Geodynamics of NW India: Subduction, lithospheric flexure, ridges and seismicity

Spectral analysis of digital data of the Bouguer anomaly map of NW India suggests maximum depth of causative sources as 134 km that represents the regional field and coincides with the upwarped lithosphere — asthenosphere boundary as inferred from seismic tomography. This upwarping of the Indian plate in this section is related to the lithospheric flexure due to its down thrusting along the Himalayan front. The other causative layers are located at depths of 33, 17, and 6 km indicating depth to the sources along the Moho, lower crust and the basement under Ganga foredeep, the former two also appear to be upwarped as crustal bulge with respect to their depths in adjoining sections. The gravity and the geoid anomaly maps of the NW India provide two specific trends, NW-SE and NE-SW oriented highs due to the lithospheric flexure along the NW Himalayan fold belt in the north and the Western fold belt (Kirthar -Sulaiman ranges, Pakistan) and the Aravalli Delhi Fold Belt (ADFB) in the west, respectively. The lithospheric flexures also manifest them self as crustal bulge and shallow basement ridges such as Delhi — Lahore — Sagodha ridge and Jaisalmer — Ganganagar ridge. There are other NE-SW oriented gravity and geoid highs that may be related to thermal events such as plumes that affected this region. The ADFB and its margin faults extend through Ganga basin and intersect the NW Himalayan front in the Nahan salient and the Dehradun reentrant that are more seismogenic. Similarly, the extension of NE-SW oriented gravity highs associated with Jaisalmer — Ganganagar flexure and ridge towards the Himalayan front meets the gravity highs of the Kangra reentrant that is also seismogenic and experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 1905. Even parts of the lithospheric flexure and related basement ridge of Delhi — Lahore — Sargodha show more seismic activity in its western part and around Delhi as compared to other parts. The geoid highs over the Jaisalmer — Ganganagar ridge passes through Kachchh rift and connects it to plate boundaries towards the SW (Murray ridge) and NW (Kirthar range) that makes the Kachchh as a part of a diffused plate boundary, which, is one of the most seismogenic regions with large scale mafic intrusive that is supported from 3-D seismic tomography. The modeling of regional gravity field along a profile, Ganganagar — Chandigarh extended beyond the Main Central Thrust (MCT) constrained from the various seismic studies across different parts of the Himalaya suggests crustal thickening from 35-36 km under plains up to ～56 km under the MCT for a density of 3.1 g/cm³ and 3.25 g/cm³ of the lower most crust and the upper mantle, respectively. An upwarping of ～3 km in the Moho, crust and basement south of the Himalayan frontal thrusts is noticed due to the lithospheric flexure. High density for the lower most crust indicates partial eclogitization that releases copious fluid that may cause reduction of density in the upper mantle due to sepentinization (3.25 g/cm³). It has also been reported from some other sections of Himalaya. Modeling of the residual gravity and magnetic fields along the same profile suggest gravity highs and lows of NW India to be caused by basement ridges and depressions, respectively. Basement also shows high susceptibility indicating their association with mafic rocks. High density and high magnetization rocks in the basement north of Chandigarh may represent part of the ADFB extending to the Himalayan front primarily in the Nahan salient. The Nahan salient shows a basement uplift of ～ 2 km that appears to have diverted courses of major rivers on either sides of it. The shallow crustal model has also delineated major Himalayan thrusts that merge subsurface into the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), which, is a decollment plane.     

CRUSTAL STRUCTURE IN EASTERN REGION OF QINGHAI—TIBET PLATEAU

CRUSTAL STRUCTURE IN EASTERN REGION OF QINGHAI—TIBET PLATEAU     

Subcrustal density inhomogeneities of Northern Eurasia as derived from the gravity data and isostatic models of the lithosphere

