Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-09T11:26:05.682Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

17 - Crustal Structure and Moho Depth in the Tibetan Plateau from Inverse Modelling of Gravity Data

from Part III - ‘Solid’ Earth Applications: From the Surface to the Core

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2023

By
Shuanggen Jin  and
Songbai Xuan
Edited by
Alik Ismail-Zadeh ,
Fabio Castelli ,
Dylan Jones  and
Sabrina Sanchez
Alik Ismail-Zadeh
Affiliation:
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Fabio Castelli
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi, Florence
Dylan Jones
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Sabrina Sanchez
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany
Get access

Summary

Abstract: Although many geophysical observations and models are available for the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its surroundings regions, our knowledge and understanding of the uplift and deformation in the TP caused by the India–Asia collision is still incomplete. Due to the environmental complexity, the gravity method is indispensable to investigate the evolution of the TP. This study concentrates on the Moho depth and crustal density structure in the TP from gravity inversion of Bouguer anomalies. The results show Moho deeper than 60 km in the regions of the TP, suggesting thickening of the crust. Two sinking Moho belts in the southern and northern plateau regions and the linearly increasing Moho depth from the Indian Plate (IP) to the Indus-Yalu suture can be used to infer the crustal fold that has resulted from the India–Asia collision. On the other hand, the density structures show the lower density is commonly found in the crust and the underlying lithospheric mantle beneath the TP, contrasting with the high density in the surrounding blocks. Notably, the high density of the IP is observed underneath the Himalayas, suggesting that the Indian lithosphere extends northward, at least reaching the Indus-Yalu suture. Corresponding to the sinking Moho belts, the crustal densities in these regions present relatively low, which may be evidence for the absence of the eclogites in the lower crust beneath the Himalayas and the Lhasa terrane. In contrast, the relatively high densities underneath the Bangong-Nujiang suture are potentially contributions to the interpretation of the eclogitised lower crust.

