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Indian-Eurasian collision, structure, and convergence in the western Himalayan syntaxis along Pamir-Tajikistan -A short review

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China and COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad-Campus 22060, Pakistan and University of Chinese Academy of Science,No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, P.R. China 100049
  • 2Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China and CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100101, China and University of Chinese Academy of Science,No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, P.R. China 100049
  • 3Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China and CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
  • 4Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China and COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad-Campus 22060, Pakistan and University of Chinese Academy of Science,No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, P.R. China 100049
  • 5Key Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China and University of Chinese Academy of Science,No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, P.R. China 100049

Int. Res. J. Earth Sci., Volume 6, Issue (8), Pages 11-19, August,25 (2018)

Abstract

The Indian-Eurasian collision resulted in several geological structures along the collisional belt. and among them, Pamir is one of the remarkable features developed along the western syntaxis. Pamir shares a similar trend of the tectonic evolution of the Indian plate subduction beneath the Tibetan plateau during the Cenozoic era. Pamir is subdivided into northwestern, central, eastern and southwestern parts according to its structural variation. According to the fundamentals of plate tectonics, the crustal shortening results in thickening of the mantle; although the principal factor is mostly related to the rheology of the crust-mantle and the collisional rate. During the continental-continental collision, both plates resist subduction due to their buoyancy and the only justification for the resultant subduction is Wilson last cycle. The difference in the Indian-Eurasian tectonics is mainly due to the reduction in convergence rate i.e. 110mm/yr prior to 50Ma, which was reduced to 50mm/yr in 30-40Ma. The average magnitude of crustal shortening between Pamir and Tien Shan orogenic belt is estimated to be 10-700km. Different geophysical and geological studies reveal that the western segment of the Indian- Eurasian collisional belt is experiencing double subduction mechanism; a steeply northward dipping Indian plate under the Hindukush region and the southward-dipping Eurasian plate under the Pamir. The initial breakage of Indian plate was during the early stages of collision (44-48Ma) while the second break-off event occurred during the middle-Miocene (~15 Ma). Moreover, in the westernregion, the subduction process was continued until it reached the present state of the Hindukush region i.e. ~8Ma, that could be the possible reason for the structural similarities between the central and the western collisional regions. The paleomagnetic studies reveal the counter-clockwise rotation of the Pamir plateau as much as ~52° during Miocene.

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