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Continental subductions beneath Tibet and the Himalayan orogeny: a review
Author(s) -
Matte Ph.,
Mattauer M.,
Olivet J. M.,
Griot D. A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
terra nova
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.353
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-3121
pISSN - 0954-4879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3121.1997.tb00026.x
Subject(s) - orogeny , geology , continental crust , crust , paleontology , central asia , mountain formation , earth science , seismology , tectonics , physical geography , geography
Argand (1924) and later Holmes (1965) proposed that the Himalayan orogeny and Tibet uplift were the result of large underthrusting of the Indian continental crust beneath Tibet. Since then, plate motion studies have yielded new constraints on the relative displacements of India and Asia and a large number of geological and geophysical investigations have helped to determine the structure of the Himalayas and Tibet, the best natural laboratory for understanding mountain belts. The aim of this paper is to review briefly the various models of Himalayan mountain building in light of recent geological and geophysical data and to estimate the role of continental subductions.