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Bayesian inference of plastosphere viscosities near the Kunlun Fault, northern Tibet
Author(s) -
Hilley G. E.,
Bürgmann R.,
Zhang P.Z.,
Molnar P.
Publication year - 2005
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 - 10.1029/2004gl021658
Subject(s) - geology , crust , geodetic datum , upper crust , viscosity , plateau (mathematics) , flow (mathematics) , deformation (meteorology) , newtonian fluid , geodesy , petrology , seismology , geophysics , geometry , mechanics , thermodynamics , mathematics , mathematical analysis , oceanography , physics
Flow of the mid‐crust in the Tibetan Plateau may strongly influence the patterns of deformation and topography within this area. This flow requires the lower‐crust to have low viscosity and so quantifying this viscosity may be used to test the idea of channel flow. An application of Bayesian methods to geologic and geodetic data from north central Tibet yields lower‐crustal viscosities (assumed Newtonian) of 1 × 10 19 Pa s and 2 × 10 21 Pa s (95% bounds). The lower bound is larger than the value of 10 16 –10 18 Pa s required by models of flow of the lower‐crust of Tibet, unless the entire lower crust participates in channel flow.