Keywords

Bouguer anomalycrustal densitygravity inversionHimalayasIndia-Asia collisionlithospheric mantleMoho depthTibetan plateau
Type
Chapter
Information
Applications of Data Assimilation and Inverse Problems in the Earth Sciences , pp. 265 - 277
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bagherbandi, M. (2012). A comparison of three gravity inversion methods for crustal thickness modelling in Tibet plateau. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 43(1), 89–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bai, Z. M., Zhang, S. F., and Braitenberg, C. (2013). Crustal density structure from 3D gravity modeling beneath Himalaya and Lhasa blocks, Tibet. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 78, 301–17.Google Scholar
Bao, X. W., Song, X. D., and Li, J. T. (2015). High-resolution lithospheric structure beneath Mainland China from ambient noise and earthquake surface-wave tomography. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 417, 132–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barnoud, A., Coutant, O., Bouligand, C., Gunawan, H., and Deroussi, S. (2016). 3-D linear inversion of gravity data: Method and application to Basse-Terre volcanic island, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles. Geophysical Journal International, 205(1), 562–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Basuyau, C., Diament, M., Tiberi, C. et al. (2013). Joint inversion of teleseismic and GOCE gravity data: Application to the Himalayas. Geophysical Journal International, 193(1), 149–60.Google Scholar
Braitenberg, C., Zadro, M., Fang, J., Wang, Y., and Hsu, H. T. (2000). Gravity inversion in Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth Part A: Solid Earth and Geodesy, 25(4), 381–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brocher, T. A. (2005). Empirical relations between elastic wavespeeds and density in the earth’s crust. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 95(6), 2081–92.Google Scholar
Chen, L., Wang, X., Liang, X. F., Wan, B., and Liu, L. J. (2020). Subduction tectonics vs. Plume tectonics: Discussion on driving forces for plate motion. Science China Earth Sciences, 63(3), 315–28.Google Scholar
Chen, W. J. (2017). Determination of crustal thickness under Tibet from gravity-gradient data. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 143, 315–25.Google Scholar
Chen, W. J., and Tenzer, R. (2017). Moho modeling in spatial domain: A case study under Tibet. Advances in Space Research, 59(12), 2855–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, M. K., and Royden, L. H. (2000). Topographic ooze: Building the eastern margin of Tibet by lower crustal flow. Geology, 28, 703–6.Google Scholar
Conrad, C. P., and Lithgow-Bertelloni, C. (2004). The temporal evolution of plate driving forces: Importance of ‘slab suction’ versus ‘slab pull’ during the Cenozoic. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 109 (B10407). https://doi.rog/10.1029/2004jb002991.Google Scholar
Fu, G. Y., and She, Y. W. (2017). Gravity anomalies and isostasy deduced from new dense gravimetry around the Tsangpo Gorge, Tibet. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(20), 10233–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
He, R. Z., Zhao, D. P., Gao, R., and Zheng, H.W. (2010). Tracing the Indian lithospheric mantle beneath central Tibetan Plateau using teleseismic tomography. Tectonophysics, 491(1–4), 230–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hetényi, G., Cattin, R., Brunet, F. et al. (2007). Density distribution of the India plate beneath the Tibetan plateau: Geophysical and petrological constraints on the kinetics of lower-crustal eclogitization. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 264(1-2), 226–44.Google Scholar
Houseman, G., and England, P. (1986). Finite strain calculations of continental deformation 1. Method and general results for convergent zones. Journal of Geophysical Research, 91(B3), 3651–63.Google Scholar
Huang, J. L., and Zhao, D. P. (2006). High-resolution mantle tomography of China and surrounding regions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 111, B09305. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JB004066.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiang, W. L., Zhang, J. F., Tian, T., and Wang, X. (2012). Crustal structure of Chuan-Dian region derived from gravity data and its tectonic implications. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 212, 76–87.Google Scholar
Jiménez-Munt, I., Fernàndez, M., Vergés, J., and Platt, J. P. (2008). Lithosphere structure underneath the Tibetan Plateau inferred from elevation, gravity and geoid anomalies. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 267, 276–89.Google Scholar
Jin, S. G., and Park, P. (2006). Strain accumulation in South Korea inferred from GPS measurements. Earth Planets Space, 58(5), 529–34.Google Scholar