For the territory of Northern Eurasia (6°E–165°W; 30–75°N) the distribution of anomalous masses in the lithosphere has been estimated in accordance with the lithosphere isostatic model. The method of model construction is based on the admittance technique. The experimental admittance presents a relation between the part of the outer load uncompensated by the Moho undulations and the residual gravity field and is used to select the best model. The 1 × 1° averaged values of topography elevations, basement and Moho depths, sedimentary cover density and gravity anomalies have been used as initial data. According to the correlation equation relating the outer load and Moho depths, the mean density contrast between the lower crust and the subcrustal lithosphere is 0.43 g/cm³, but the Moho undulation can not provide complete isostatic equilibrium. In some areas, the part of the outer load uncompensated by Moho undulations may be as large as 10⁷ kg/m² and the residual gravity field is as intensive as + 260 mGal. Assuming that for loads of wavelength > 200 km, local isostatic compensation is valid, in accordance with the admittance analysis, the anomalous masses compensating for the part of the outer load, which is not compensated by Moho undulations, have to be located partly in the lower crust and in the subcrustal layer. The regional trend of anomalous compensating masses is negative under Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Eastern Asia and adjacent marginal seas, and positive under the East European Platform and Western and Central Asia. The local compensating masses correspond to particular tectonic units. The isostatic gravity anomalies of Northern Eurasia have been determined and the long-wave component of the field reflecting anomalous masses under the isostatic compensation level has been evaluated.     

Detecting rift basins in the Evans Ice Stream region of West Antarctica using airborne gravity data

A total of 11,500 line km of aerogravity data have been used to construct an free-air gravity anomaly map for the Antarctic region that may contain the microplate boundary between the Haag Nunataks block and southern Antarctic Peninsula. Along-line free-air gravity anomaly data resolved wavelengths of 9 km or greater with better than 5 mGal accuracy. Coincident radio echo soundings provided data to construct a digital terrain model. The gravity effect of the terrain was calculated by Gauss–Legendre quadrature (GLQ) and spectrally correlated with the free-air gravity data. Terrain-correlated free-air anomalies related to possible isostatic imbalances of the crust were separated from terrain-decorrelated anomalies that may reflect intra-crustal density contrasts. Subtracting terrain-correlated free-air anomalies from the gravity effects of the terrain yielded compensated terrain gravity effects (CTGE) that were used to model the Moho by inversion. The results indicate moderate but significant crustal thinning below the Evans Ice Stream that is consistent with an extensional origin for the deep, wide, steep-sided trough that contains the ice stream as well as the continued elevation of the footwall flank of the basin. Changes along the axis of the rift, both in the gravity anomaly field and the distribution of Moho topography, can be explained by processes associated with continental lithospheric extension. Subsequently, many of the features produced by extension have been modified by glacial erosion and the sub-ice topography and gravity data reflect this.     

Subsurface structure derived from detailed gravity and magnetic investigations along the Pala-Maneri traverse of the Main Central Thrust,NW Himalaya

A detailed, integrated gravity and magnetic study across the Main Central Thrust (MCT) along the Pala-Maneri traverse in Uttaranchal, NW Himalaya was carried out. The gravity data was acquired using a CG-3 gravity meter with an accuracy of 0.005 mGal, while magnetic data was acquired using a proton precession magnetometer with a station interval of 20 m. Data was collected along a 11.7 km, NE-SW traverse from Pala to Maneri along the proposed route of a hydroelectric headrace tunnel. The measured variation in the gravity field was approximately 70 mGal, with two prominent highs recorded at distances of 0.5 km, 7.5 km and lows at 3.0 km, 10.5 km from Maneri. The gravity highs can be attributed to presence of high-density rocks along the thrust planes. The sharp gravity low recorded at 10.5 km distance possibly indicates a sympathetic fault of the MCT that is highly saturated with fluids (water). The broad gravity low between 2.5 km and 4.0 km distance is likely to represent the gravity signature of the MCT itself. The measured variation in the magnetic field was approximately 285 nT. The associated gravity and magnetic signatures located several faults along the traverse including presence of the MCT at Kumaltigad.     

