Evidence for rapid displacement on Himalayan normal faults and the importance of tectonic denudation in the evolution of mountain ranges

Research Article| June 01, 1998 Evidence for rapid displacement on Himalayan normal faults and the importance of tectonic denudation in the evolution of mountain ranges Kip Hodges; Kip Hodges 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Samuel Bowring; Samuel Bowring 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kathleen Davidek; Kathleen Davidek 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David Hawkins; David Hawkins 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Michael Krol Michael Krol 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Kip Hodges 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Samuel Bowring 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Kathleen Davidek 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 David Hawkins 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Michael Krol 1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1998) 26 (6): 483–486. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)0262.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Kip Hodges, Samuel Bowring, Kathleen Davidek, David Hawkins, Michael Krol; Evidence for rapid displacement on Himalayan normal faults and the importance of tectonic denudation in the evolution of mountain ranges. Geology 1998;; 26 (6): 483–486. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1998)0262.3.CO;2 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 East-striking, low-angle normal faults of the South Tibetan detachment system have played an important role in exposing the high-grade metamorphic core of the Himalayan orogen. In the Mount Everest region of southern Tibet, granites both pre- and postdate an important fault of the system, the Qomolangma detachment. New U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronologic data for these rocks constrain the age of brittle faulting to between 16.67 ± 0.04 and 16.37 ± 0.40 Ma, significantly expanding the known age range for extension in the central Himalaya (widely regarded as ca. 20–22 Ma). More importantly, they indicate an average displacement rate of ≥47 mm/yr and a consequent tectonic unroofing rate of ≥8.2 mm/yr. Such unroofing is faster than all but the highest estimates of combined physical and chemical erosion rates in mountainous regions, suggesting that large-displacement normal faulting can be an extremely efficient agent of mass redistribution in orogenic systems. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.