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Evidence of active mantle flow beneath South China
Author(s) -
Wang ChunYung,
Flesch Lucy M.,
Chang Lijun,
Zheng Tianyu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50987
Subject(s) - geology , lithosphere , mantle (geology) , subduction , slab , mantle convection , rift , geophysics , mantle wedge , slab window , seismology , china , buoyancy , tectonics , oceanic crust , geography , physics , quantum mechanics , archaeology
The India‐Eurasia collision is responsible for producing the Himalayan Mountains and Tibetan plateau and has been hypothesized to have significant far field influences, including driving the Baikal rift and the eastward extrusion of South China. However, quantification of lithospheric buoyancy forces and integrated effect of tractions acting at base of the lithosphere are unable to explain the observed surface motions within South China. We present 198 new SKS shear wave splitting observations beneath South China and invert these data along with published GPS data to solve for the subasthenospheric flow field beneath South China to assess the role of small‐scale convection here. We find a 15–20 mm/yr southwestward‐directed mantle flow toward the Burma slab. This flow is consistent with the mantle response of slab retreat over the past 25 Ma, and counter flow due to subduction of Burma/Sunda slabs demonstrating the importance of localized mantle convection on present‐day plate motions.