Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Assessment of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from Paddy Field by Means of Static Closed Chambers Maintaining Plants Within Headspace
Published on: September 6, 2018
Linking deeply-sourced volatile emissions to plateau growth dynamics in southeastern Tibetan Plateau
Maoliang Zhang1, Zhengfu Guo2,3, Sheng Xu4
1Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. mzhang@tju.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The episodic growth of high-elevation orogenic plateaux is controlled by a series of geodynamic processes. However, determining the underlying mechanisms that drive plateau growth dynamics over geological history and constraining the depths at which growth originates, remains challenging. Here we present He-CO2-N2 systematics of hydrothermal fluids that reveal the existence of a lithospheric-scale fault system in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, whereby multi-stage plateau growth occurred in the geological past and continues to the present. He isotopes provide unambiguous evidence for the involvement of mantle-scale dynamics in lateral expansion and localized surface uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The excellent correlation between 3He/4He values and strain rates, along the strike of Indian indentation into Asia, suggests non-uniform distribution of stresses between the plateau boundary and interior, which modulate southeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau within the context of India-Asia convergence. Our results demonstrate that deeply-sourced volatile geochemistry can be used to constrain deep dynamic processes involved in orogenic plateau growth.
Related Concept Videos
Global Climate Change
The Carbon Cycle
Isothermal Processes
An ideal gas can also undergo isothermal expansion or compression.
For example, consider 1 mole of an ideal gas inside an isolated cylinder at initial volume V...
Threats to Biodiversity
Responses to Drought and Flooding
The Sulfur Cycle

