Field report: Research along the Yarlung Suture Zone in Southern Tibet, a persistent geological frontier

The Yarlung Suture Zone in Southern Tibet marks the boundary between India and Asia–formerly separated by an ocean basin–and is a critical record of the tectonic processes that created the Tibetan Plateau. The Yarlung Suture Zone is also a frontier research area, as difficulty of access has limited...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Andrew K. Laskowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018-03-01
Series:Geoscience Frontiers
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987117301962
Description
Summary:The Yarlung Suture Zone in Southern Tibet marks the boundary between India and Asia–formerly separated by an ocean basin–and is a critical record of the tectonic processes that created the Tibetan Plateau. The Yarlung Suture Zone is also a frontier research area, as difficulty of access has limited research activity, providing ample opportunities for new discoveries. This paper documents field research conducted by the authors along the Yarlung suture zone in eastern Xigaze (Shigatse, Rikaze) County, ∼250 km west of the city of Lhasa, in July 2017. The goal of this research was to map the Suture Zone structure in detail, and more specifically to understand the branching relationships between two major fault systems—the Great Counter Thrust and Gangdese Thrust. A summary of early geological exploration is included to provide context for this research.
ISSN:1674-9871