Numerical Simulation of the Compression Uplift of the Qinghai‐Xizang Plateau

Abstract

Abstract A numerical simulation of the geodynamical process of the compression uplift of the Qinghai‐Xizang plateau is addressed in this paper. The continental lithosphere of the East Asia is regarded as a continuum in a power law rheology. It lies on a relatively soft upper mantle and is limited in a trapezoid geological frame. The movement of the Indian Plate at the rate of 5cm/a is assumed to be the main driving force for the plateau's uplift. The results show that the predicted topography of the compression uplift can fit the observed pattern of this region. The results also indicate that the process of the compression uplift of the Qinghai‐Xizang plateau is constrained by many factors such as the boundary conditions, the dynamical parameters of the continental lithosphere and the denudation rate as well. It is clear that the process of the plateau's uplift is not uniform in space and time.