Jin, S. G., Park, P., and Zhu, W. (2007). Micro-plate tectonics and kinematics in northeast Asia inferred from a dense set of GPS observations. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 257(3–4), 486–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kumar, P., Yuan, X. H., Kind, R., and Ni, J. (2006). Imaging the colliding Indian and Asian lithospheric plates beneath Tibet. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 111, B06308. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JB003930.Google Scholar
Laske, G., Masters., G., Ma, Z., and Pasyanos, M. (2013). Update on CRUST1.0: A 1-degree global model of Earth’s crust. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 15, EGU2013-2658.Google Scholar
Li, C., Van der Hilst, R .D., Meltzer, A. S., and Engdahl, E. R. (2008). Subduction of the Indian lithosphere beneath the Tibetan Plateau and Burma. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 274(1–2), 157–68.Google Scholar
Li, S. L., Mooney, W. D., and Fan, J. C. (2006). Crustal structure of mainland China from deep seismic sounding data. Tectonophysics, 420(1–2), 239–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Y. H., Gao, M. T., and Wu, Q. J. (2014). Crustal thickness map of the Chinese mainland from teleseismic receiver functions. Tectonophysics, 611, 51–60.Google Scholar
Liang, X. F., Chen, Y., Tian, X. B. et al. (2016). 3D imaging of subducting and fragmenting Indian continental lithosphere beneath southern and central Tibet using body-wave finite-frequency tomography. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 443, 162–75.Google Scholar
Molnar, P., and Tapponnier, P. (1975). Cenozoic tectonics of Asia: Effects of a continental collision. Science, 189, 419–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Monsalve, G., Sheehan, A., Rowe, C., and Rajaure, S. (2008). Seismic structure of the crust and the upper mantle beneath the Himalayas: Evidence for eclogitization of lower crustal rocks in the Indian Plate. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 113(B8). https://doi.rog/10.1029/2007jb005424.Google Scholar
Nábělek, J., Hetényi, G., Vergne, J. et al. (2009). Underplating in the Himalaya-Tibet collision zone revealed by the Hi-CLIMB experiment. Science, 325, 1371–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oldenburg, D. W. (1974). The inversion and interpretation of gravity anomalies. Geophysics, 39(4), 526–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owens, T. J., and Zandt, G. (1997). Implications of crustal property variations for models of Tibetan plateau evolution. Nature, 387, 37–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, R. L. (1973). The rapid calculation of potential anomalies. Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 31, 447–55.Google Scholar
Pavlis, N. K., Holmes, S. A., Kenyon, S. C., and Factor, J. K. (2008). An Earth gravitational model to degree 2160: EGM2008, EGU General Assembly. Vienna: European Geosciences Union.Google Scholar
Royden, L. H., Burchfiel, B. C., King, R. W. et al. (1997). Surface deformation and lower crustal flow in eastern Tibet. Science, 276(5313), 788–90.Google Scholar
Searle, M. P., Elliott, J. R., Phillips, R. J., and Chung, S. L. (2011). Crustal-lithospheric structure and continental extrusion of Tibet. Journal of the Geological Society, 168(3), 633–72.Google Scholar
Shin, Y. H., Xu, H., Braitenberg, C., Fang, J., and Wang, Y. (2007). Moho undulations beneath Tibet from GRACE-integrated gravity data. Geophysical Journal International, 170(3), 971–85.Google Scholar
Shin, Y. H., Shum, C. K., Braitenberg, C. et al. (2009. Three-dimensional fold structure of the Tibetan Moho from GRACE gravity data. Geophysical Research Letters, 36. https://doi.rog/10.1029/2008gl036068.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shin, Y. H., Shum, C. K., Braitenberg, C. et al. (2015). Moho topography, ranges and folds of Tibet by analysis of global gravity models and GOCE data. Scientific Reports, 5. https://doi.rog/10.1038/srep11681.Google Scholar
Sjöberg, L .E. (2013). On the isostatic gravity anomaly and disturbance and their applications to Vening Meinesz-Moritz gravimetric inverse problem. Geophysical Journal International, 193(3), 1277–82.Google Scholar
Socquet, A., and Pubellier, M. (2005). Cenozoic deformation in western Yunnan (China–Myanmar border). Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 24(4), 495–515.Google Scholar
Steffen, R., Steffen, H., and Jentzsch, G. (2011). A three-dimensional Moho depth model for the Tien Shan from EGM2008 gravity data. Tectonics, 30(TC5019). https://doi.rog/10.1029/2011tc002886.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stern, R. J. (2007). When and how did plate tectonics begin? Theoretical and empirical considerations. Chinese Science Bulletin, 52(5), 578–1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tapponnier, P., Peltzer, G., Le Dain, A. Y., Armijo, R., and Cobbold, P. (1982). Propagating extrusion tectonics in Asia: New insights from simple experiments with plasticine. Geology, 10: 611–16.Google Scholar
