No deformation propagation outward of the plateau across the Yalong Thrust Belt in Southeast Tibet

Abstract

In Southeast Tibet, the Yalong Thrust Belt (YTB) is an ideal area to test a model of thrust propagation following the collision between India and Asia. We investigate the role of the Jinhe thrust, the southernmost fault of the YTB, by dating 34 samples from four profiles using various thermochronometers. We find that the Jinhe thrust was active before ~30 Ma, when continental Tibetan lithosphere subduction occurred at the scale of the plateau along the Jinsha suture. The Jinhe thrust is located above the South China craton edge, thickening its upper crust. The Jiulong thrust and the Muli thrust, hinterland faults of the YTB located west of the craton, were also active at that time. During the Miocene, only the Jiulong and Muli thrusts have been re-activated from ~12.5 to 5 Ma. Therefore, no migration of the deformation occurred outwards of the plateau, as migration was limited to the east by the South China craton. The thickening of the more deformable crust occurred west of the craton, squeezed between the craton and the Eastern Himalayan syntaxis. We propose a revised tectonic reconstruction at the scale of the plateau, to illustrate the evolution of Southeast Tibet in connection with the indentation of the Indian continent.

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Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{pitard2026deformation,
  title = {{No deformation propagation outward of the plateau across the Yalong Thrust Belt in Southeast Tibet}},
  author = {Paul Pitard and Anne Replumaz and P.H. Leloup and M.-L. Chevalier and S. Wang and M. Bai and X. Ou and Matthias Bernet and Mélanie Balvay and E.R. Sobel and Adrien Vezinet and Cécile Gautheron and Julia de Sigoyer and H. Li},
  journal = {Tectonophysics},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1016/j.tecto.2025.230855},
  url = {https://cnrs.hal.science/hal-05214772v1},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - No deformation propagation outward of the plateau across the Yalong Thrust Belt in Southeast Tibet
AU  - Paul Pitard
AU  - Anne Replumaz
AU  - P.H. Leloup
AU  - M.-L. Chevalier
AU  - S. Wang
AU  - M. Bai
AU  - X. Ou
AU  - Matthias Bernet
AU  - Mélanie Balvay
AU  - E.R. Sobel
AU  - Adrien Vezinet
AU  - Cécile Gautheron
AU  - Julia de Sigoyer
AU  - H. Li
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/02
JO  - Tectonophysics
DO  - 10.1016/j.tecto.2025.230855
UR  - https://cnrs.hal.science/hal-05214772v1
AB  - In Southeast Tibet, the Yalong Thrust Belt (YTB) is an ideal area to test a model of thrust propagation following the collision between India and Asia. We investigate the role of the Jinhe thrust, the southernmost fault of the YTB, by dating 34 samples from four profiles using various thermochronometers. We find that the Jinhe thrust was active before ~30 Ma, when continental Tibetan lithosphere subduction occurred at the scale of the plateau along the Jinsha suture. The Jinhe thrust is located above the South China craton edge, thickening its upper crust. The Jiulong thrust and the Muli thrust, hinterland faults of the YTB located west of the craton, were also active at that time. During the Miocene, only the Jiulong and Muli thrusts have been re-activated from ~12.5 to 5 Ma. Therefore, no migration of the deformation occurred outwards of the plateau, as migration was limited to the east by the South China craton. The thickening of the more deformable crust occurred west of the craton, squeezed between the craton and the Eastern Himalayan syntaxis. We propose a revised tectonic reconstruction at the scale of the plateau, to illustrate the evolution of Southeast Tibet in connection with the indentation of the Indian continent.
SN  - 0040-1951
SN  - 1879-3266
ER  -

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