Deep Tectonophysical Process of the Uplift of the Northern Qinghai—Tibet Plateau

The tectonic activities occurring since the Cenozoic in the northern part of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (the region from the East Kunlun Mountains to the Tanggula Mountains) were probably caused by the intense intraplate deformation propagation after the collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate. Their main expressions include the substantial uplifting of the plateau, alternation of horizontal extension and compression under the vertical greatest principal stress α₁, occurrence of rift–type volcanic activity, formation of the basin–range system, and successive eastward extrusion of blocks resulting from large–scale strike–slip faulting. Geophysical exploration and experiments have revealed that there exist closely alternating horizontal high–velocity and low–velocity layers as well as lithospheric faults of a left–lateral strike–slip sense in the lower part of the lithosphere (the lower crust and lithospheric mantle, 60–120 km deep), Based on an integrated study of the geological–geophysical data available, the authors have proposed a model of deep–seated mantle diapir and the associated tectonophysical process as the dynamic source for the uplift of the northern part of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.