Crustal Uplift and Shortening of the Southern Tibetan Plateau from Thermochronology and Structural Studies

青藏高原和喜马拉雅山脉可能是大规模大陆碰撞影响的最著名的例子。对这一大陆碰撞带的详细了解对于帮助理解成熟大陆地壳的发展是至关重要的，因为人们认识到大陆碰撞是这一过程中必不可少的最后一步。该项目的目的是探索在形成像西藏这样的碰撞高原时，地壳增厚和随之而来的隆升的主要机制。这项工作将涉及对冈底斯、年轮唐古拉、当雄和青藏高原附近地区的岩石进行研究。将对样品进行40Ar/39Ar年代学、磷灰石裂变径迹年龄和U-Pb年龄分析，为确定拉萨地体南部隆升的时间和速率提供数据。这将与详细的构造分析的应变数据进行比较，以检验青藏高原演化的几个模型。这项研究将根据美国国家科学基金会和中国科学院之间的地球科学协议进行。

The Tibetan plateau and the Himalayas are perhaps the best known example of the effect of a large-scale continental collision. A detailed understanding of this continental collision zone is crucial to help understanding of the development of mature continental crust, since it is recognized that continental collision is the essential last step in this process. The aim of this project is to explore the mechanisms dominantly responsible for crustal thickening and consequent uplift in the formation of a collisional plateau such as Tibet. The work will involve study of rocks from the Gangdise, Nyaingentanglha, Damxung and nearby areas of the Tibetan plateau. Samples will be analyzed by 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, apatite fission track dating and U-Pb dating to provide data to constrain the timing and rates of uplift in southern Lhasa Terrane. This will be compared to strain data from detailed structural analysis to test several models for the evolution of the Tibetan plateau. This research will be conducted under the Earth Sciences Protocol between the NSF and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.