Growth of the Namche Barwa Syntaxis and associated evolution of the Tsangpo Gorge: Constraints from structural and thermochronological data

The eastern syntaxis of the Himalaya, Namche Barwa, is dominated by a north-plunging antiform which began to decompress/grow at approximately 4 Ma. New fission-track analyses on both apatite and zircon, combined with previous geochronological ages, indicate that the Namche Barwa Dome also extended laterally while growing vertically. Zircon fission-track ages range from 17.6 to 0.2 Ma and have a strong relationship to the main faults of the region, including the Tertiary Tsangpo Suture, with the younger ages inside the fault bounds towards the syntaxis core on the Indian Plate and the older ages away from the fault. Apatite ages reveal that the dome has grown laterally and now impinges over the older faulted margin onto the Asian Plate. The dome is traversed by the Tsangpo which has followed the trace of the Suture for over 1300 km from its source to the entrance of the dome near Dania. As the Tsangpo crosses the dome it departs from the Suture but rejoins it some 60 km northeastwards. We construe that the Suture has been displaced by the growing antiform and as a consequence, the antecedent river has been “dragged” in a left-lateral sense along the exhuming north-plunging dome. Restoring the Suture to its position prior to 4 Ma reveals a path of the Tsangpo eastwards across the present southwestern position of the Namche Barwa indentation. This geometric reconstrunction implies that the Tsangpo and the Brahmaputra were always one and the same river. In addition, the Tsangpo was tectonically forced into juxtaposition with a tributary of the Jiali-Parlung which it probably then captured. The capture was due to tectonic forcing, in the last 4 Ma, rather than headward retreat of the paleo-Brahmaputra as has been previously suggested.     

喜马拉雅造山带东构造结拉布拉多期和格林威尔期造山作用的记录

位于喜马拉雅东构造结西北部的南迦巴瓦复合体,是构造应力最强、隆升和剥蚀最快、新生代变质和深熔作用最强的地区。为厘定该地区早期的变质岩浆作用,本文对南迦巴瓦复合体北部的花岗片麻岩和混合岩进行了岩石学和年代学研究。花岗片麻岩原岩为富钾的偏铝质花岗岩,具有岩浆弧花岗岩的成分特征。花岗片麻岩中的锆石具有岩浆锆石的环带结构,记录了487.9±1.6Ma的一期构造岩浆事件;混合岩的锆石具有明显的核-边结构,核部和边部的不协和线交点年龄分别为1559±13Ma、1154±12Ma。对比印度大陆东部的西隆高原、东高止造山带,发现三者都经历了拉布拉多期、格林威尔期以及泛非期的造山作用。因此,我们认为喜马拉雅东构造结与这两个地区密切相关,可能是他们向北的延伸,这三者可能组成统一的印度大陆东部造山带,一起经历了哥伦比亚超大陆、Rodinia和冈瓦纳超大陆的聚合与裂解过程。     

利用远震接收函数揭示的喜马拉雅东构造结台阵下方地壳结构及其动力学意义

在喜马拉雅造山带的东缘,雅鲁藏布江缝合带在这里发生急剧转折,南迦巴瓦变质体快速隆起,然而关于东构造结的形成机制一直未有定论.利用围绕南迦巴瓦峰的48个宽频带地震台站记录的远震数据提取P波接收函数,采用改进的H-κ叠加方法和共转换点叠加方法综合研究了东构造结的地壳厚度、波速比分布和地壳结构特征.结果表明：研究区平均地壳厚度为64.03 km,大部分台站介于60.48~66.55 km范围;平均波速比为1.728,主要集中范围为1.696~1.742.东构造结地壳厚度横向变化剧烈,构造结西端和北端厚而中间薄,东构造结核部Moho面呈现上隆的构造形态,东西向上隆幅度约为6~7 km,南北向的上隆超过9~10 km.东构造结核部地壳上隆减薄可能由高密度、高波速的岩石圈撕裂残片拆沉到上地幔软流圈后重力失衡所致.平均波速比超过1.8的高值异常展布于东构造结的两侧,推测为环东构造结的壳内部分熔融体.东构造结地壳上隆减薄和壳内部分熔融的存在很可能均与幔源热物质的上涌有关,而软流圈地幔的上涌则可能由印度板片的撕裂引起.

     

Evidence for Holocene megafloods down the Tsangpo River gorge, southeastern Tibet

Lacustrine and alluvial terraces and sediments record the extent of at least two Holocene glacially dammed lakes immediately upstream of the Tsangpo River gorge at the eastern syntaxis of the Himalaya. The larger lake covered 2835 km², with a maximum depth of 680 m and contained an estimated 832 km³ of water; the smaller lake contained an estimated 80 km³ of water. Radiocarbon dating of wood and charcoal yielded conventional radiocarbon ages of 8860 ± 40 and 9870 ± 50 ¹⁴C yr B.P. for the higher set of lake terraces, and 1220 ± 40 and 1660 ± 40 ¹⁴C yr B.P. for sediments from the lower terraces. Catastrophic failure of the glacial dams that impounded the lakes would have released outburst floods down the gorge of the Tsangpo River with estimated peak discharges of up to 1 to 5 × 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹. The erosive potential represented by the unit stream power calculated for the head of the gorge during such a catastrophic lake breakout indicates that post-glacial megafloods down the Tsangpo River were likely among the most erosive events in recent Earth history.     

