Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures
Abstract The Pamir‐Hindu‐Kush region is widely cited as a best place to study opposing continental subduction on Earth. Yet, subducting slab morphology of the Indian and Asian plates under this region remains elusive. Here we report new shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy models from Rayleigh...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009041 |
| _version_ | 1797638144719323136 |
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| author | Yanling Liang Lun Li Jie Liao Rui Gao |
| author_facet | Yanling Liang Lun Li Jie Liao Rui Gao |
| author_sort | Yanling Liang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Pamir‐Hindu‐Kush region is widely cited as a best place to study opposing continental subduction on Earth. Yet, subducting slab morphology of the Indian and Asian plates under this region remains elusive. Here we report new shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy models from Rayleigh and Love wave tomography to constrain the geometry of these two slabs. Together with previous tomographic studies, we show that the Indian slab exhibits along‐strike variation with subhorizontally underthrusting into the Pamir and high‐angle subduction under the Hindu‐Kush. We speculate that the Indian slab was probably detached and sank into the mantle transition zone under the Pamir, while break‐off process is ongoing under the Hindu‐Kush. The Asian lithospheric mantle and lower crust are inferred to be subducting southward into the North Pamir. Two opposing subducting slabs could have interacted under the Pamir, resulting in thickening crust, horizontally stretched midcrustal flow, and horizontal mantle flow. These dynamic processes could explain surface geologic observations and potentially constrain the causes of intermediate‐depth seismicity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:59:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b8f93e0579f453ca817949a415185ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:59:17Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b8f93e0579f453ca817949a415185ca2023-11-03T16:55:28ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272020-08-01218n/an/a10.1029/2020GC009041Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic StructuresYanling Liang0Lun Li1Jie Liao2Rui Gao3School of Earth Sciences and Engineering Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaSchool of Earth Sciences and Engineering Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaSchool of Earth Sciences and Engineering Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaSchool of Earth Sciences and Engineering Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou ChinaAbstract The Pamir‐Hindu‐Kush region is widely cited as a best place to study opposing continental subduction on Earth. Yet, subducting slab morphology of the Indian and Asian plates under this region remains elusive. Here we report new shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy models from Rayleigh and Love wave tomography to constrain the geometry of these two slabs. Together with previous tomographic studies, we show that the Indian slab exhibits along‐strike variation with subhorizontally underthrusting into the Pamir and high‐angle subduction under the Hindu‐Kush. We speculate that the Indian slab was probably detached and sank into the mantle transition zone under the Pamir, while break‐off process is ongoing under the Hindu‐Kush. The Asian lithospheric mantle and lower crust are inferred to be subducting southward into the North Pamir. Two opposing subducting slabs could have interacted under the Pamir, resulting in thickening crust, horizontally stretched midcrustal flow, and horizontal mantle flow. These dynamic processes could explain surface geologic observations and potentially constrain the causes of intermediate‐depth seismicity.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009041PamirHindu Kushsubductionbreak‐offshear waveradial anisotropy |
| spellingShingle | Yanling Liang Lun Li Jie Liao Rui Gao Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems Pamir Hindu Kush subduction break‐off shear wave radial anisotropy |
| title | Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures |
| title_full | Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures |
| title_fullStr | Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures |
| title_short | Interaction of the Indian and Asian Plates Under the Pamir and Hindu‐Kush Regions: Insights From 3‐D Shear Wave Velocity and Anisotropic Structures |
| title_sort | interaction of the indian and asian plates under the pamir and hindu kush regions insights from 3 d shear wave velocity and anisotropic structures |
| topic | Pamir Hindu Kush subduction break‐off shear wave radial anisotropy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009041 |
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