title: Partially Molten Middle Crust Beneath Southern Tibet: Synthesis of Project INDEPTH Results
abstract: INDEPTH geophysical and geological observations imply that a partially molten midcrustal layer exists beneath southern Tibet. This partially molten layer has been produced by crustal thickening and behaves as a fluid on the time scale of Himalayan deformation. It is confined on the south by the structurally imbricated Indian crust underlying the Tethyan and High Himalaya and is underlain, apparently, by a stiff Indian mantle lid. The results suggest that during Neogene time the underthrusting Indian crust has acted as a plunger, displacing the molten middle crust to the north while at the same time contributing to this layer by melting and ductile flow. Viewed broadly, the Neogene evolution of the Himalaya is essentially a record of the southward extrusion of the partially molten middle crust underlying southern Tibet.
authors.affiliation: K. D. Nelson, M. Cogan, C. Wu, Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. W. Zhao, J. Che, X. Liu, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China. L. D. Brown, M. Hauck, D. Alsdorf, A. Ross, Institute for the Study of the Continents, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. J. Kuo, Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA. S. L. Klemperer and Y. Makovsky, Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. R. Meissner, Institut fur Geophysik, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel, 24098 Kiel, Germany. J. Mechie and R. Kind, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ), 14473 Potsdam, Germany. F. Wenzel, Geophysikalisches Institut, Universitaet Karlsruhe, 76187 Karlsruhe, Germany. J. Ni and E. Sandvol, Department of Physics, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA. J. Nabelek, College of Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. L. Chen, H. Tan, W. Wei, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China. A. G. Jones, Geological Survey of Canada, 1 Observatory Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. J. Booker and M. Unsworth, Geophysics Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. W. S. F. Kidd and M. Edwards, Department of Geosciences, SUNY-Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Che
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Klemperer
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Makovsky
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mechie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kind
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nabelek
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leshou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Booker
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unsworth
authors.initials: WSF
authors.lastname: Kidd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauck
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alsdorf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cogan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sandvol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edwards