Exhumation History Along the Muli Thrust—Implication for Crustal Thickening Mechanism in Eastern Tibet

Thrusting implication in the crustal thickening history of eastern Tibet is highly debated. The ?250 km-long Muli thrust Yalong belt SE a major Miocene structure with pronounced topographic step (?2,000 m). Using thermo-kinematic modeling based on thermochronology data, we constrain geometry as being steep (>70°) at surface, agreement field observations, and flattening depth (?20 km) an intra-crustal décollement. motion fault shows velocity 0.2 ± 0.06 km/Ma since 50 Ma, followed by acceleration rate 0.6 0.08 starting 12.5 1 yielding total ?15 km exhumed crust. Deeper, deformation may be localized through ductile shear zone, related to Moho wave contrast imaged tomography beneath belt.