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A preliminary study on the lithospheric thermal structure and rheology of the Tibetan plateau |
Yang Wang |
Division of Petrology, School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China |
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Abstract The lithosphere temperature beneath the Tibetan plateau was estimated by local isostasy equilibrium constrained geothermal calculation. Maps of the lateral temperature variation at depths of 40 km, 70 km, and Moho are presented for the Tibetan plateau, and the thermal thickness of the lithosphere is also presented. The Tibetan plateau has a warm and thick lithospheres, but the thinner lithospheres are identified in the northern Tibet and the eastern margin of the plateau. The warm and soft lithospheres in the Tibetan plateau may represent a snapshot of the early stage of convective thinning of the convergent lithosphere. The “cr`eme br?ul′ee” layering demonstrates the rheological behavior of the Tibetan plateau.
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Received: 18 February 2012
Published: 10 December 2012
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Fund:the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. 2652013021 and 2010ZD15) |
Corresponding Authors:
Yang Wang
E-mail: allen thalassa@sina.com
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