东喜马拉雅构造结更新世两期抬升-剥露事件的裂变径迹证据

对出露在东喜马拉雅构造结南迦巴瓦地区那木拉峰的片麻岩进行了系统垂向上的磷灰石裂变径迹取样分析,在3393～4537m取样高程内的10个样品获得的磷灰石裂变径迹分析结果显示:中值年龄在0.64～1.58Ma之间,平均封闭径迹长度在14.0～15.2μm之间,标准偏差在1.0～3.5μm之间。其中,径迹长度数据为这一地区的首次报道,可以为数据分析的可靠性提供重要保证。通过利用裂变径迹的"香蕉图"模式分析,在这批年龄结果中进一步区分出了代表混合年龄的样品组分和代表事件年龄的样品组分。事件年龄揭示这一地区在更新世有两期抬升-剥露事件的记录,时间分别为1.10±0.24Ma和0.65±0.08Ma。而磷灰石裂变径迹年龄在剖面线上的空间分布显示山体内部的高海拔地区年龄较新,向边缘低海拔地区逐渐变老的趋势。这种分布特征与早期多雄拉-那木拉褶皱构造变形无关,是东喜马拉雅构造结地区正处于快速抬升-剥露过程中的一种指示。据地温梯度30～40℃/km推算的1Ma以来的平均视剥露速率约为2.43～3.24mm/a。而结合前人的研究成果分析,这一地区快速地抬升-剥露过程可能自3Ma已发生。东喜马拉雅构造结1.10Ma和0.65Ma的抬升-剥露事件可以与青藏高原隆起过程中周缘地区的"昆黄运动"、气候转型和沙漠化等同期响应事件在年代学上建立联系。青藏高原的周缘隆起在更新世时期表现出的活动响应具有准同时的特征。     

印度大陆俯冲过程中的高压变质与深熔作用：东喜马拉雅构造结南迦巴瓦杂岩的相平衡模拟研究

位于东喜马拉雅构造结的南迦巴瓦杂岩是高喜马拉雅结晶岩系的一部分,是印度大陆深俯冲到欧亚板块之下经历了高压变质作用的产物。基于岩相学和矿物化学研究,本文对南迦巴瓦杂岩中的泥质变质岩进行了相平衡模拟研究。结果表明,泥质岩石经历了高压麻粒岩相变质作用,峰期矿物组成是石榴石+蓝晶石+黑云母+斜长石+钾长石+石英+金红石,峰期变质条件是~820℃,13.0~13.5kb,表明印度大陆至少俯冲到了约45km深度,构成了青藏高原的加厚下地壳。高压泥质变质岩在进变质和峰期变质过程中经历了白云母和黑云母脱水反应引起的部分深熔,熔融程度可达27vol%,形成了花岗质成分的熔体,构成了喜马拉雅造山带淡色花岗岩的源区。因此,青藏高原具有一个深熔融的中下地壳,为其侧向流动提供了有利的流变学环境。     

南迦巴瓦峰地区雅鲁藏布构造带中石英(片)岩的岩石化学特征及变质条件探讨

雅鲁藏布构造带在喜马拉雅东构造结地区大致呈弧形展布,宽21km～10km的蛇绿混杂岩带,带内岩石类型为云母石英(片)岩、绿片岩和变超镁铁岩块体等。其中云母石英(片)岩类广泛分布,宏观上呈巨大而狭长且岩性较单一的岩片,或与绿片岩(变玄武岩)混杂在一起。在化学成份上,MnO／TiO2比值低,Al／(Al Fe Mn)比值高,与洋脊附近热水成因深海硅质岩有很大的区别。在Al-Fe-Mn图解上,落在“生物成因硅质岩”范围内,原岩应为不纯的硅质岩类和砂、泥质岩,形成于弧后盆地小洋盆。矿物温压计算及多硅白云母的特点说明变质作用曾经历了角闪岩相,变质温压条件可能达到T=500C～650C,P=0.75GPa～0．8GPa,之后,构造带边界阿尼桥断层和米林-鲁朗断层发生强烈走滑,产生低温高压动力变质作用,形成高压、超高压型多硅白云母。     

东喜马拉雅构造结南迦巴瓦群高压麻粒岩中含石榴石花岗岩脉锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年及其与折返作用

