Uplift of the West Kunlun Range, northern Tibetan Plateau, dominated by brittle thickening of the upper crust

Research Article| April 01, 2013 Uplift of the West Kunlun Range, northern Tibetan Plateau, dominated by brittle thickening of the upper crust Xiaodian Jiang; Xiaodian Jiang 1Department of Marine Geology, Ocean University of China, 238 Songling Road, Qingdao, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zheng-Xiang Li; Zheng-Xiang Li 2ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems, and the Institute for Geoscience Research, Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Haibing Li Haibing Li 3Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2013) 41 (4): 439–442. https://doi.org/10.1130/G33890.1 Article history received: 26 Jul 2012 rev-recd: 19 Oct 2012 accepted: 25 Oct 2012 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Xiaodian Jiang, Zheng-Xiang Li, Haibing Li; Uplift of the West Kunlun Range, northern Tibetan Plateau, dominated by brittle thickening of the upper crust. Geology 2013;; 41 (4): 439–442. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G33890.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract High-resolution seismic reflection data from the West Kunlun Range front show that crustal structures beneath the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau are dominated by nappes of upper crustal rocks. Geological cross-section balancing suggests an average of 24.6–54 km (38%–52%) of upper crustal shortening. This horizontal shortening by brittle folding and faulting in the upper crust correlates positively with crustal thickening, an increase in Moho depth by 5–7 km, and the topography. Our work suggests that upper crustal shortening is a chief factor for topographic uplift and crustal thickening at the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Such a mechanism is different from that proposed for the plateau south of the Karakax strike-slip fault, where crustal flow may have played a prominent role in plateau uplift. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.