Eocene magmatism in the Himalaya: Response to lithospheric flexure during early Indian collision?

Abstract Eocene mafic magmatism in the Himalaya provides a crucial window for probing evolution of crustal anatexis processes within lower plate collisional orogen. We report geochemical data from earliest postcollision ocean-island basalt–like dikes intruding Tethyan near northern edge colliding Indian plate. These occurred coeval, and spatially overlap, with granitoids cores gneiss domes were likely derived interaction between melts lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary continental lithosphere. propose that these magmas emplaced along lithospheric fractures response to flexure during initial subduction continent underplating such resulted orogen-parallel continent. This mechanism can explain formation coeval geologic orogen on both sides suture zone.