Teng, J. W., Zhang, Z. J., Zhang, X. K. et al. (2013). Investigation of the Moho discontinuity beneath the Chinese mainland using deep seismic sounding profiles. Tectonophysics, 609, 202–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teng, J. W., Yang, D. H., Tian, X. B. et al. (2020). Geophysical investigation progresses of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in the past 70 years. Scientia Sinica Terrae, 49, 1546–64.Google Scholar
Tenzer, R., and Bagherbandi, M. (2012). Reformulation of the Vening-Meinesz Moritz inverse problem of isostasy for isostatic gravity disturbances. International Journal of Geosciences, 3: 918–29.Google Scholar
Tenzer, R., Chen, W., and Jin, S. G. (2015). Effect of the upper mantle density structure on the Moho geometry. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 172(6), 1563–83.Google Scholar
Tilmann, F., Ni, J., and Team, I. I. S. (2003). Seismic imaging of the downwelling Indian lithosphere beneath central Tibet. Science, 300(5624), 1424–7.Google Scholar
Tiwari, V. M., Rao, M. B. S. V., and Singh, M. B. (2006). Crustal structure across Sikkim, NE Himalaya from new gravity and magnetic data. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 247, 61–9.Google Scholar
Vaníček, P., Tenzer, R., Sjöberg, L. E., Martinec, Z., and Featherstone, W. E. (2004). New views of the spherical Bouguer gravity anomaly. Geophysical Journal International, 159, 460–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, C. Y., Chan, W. W., and Mooney, W. D. (2003). Three-dimensional velocity structure of crust and upper mantle in southwestern China and its tectonic implications. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 108(B9). https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JB001973.Google Scholar
Wang, C. Y., Han, W. B., Wu, J. P., Lou, H., and Chan, W. W. (2007). Crustal structure beneath the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and its tectonic implications. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 112(B7). https://doi.rog/10.1029/2005jb003873.Google Scholar
Wang, C. Y., Lou, H., Lue, Z. Y. et al. (2008). S-wave crustal and upper mantle’s velocity structure in the eastern Tibetan Plateau: Deep environment of lower crustal flow. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences, 51(2), 263–74.Google Scholar
Wang, Z. W., Zhao, D. P., Gao, R., and Hua, Y. Y. (2019). Complex subduction beneath the Tibetan plateau: A slab warping model. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 292, 42–54.Google Scholar
Xu, C., Liu, Z. W., Luo, Z.C ., Wu, Y. H., and Wang, H. H. (2017). Moho topography of the Tibetan Plateau using multi-scale gravity analysis and its tectonic implications. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 138: 378–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xuan, S., Shen, C. Y., Li, H., and Tan, H. B. (2016). Structural interpretation of the Chuan-Dian block and surrounding regions using discrete wavelet transform. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 105(5), 1591–602.Google Scholar
Xuan, S., Shen, C. Y., Tan, H. B., and Li, H. (2015). Inversion of Moho depth in China mainland from EGM2008 gravity data. Journal of Geodesy and Geodynamics, 35 (2), 309–11, 317.Google Scholar
Yin, A., and Harrison, T. M. (2000). Geologic Evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan Orogen. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 28: 211–80.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z. J., Deng, Y. F., Teng, J. W. et al. (2011). An overview of the crustal structure of the Tibetan plateau after 35 years of deep seismic soundings. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 40(4), 977–89.Google Scholar
Zhang, Z. J., Teng, J. W., Romanelli, F. (2014). Geophysical constraints on the link between cratonization and orogeny: Evidence from the Tibetan Plateau and the North China Craton. Earth-Science Reviews, 130, 1–48.Google Scholar
Zhang, C., Huang, D. N., Wu, G. C. et al. (2015). Calculation of Moho depth by gravity anomalies in Qinghai-Tibet plateau based on an improved iteration of Parker-Oldenburg inversion. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 172(10), 2657–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, G. D., Liu, J. X., Chen, B., Kaban, M. K., and Zheng, X. Y. (2020). Moho beneath Tibet based on a joint analysis of gravity and seismic data. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystem, 21(2), e2019GC008849.Google Scholar
Zhao, L. F., Xie, X. B., He, J. K., Tian, X. B., and Yao, Z. X. (2013). Crustal flow pattern beneath the Tibetan plateau constrained by regional Lg-wave Q tomography. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 383, 113–22.Google Scholar
Zheng, H. W., Li, T. D., Gao, R., Zhao, D. P., and He, R. Z. (2007). Teleseismic P-wave tomography evidence for the Indian lithospheric mantle subducting northward beneath the Qiangtang terrane. Chinese Journal of Geophysics, 50(5), 1223–32.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×