TOMOGRAPHICAL EVIDENCE FOR INDIAN PLATE UNDERTHRUSTING ONLY BENEATH TETHYAN HIMALAYA

Tomographical inversion was performed using the data recorded by 51 seismographys deployed on a profile that followed southern Xizang (Tibet) high-way through a Sino-French Joint seismic experiment. The results indicate that the underthrusting Indian Plate is limited to the south of Indus-Yarlung Zangbo Suture (IYS) beneath Tethyan Himalaya, extends vertically to 150 km deep with relatively high angle near Gala, and becomes horizontally northward. The seismic velocities beneath Kangmar, Gangdise and Yangbajain-Golug rift in the middle of the lithosphere show low velocity features, which may indicate the existence of high temperature and partial melting. The results from tomography strongly suggest that the continent-continent subduction occurred only beneath Himalaya and was confined to the south of IYS since the collision between India and Eurasia.