a lower Cenozoic shortening, and the relatively larger width of the Lhasa-Qiangtang terranes may be a key factor controlling the geodynamic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau.

Complex structure of upper mantle beneath the Yadong-Gulu rift in Tibet revealed by S-to-P converted waves

The convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates has produced the thick crust and uplifted the Tibetan plateau since about 50 Ma. However, the deformation of the mantle lithosphere is still a puzzle. The geometry of the subducting Indian mantle lithosphere beneath the plateau and the thickening or/and delamination of the Tibetan mantle lithosphere are the keys for understanding the continental collision process and the evolution of the plateau. However, knowledge has been restricted due to sparse data coverage in Tibet. In this study, S-wave receiver functions are calculated using tele-seismic waveforms recorded by two broadband arrays in central Tibet to image the lithospheric structure, mainly the depth variation of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). Our results show that the depth of the Tibetan LAB decreases from ∼150 km in the west to ∼120 km in the east across the north-south trending Yadong-Gulu rift. Similarly, the LAB depth of the subducting Indian slab decreases from ∼270 km in the west to ∼200 km in the east, and the northernmost subducting Indian slab can be observed beneath the Bangong-Nujiang suture. These observations suggest that the thickness of the Tibetan lithosphere and the depth of the underlying Indian slab are segmented across the Yadong-Gulu rift in different degrees. The abrupt changes imply that the subducting Indian slab has been torn, which provided an upwelling channel for the asthenosphere contributing to the development of the rift.

East‐West Differential Underthrusting of the Indian Lithospheric Plate Beneath Central Tibet Revealed by Imaging VP/VS

AbstractAlthough numerous research studies have already provided basic information on deeper lithospheric structure under Tibet, the northernmost edge and the geometry of the northward underthrusting of the Indian mantle lithosphere are yet to be understood. The P wave to S wave velocity ratio (VP/VS) can provide more insight into the mantle physical state than either VP or VS alone, owing to their different sensitivities to partial melting, temperature, and composition. High VP/VS usually indicates that partial melting exists in the upper mantle, while anomalously low VP/VS in the upper mantle reflects the enrichment of orthopyroxene in the subduction zone mantle wedge. Using teleseismic records of 164 broadband stations deployed in central Tibet, we obtained a high‐resolution velocity ratio image of the upper mantle. A striking difference is seen between western and eastern Tibet. A distinct high VP/VS zone exists at relatively a shallow depth (<200 km) to the west of the Yadong‐Gulu Rift, while the eastern part exhibits a shallow region (south of the Bangong‐Nujiang suture in the depth range of 120–160 km) with abnormally low VP/VS. Moreover, there are high VP/VS areas existing below 270‐km depth, and it appears further east at depth of 340 km than that at depth of 270 km. We propose that this difference reflects different geometries of the underthrusting Indian mantle lithosphere from west to east. Slab tearing under eastern Tibet and lithospheric delamination under western Tibet are likely good candidates to explain the observation.