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Seismic Evidence for a Detached Indian Lithospheric Mantle Beneath Tibet
1Institute of the Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, B. Gruzinskaya 10, 128810 Moscow, Russia. GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany. Freie Universität Berlin, Geophysik, Malteser Strasse 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 26, 1999
Summary
Seismic waves reveal a north-dipping interface beneath Tibet, suggesting distinct lithospheric mantle detachment between Indian and Asian plates due to compositional and buoyancy differences.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Seismology
- Tectonics
Background:
- The Tibetan Plateau is a result of the India-Asia continental collision.
- Understanding the lithospheric structure beneath Tibet is crucial for plate tectonics research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To image the subsurface structure beneath the Tibetan Plateau using seismic data.
- To investigate the nature of the lithospheric mantle detachment.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of P-to-S converted teleseismic waves.
- Utilizing data from temporary broadband seismic networks across Tibet.
Main Results:
- A north-dipping interface was imaged starting 50 km north of the Zangbo suture at Moho depth (80 km) and extending to 200 km depth beneath the Bangong suture.
- A segmented, south-dipping structure was observed beneath northern Tibet.
Conclusions:
- The observed structures indicate differential detachment of the Indian and Asian lithospheric mantles.
- Variations in mantle composition and buoyancy likely drive these distinct detachment processes.
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