东喜马拉雅构造结核部的南迦巴瓦群是经历了高压麻粒岩相峰期变质、角闪岩相退变质和强烈混合岩化作用形成的以含有高压麻粒岩透镜体或夹层为特色的变质岩组合。地质地球化学研究表明产于退变质高压麻粒岩中的含石榴石花岗岩脉具有高钾、富铝、轻稀土强烈富集、分馏程度很高、重稀土相对亏损、Eu强烈亏损、大离子亲石元素及放射性元素相对原始地幔值强烈富集、Rb/Sr1.4的特征。利用花岗岩的主要成分及锆的含量估算的岩浆初始温度为792～801℃,略低于南迦巴瓦群的峰期变质温度850℃。锆石SHRIMPU-Pb定年结果显示锆石核部年龄集中在519～525Ma之间,揭示出印度地块经历泛非期构造运动改造的痕迹。锆石边部主要存在39～44Ma、24～25Ma和7.3Ma三个年龄段,前者代表了花岗岩浆的侵位时代,第二个年龄段是对MCT和STDS构造热事件改造的反映,后者揭示出构造-浅表反馈作用的信息。说明含石榴石花岗岩脉是在南迦巴瓦群折返过程中近等温降压条件下地壳岩石发生"干"深熔作用形成的高钾过铝质钙碱性花岗岩,以及南迦巴瓦群在经历峰期变质作用后很快就开始折返,并在后碰撞过程中经历了藏南拆离系(STDS)和主中央冲断带(MCT)构造事件及后期构造-浅表反馈作用的影响。     

The Role of India-Asia Collision in the Amalgamation of the Gondwana-Derived Blocks and Deep-Seated Magmatism During the Paleogene at the Himalayan Foreland Basin and Around the Gongha Syntaxis in the South China Block

Southeast Asia comprises collage of continental blocks that were rifted out in phases from the northern parts of the Gondwanic Indo-Australian continent during the Paleozoic-Mesozoic time and were accreted through continental collision process following closure of the Paleo- and Neo-Tethys. The South China and Indo-China blocks were possibly rifted during early Palaeozoic, whereas, the Tibetan and SIBUMASU blocks were rifted during Permo-Carboniferous when the said margin was under glacial and/or cool climatic condition. The Indo-Burma-Andaman (IBA), Sikule, Lolotoi blocks were also rifted from the same Indo-Australian margin but during late Jurassic. This was followed by break-up of the Indian and the Australian continents during early Cretaceous. The opening of the Indian Ocean during the Tertiary was synchronous with closing of the Tethys.India-Asia collision during early-middle Eocene was a mega tectonic event. Apart from initiating the Himalayan orogeny and the eastward strike-slip extrusion of the Indochina block from the Southeast Asian continental collage along the Ailao Shan — Red River shear zone, it also caused early-mid Eocene continental-flood-basalt activity in the Himalayan foreland basin. Indian continent's post-collisional indentation-induced syntaxial buckling of Asian continental collage at its eastern end possibly caused late Paleogene highly potassic magmatism around the Gongha syntaxial area that was located close to the sutured margin of South China continent with Indochina block at the outer fringe of Namche Barwa syntaxis. These magmatic bodies are soon after left-laterally displaced by the Ailao Shan — Red River shear zone. The nature and chemistry of magma at these two settings indicate that both groups result from similar petrogenetic and tectonic processes representing deep-seated melts due to mantle decompression. Some deep faults produced at the edge of flexed Indian continental lithosphere and responsible for the development of the foreland basin may have produced continental-flood-basalt and related magma by decompressional melting of enriched sub-continental mantle. The site-specific location and time sequence of magmatism from the marginal parts of South China continent and located at the outer fringe of Namche Barwa syntaxis are strongly significant. It suggests that these magmatic bodies may also be genetically related to the India-Asia collision process and indentation-induced syntaxial buckling of upper mantle beneath the marginal parts of the South China rigid continent.     

利用接收函数和大地电磁数据联合反演南迦巴瓦构造结中部地区壳幔结构

利用2010年布设在西藏南迦巴瓦构造结的郎嘎、崩嘎、直白和拉格四个宽频地震台所观测到的近5个月的地震记录,采用时间域迭代反褶积技术处理得到接收函数,通过筛选多条相近震中距和反方位角的高质量接收函数求取其叠加平均.对大地电磁数据做Rhoplus分析处理得到视电阻率和相位曲线.利用单台接收函数和相同位置的大地电磁视电阻率和相位联合反演地下一维壳幔结构.联合反演采用遗传算法,并通过权衡图分析大地电磁和地震数据的兼容性.理论值和实测值的对比显示两种数据能同时得到较好拟合.联合反演结果表明:(1)中上地壳为9 km至14 km厚的高阻高速层覆盖于低阻低速层之上的结构,中地壳低阻低速层可能与深部流体和局部熔融共同作用有关.(2)下地壳存在最厚达20 km的高导的壳幔过渡层,波速在4 km/s左右;上地幔约130 km至150 km以下存在软流圈.(3)上地壳的高阻高速层解释为多雄拉组混合岩化角闪岩相变质岩,而直白台所显示的低阻低速层与高压麻粒岩的少量部分熔融有关,可能源于壳幔过渡带镁铁质岩石的相变或更深处幔源岩浆底侵作用的产物.