Journal article

Constructing the Longmen Shan eastern Tibetan Plateau margin: Insights from low-temperature thermochronology

Y Tian, BP Kohn, AJW Gleadow, S Hu

Tectonics | AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION | Published : 2013

Abstract

Contrasting models of upper crustal shortening versus lower crustal flow have been proposed to explain the formation of thickened crust in the Longmen Shan (LMS), eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) margin. These models require different structural kinematics along the LMS, whose structural geometry is defined by three parallel NW-dipping fault zones. From foreland (southeast) to hinterland (northwest), they are the Guanxian-Anxian Fault, Yingxiu-Beichuan Fault (YBF), and Wenchuan-Maowen Fault (WMF). Newly derived and previously published low-temperature thermochronology data from the LMS were synthesized to constrain the spatial exhumation and test previous models. The results show that (1) exhuma..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by China National Oil-Gas Major Special Projects


Funding Acknowledgements

Funding for this research was provided by China National Oil-Gas Major Special Projects (2011ZX05008-002). The University of Melbourne thermochronology laboratory receives infrastructure support under the AuScope Program of NCRIS. YT received support from IPRS and MIRS scholarships at the University of Melbourne. YT is grateful to Abaz Alimanovic for assistance with (U-Th)/He dating; to Sergei Medvedev and Chris Beaumont for discussions on channel flow models; and to Chuangqing Zhu, Ming Xu, Zhaokun Yan, Zhiwu Li, and Zhonghua Tian for their assistance during seasons of fieldwork. Constructive reviews by Richard Lease and Eva Enkelmann and editorial work by Todd Ehlers and Andrew Carter are gratefully acknowledged.