North-south extension within the convergent Himalayan region

Abstract

Research Article| October 01, 1985 North-south extension within the convergent Himalayan region B. C. Burchfiel; B. C. Burchfiel 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L H. Royden L H. Royden 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1985) 13 (10): 679–682. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1985)13<679:NEWTCH>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation B. C. Burchfiel, L H. Royden; North-south extension within the convergent Himalayan region. Geology 1985;; 13 (10): 679–682. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1985)13<679:NEWTCH>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Recent work by Burg et al. (1984) indicates the presence of east-west-striking, gently north-dipping normal faults in the Higher Himalayas and southern Tibet that formed during postcollisional convergence of India and Tibet. These faults extend for at least 800 km along strike. We interpret these normal faults as probable late(?) Miocene extensional features with perhaps several tens of kilometres of down-to-the-north displacement. A simple elastic model suggests that these normal faults may have formed during gravitational collapse of the Miocene topographic front between India and Tibet. In this interpretation, gravitational collapse occurred by southward motion, relative to India and Tibet, of a wedge of crustal rocks bounded above by gently north-dipping normal faults and below by thrust faults that probably dip north. North-south extension produced in this way is probably confined to upper crustal levels only and does not reflect regional extension of the entire lithosphere. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.