Fragments of hot and metasomatized mantle lithosphere in Middle Miocene ultrapotassic lavas, southern Tibet

Research Article| October 01, 2011 Fragments of hot and metasomatized mantle lithosphere in Middle Miocene ultrapotassic lavas, southern Tibet Chuan-Zhou Liu; Chuan-Zhou Liu * 1State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China *E-mail: chzliu@mail.iggcas.ac.cn. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Fu-Yuan Wu; Fu-Yuan Wu 1State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sun-Lin Chung; Sun-Lin Chung 2Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10699, Taiwan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zhi-Dan Zhao Zhi-Dan Zhao 3State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Chuan-Zhou Liu * 1State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China Fu-Yuan Wu 1State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China Sun-Lin Chung 2Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10699, Taiwan Zhi-Dan Zhao 3State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China *E-mail: chzliu@mail.iggcas.ac.cn. Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 13 Feb 2011 Revision Received: 17 Apr 2011 Accepted: 30 Apr 2011 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2011 Geological Society of America Geology (2011) 39 (10): 923–926. https://doi.org/10.1130/G32172.1 Article history Received: 13 Feb 2011 Revision Received: 17 Apr 2011 Accepted: 30 Apr 2011 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Chuan-Zhou Liu, Fu-Yuan Wu, Sun-Lin Chung, Zhi-Dan Zhao; Fragments of hot and metasomatized mantle lithosphere in Middle Miocene ultrapotassic lavas, southern Tibet. Geology 2011;; 39 (10): 923–926. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G32172.1 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 Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and its influence on our global climate have been the focus of numerous studies. Miocene potassic to ultrapotassic volcanism is widespread in southern Tibet and has been generally attributed to convective removal of collision-thickened Asian lithosphere, which is also responsible for the uplift of the plateau. An implicit assumption of this model is the existence of a hydrous, metasomatized (i.e., phlogopite bearing) lithospheric mantle that remained after the convective thinning and was subsequently heated to form small-volume melts. If such a lithospheric mantle was present in the Miocene, it implies further change since that time, as seismic velocities indicate that cold and strong upper mantle occurs beneath the thick crust in southern Tibet. Here we describe peridotite xenoliths entrained in Middle Miocene ultrapotassic lavas from Sailipu, southern Tibet. The results suggest the existence of hot, highly metasomatized lithospheric mantle beneath southern Tibet during the Middle Miocene, and thus support the idea that convective thinning of the lithosphere was responsible for the uplift of the plateau. The relict mantle was later removed or squeezed northward by the underthrusting Indian continental lithosphere, which terminated magmatism in southern Tibet and played a role in creating the entire plateau. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.