DEFORMATION OF THE EASTERN HIMALAYAN SYNTAXIS: EVIDENCES FROM STRUCTURES AND KINEMATICS OF ITS WESTERN BOUNDARY

DEFORMATION OF THE EASTERN HIMALAYAN SYNTAXIS: EVIDENCES FROM STRUCTURES AND KINEMATICS OF ITS WESTERN BOUNDARYtheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina (grants 49732 10 0and 4980 2 0 2 0 )     

QUATERNARY GROWTH FOLDS IN THE JIUXI BASIN AT THE NORTHEASTERN MARGIN OF THE QINGHAI—XIZANG PLATEAU

QUATERNARY GROWTH FOLDS IN THE JIUXI BASIN AT THE NORTHEASTERN MARGIN OF THE QINGHAI—XIZANG PLATEAUgrants 49732 0 90and 496 0 2 0 36fromtheNSFofChina     

GEOBAROMETRIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE DEPTH OF EMPLACEMENT OF GRANITE FROM THE LADAKH BATHOLITH, NORTHWEST HIMALAYA, INDIA

GEOBAROMETRIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE DEPTH OF EMPLACEMENT OF GRANITE FROM THE LADAKH BATHOLITH, NORTHWEST HIMALAYA, INDIA1　BlundyJD ,HollandTJB .Calcicamphiboleequilibriaandanewamphibole plagioclasegeothermometer[J] .ContribMiner alPetrol,1990 ,10 4 :2 0 8～ 2 2 4 . 2　SchmidtMW .Amphibolecompositionintonaliteasafunctionofpressure:anexperimentalcalibrationoftheAl inhorn blendebarometer[J] .ContribMineralPetrol,1992 ,110 :30 4～ 310 . 3　Th…     

最佳向上延拓高度的估计

提出根据两个相邻高度重力异常向上延拓值相关系数与高度的关系 ,以估计应用向上延拓分离区域及剩余重力异常的最佳向上延拓高度的方法。二维模型计算表明 ,不同高度的观测重力异常向上延拓值和观测面上区域重力异常值的互相关系数与高度的关系曲线 ,存在一个明显的极大值 ;这个极大值对应的高度 ,就是从观测异常中分离出这一区域重力异常所需要的最佳向上延拓高度。两个相邻高度重力异常向上延拓值之间的互相关系数与高度的关系曲线 ,存在一个明显的转折点 ,这个转折点对应的高度 ,就是所求的最佳向上延拓高度。应用本方法处理华南北部地区布格重力异常的结果表明 ,由于引起本区区域重力异常的地质因素 ,除了莫霍面及上地壳底面外 ,还受到本区广泛分布甚至出露的花岗岩的影响 ;所以为了从观测异常中分离这一区域异常所需要的最佳向上延拓高度为 2 0 0km ,小于莫霍面及上地壳底界面的平均深度。为了从观测异常中分离出由莫霍面引起的重力异常所需要的向上延拓高度 ,达到 15 0km。因此 ,应用本方法处理实测重力资料 ,必须首先了解引起区域重力异常的场源情况。     

THE CRUSTAL STRUCTURE OF NORTHEASTERN TIBET: A RESULT OF RECEIVER FUNCTION ANALYSIS FOR TELESEISMIC P WAVEFORM

THE CRUSTAL STRUCTURE OF NORTHEASTERN TIBET: A RESULT OF RECEIVER FUNCTION ANALYSIS FOR TELESEISMIC P WAVEFORM     

Flexural modeling of the neoproterozoic Araguaia belt,central Brazil

Flexural modeling of bending of the southern and southeastern borders of the Amazon lithospheric plate under the western border of the Goiás Massif and western Parnaı́ba basin was constrained by 1070 gravity stations between 5°–14°S and 46°–52.5°W. Topography and aeromagnetic data were also used to estimate the loads of the Araguaia thrust belt. A sequence of Bouguer gravity anomaly lows (−80 to −40 mGal) is located over the Araguaia thrust belt and Cenozoic sediments of the Ilha do Bananal basin. Bouguer anomalies over the Amazon craton, to the west of the thrust belt, are higher than −20 mGal. Towards the east, over the Goiás Massif, the São Francisco craton and the Paleozoic to Mesozoic Parnaı́ba basin, anomalies range from −70 to −20 mGal. Comparison between topography and gravity along profiles perpendicular to the cratonic borders and across the Araguaia thrust belt shows that the long-wavelength gravity anomalies are best explained by bending of the Amazon plate caused by loads such as the observed topography, the thrust-sheets of the Araguaia belt and the remnants of ancient island-arc system in the Goiás massif. The thickness of the Araguaia thrust belt together with the Cenozoic sediments was estimated using aeromagnetic data and it ranges from 6 to 8 km. This load was used to calculate the minimum effective elastic thickness T_e for the Amazon plate. T_e=80 km was estimated by comparing the observed Bouguer anomalies with the gravity anomalies caused by bending of the crust-mantle interface of a broken elastic plate model. These results support the proposition that the Araguaia belt formed during the collision and suture of the Amazon and the São Francisco lithospheric plates, in late Proterozoic times.     

