The Barkol Tagh and Karlik Tagh ranges of the easternmost Tien Shan are a natural laboratory for studying the fault architecture of an active termination zone of a major intracontinental mountain range. Barkol and Karlik Tagh and lesser ranges to the north are bounded by active thrust faults that locally deform Quaternary sediments. Major thrusts in Karlik Tagh connect along strike to the east ...

Demingding is a promising porphyry Mo-dominated deposit recently discovered in the eastern Gangdese metallogenic belt Tibet, China. We present zircon U-Pb-Lu-Hf isotopic studies, as well geochemical data of late monzogranites and prior rhyolites from to uncover their origin geodynamic mechanism. Zircon U–Pb dating yielded precise crystallization ages 17.3 ± 0.6 Ma (MSWD = 2.5) 186.5 3.0 2.0) fo...

Geologic records of Earth’s hydrosphere and meteoric precipitation older than 2 Ga are rare, although they provide insight into the past climate, rates of water-rock interaction, and intensity of plate tectonics. Here we report and describe in detail the lowest known δ18O (–16‰ to –25‰) terrestrial silicate rocks on Earth, found in Paleoproterozoic plagiogneisses from the Belomorian complex, Ka...

Abstract Shear zones are of localized high strain accommodating differential motion in the lithosphere and impacting crustal rheology deformational history orogenic belts. Although terrane bounding shear widely studied, intraterrane their tectonic significance, especially association with supercontinent assembly, is a largely unexplored topic. The Ribeira Belt (SE Brazil), Neoproterozoic-Cambri...

S U M M A R Y Using both numerical experiments and approximate linear theory, we examine the stability of a 2-D, three-layered viscous system that represents crust over mantle lithosphere, overlying asthenosphere. If horizontal shortening of lithosphere occurs, as in mountain building, the development of gravitational instability may follow one of two distinct paths. Localized downwelling occur...