Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow

There is considerable controversy over the nature of geophysically recognized low-velocity-high-conductivity zones (LV-HCZs) within the Tibetan crust, and their role in models for the development of the Tibetan Plateau. Here we report petrological and geochemical data on magmas erupted 4.7-0.3 Myr a...

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Main Authors: Wang, Q., Hawkesworth, C., Wyman, D., Chung, S., Wu, F., Li, X., Li, Zheng-Xiang, Gou, G., Zhang, X., Tang, G., Dan, W., Ma, L., Dong, Y.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Macmillan Publishers Limited 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30504
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author Wang, Q.
Hawkesworth, C.
Wyman, D.
Chung, S.
Wu, F.
Li, X.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Gou, G.
Zhang, X.
Tang, G.
Dan, W.
Ma, L.
Dong, Y.
author_facet Wang, Q.
Hawkesworth, C.
Wyman, D.
Chung, S.
Wu, F.
Li, X.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Gou, G.
Zhang, X.
Tang, G.
Dan, W.
Ma, L.
Dong, Y.
author_sort Wang, Q.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description There is considerable controversy over the nature of geophysically recognized low-velocity-high-conductivity zones (LV-HCZs) within the Tibetan crust, and their role in models for the development of the Tibetan Plateau. Here we report petrological and geochemical data on magmas erupted 4.7-0.3 Myr ago in central and northern Tibet, demonstrating that they were generated by partial melting of crustal rocks at temperatures of 700-1,050°C and pressures of 0.5-1.5 GPa. Thus Pliocene-Quaternary melting of crustal rocks occurred at depths of 15-50 km in areas where the LV-HCZs have been recognized. This provides new petrological evidence that the LV-HCZs are sources of partial melt. It is inferred that crustal melting played a key role in triggering crustal weakening and outward crustal flow in the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-14T08:19:15Z
publishDate 2016
publisher Macmillan Publishers Limited
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-305042017-09-13T15:33:14Z Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow Wang, Q. Hawkesworth, C. Wyman, D. Chung, S. Wu, F. Li, X. Li, Zheng-Xiang Gou, G. Zhang, X. Tang, G. Dan, W. Ma, L. Dong, Y. There is considerable controversy over the nature of geophysically recognized low-velocity-high-conductivity zones (LV-HCZs) within the Tibetan crust, and their role in models for the development of the Tibetan Plateau. Here we report petrological and geochemical data on magmas erupted 4.7-0.3 Myr ago in central and northern Tibet, demonstrating that they were generated by partial melting of crustal rocks at temperatures of 700-1,050°C and pressures of 0.5-1.5 GPa. Thus Pliocene-Quaternary melting of crustal rocks occurred at depths of 15-50 km in areas where the LV-HCZs have been recognized. This provides new petrological evidence that the LV-HCZs are sources of partial melt. It is inferred that crustal melting played a key role in triggering crustal weakening and outward crustal flow in the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30504 10.1038/ncomms11888 Macmillan Publishers Limited fulltext
spellingShingle Wang, Q.
Hawkesworth, C.
Wyman, D.
Chung, S.
Wu, F.
Li, X.
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Gou, G.
Zhang, X.
Tang, G.
Dan, W.
Ma, L.
Dong, Y.
Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow
title Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow
title_full Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow
title_fullStr Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow
title_full_unstemmed Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow
title_short Pliocene-Quaternary crustal melting in central and northern Tibet and insights into crustal flow
title_sort pliocene-quaternary crustal melting in central and northern tibet and insights into crustal flow
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30504