DEFINITING AND ITS GEOLOGIC MEANING OF SOUTH-NORTH TREND FAULTED STRUCTURE BELT IN QIANGTANG BASIN, NORTH PART OF TIBET

There were more expounding to north—west (west) trend fault and north\|east trend fault within Qiangtang Basin, North Part of Tibet, in the past literature. With increasing of geophysical exploration data, nearly east\|west trend structure began to be taken note to. Since the year of 1995, by a synthetic study to geophysical and geological data, that south\|north trend faulted structures are well developed. These structures should be paid much more attention to, because they have important theoretical meaning and practical significance.1 Spreading of south\|north faulted structure belt According to different geological and geophysical data, the six larger scale nearly south\|north faulted structure belt could be distinguished within the scope of east longitude 84°～96° and near Qiangtang Basin. The actual location of the six belts are nearly located in the west of the six meridian of east longitude 85°,87°,89°,91°,93°,95° or located near these meridian. The six south\|north faulted structure belts spread in the same interval with near 2° longitude interval. The more clear and much more significance of south\|north trend faulted structure belts are the two S—N trend faulted structure belts of east longitude 87° and 89°. There are S—N trend faulted structure belts in the west of east longitude 83°,81°, or near the longitudes. The structure belts spreading features,manifestation,geological function and its importance, and inter texture and structure are not exactly so same. The structure belts all different degree caused different region of geological structure or gravity field and magnetic field. There is different scale near S—N trend faulted structure belt between the belts.     

Crust and Upper Structure of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Its Adjacent Regions From Surface Waveform Inversion

CRUST AND UPPER STRUCTURE OF QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU AND ITS ADJACENT REGIONS FROM SURFACE WAVEFORM INVERSION     

青藏高原现今构造变形特征与GPS速度场

文章以青藏高原的GPS观测数据为基础 ,结合活动地质构造资料 ,研究了青藏高原的现今构造变形状态和机制 ,并探讨青藏高原现今构造变形所反映的大陆内部动力学过程。GPS观测的速度矢量揭示了青藏高原整体向北和向东运动的趋势 ,平行于印度和欧亚板块碰撞方向上的地壳缩短量约是 38mm/a ,而青藏高原周边主要断裂带的滑动速率均在 10mm/a以下。大约 90 %的印度与欧亚板块相对运动量被青藏高原的地壳缩短所吸收和调节。GPS速度矢量由南向北逐渐向东偏转 ,向东的分量也增加 ,形成了以羌塘地块北部 (或玛尼—玉树—鲜水河断裂 )和祁连山中部为中心的两个地壳物质向东流动带。青藏高原的向东挤出实际上是地壳物质在印度板块推挤下和周边刚性地块阻挡下围绕东构造结发生的顺时针旋转。     

Characteristics and Tectonic Significance of the Gravity Field in South China

Based on gravity data processed with the matched filter, depth continuation and horizontal gradient we obtained the spatial distribution of the gravity field and made analyses of the tectonic framework of South China. Then, inversion was conducted for the depth to study the depth variation of the boundary between the crust and upper mantle, namely the Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho). The results demonstrate that the Moho depth in South China ranges from 30 to 40 km, and the crust thins from west to east, 27-29 km under the continent margin and shallow sea. We think it possible that the Tanlu fault crosses the Yangtze River and extends southwards along the Ganjiang and Wuchuan-Sihui faults to the South China Sea, and that there is an E-W hidden structural belt along 24.5°-26°.     

INDIA/ASIA CONVERGENCE AND HIMALAYAN SHORTENING

INDIA/ASIA CONVERGENCE AND HIMALAYAN SHORTENING     

从宽角地震数据得出的特提斯喜马拉雅南部的速度结构

作为ＩＮＤＥＰＴＨ计划的第一阶段，完成了一条跨过特提斯喜马拉雅南缘的深地震共中点（ＣＭＰ）剖面，它绘制出俯冲到喜马拉雅之下的印度大陆地壳的顶部（主喜马拉雅道冲或ＭＨＴ）和底部（莫霍层）轮廓。我们用移动式地震仪记录了ＣＭＰ剖面的爆炸，偏移距最大达１５５ｋｍ。短偏移距数据证实了ＣＭＰ剖面的数据，而我们的大偏移距数据则以强反射带为主。我们将这一反射带的强的初始相位解释为藏南滑脱系（ＳＴＤ），而其最后一个相位则为ＭＨＴ的反映。我们用ＣＭＰ剖面的初动数据去详细地模拟最上部２ｋｍ的结构。亚东裂谷系中年青的伸展盆地的深度约束在２ｋｍ，给出了裂谷东侧的断距为４．６ｋｍ，在特提斯喜马拉雅内的正断层，Ｅ－Ｗ向伸展１．５％。宽角数据用于建立地表到ＭＨＴ的地震波速度模型。ＳＴＤ反射体北倾１３°，从约６ｋｍ深（在ＣＭＰ剖面南端之下）到２２ｋｍ深，然后变平，倾角减至５°。这样，我们的观测提出ＳＴＤ是一个深的基底断裂，对ＭＨＴ，我们观测到倾角为７５°，ＮＮＥ倾，从高喜马拉雅山脊下的－２０ｋｍ海拔到雅鲁藏布江缝合带南约７０ｋｍ处的－３６ｋｍ海拔（地表下４０ｋｍ）。我们提出印度地壳可能俯冲到缝合带地表之下，却不可能是整体俯冲。     

~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE SUTURE ZONE, LADAKH, INDIA

~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE SUTURE ZONE, LADAKH, INDIA1　TalatAhmedetal.GeochemicalJournal,1999. 2　HoneggerK ,etal.EarthandPlanetaryScienceLetters,1982 ,6 0 :2 53. 3　SearleMP ,etal.GeologicalSocietyofAmericaBulletin ,1987,98:6 78. 4　SharmaK ,K .PhysicsandChemistryoftheEarth ,1990 ,17( 2 ) :133. 5　Venkatesan ,etal.EarthandPlanetSciLett,1993,119:181.…     

喜马拉雅及其邻区的重力异常、岩石圈构造与板块动力模型

本文按统一比例尺编制了印度-青藏地区1°×1°重力异常图和地形高程图,并用滑动平均方法得到了本区5°×5°重力异常图。用地改后的1°×1°重力异常,采用组合体模型人一机联作选择法,计算了横跨印度-青藏-蒙古长达4680km的岩石圈剖面,还给出了一个楔形体重力正演公式。基本结果有:(1)MBT、MCT的倾角为10°±5°,ITS、NS、KS的倾角为75°±5°;(2)地壳滑脱面的深度在青藏之下约20km,向高喜马拉雅、MCT、MBT抬升至15km;(3)青藏高原南、北边缘均为岩石圈结构的斜坡带,界面倾角由上向下而增大。在大、小喜马拉雅之下,壳内界面(Ⅰ、Ⅱ)的倾角约12°,Moho倾角为18°,岩石圈底面倾角约36°。在祁连山带所有界面倾角都小于喜马拉雅带,其中壳内界面倾角仅约1°,Moho倾角约2°,岩石圈底面倾角约12°;(4)岩石圈厚度由印度、蒙古向高喜马拉雅和祁连山带逐渐增加,与青藏岩石圈的边缘上翘形成主动俯冲和相对逆冲势态。印度岩石圈厚度(或上地幔顶部低密层埋深)不超过50km,蒙古高原(南)厚约70km,到高喜马拉雅和祁连山下分别增加至145和122km,青藏中心地带(怒江两侧)岩石圈厚135km,向南,北边缘各减小到120和90～102km,在高喜马拉雅和祁连山下面形成25和10km的断差;(5)在青藏Moho之下厚5km的高密薄层和软流层之间有一密     

Remote Sensing Research on North Part of the Yulong Copper Deposits Zone in Xizang(Tibet)

REMOTE SENSING RESEARCH ON NORTH PART OF THE YULONG COPPER DEPOSITS ZONE IN XIZANG (TIBET)