Masters Theses

Abstract

"The Tibetan Plateau has been an enigma to the scientific community since scientists first began to focus their attention on the area. Numerous studies over the decades were conducted to address how the plateau formed, mostly in the central and eastern portions of the Tibetan Plateau. Many questions still remain regarding the western Tibetan Plateau, and this study will add constraints to the mechanisms which regulated the formation of the plateau.

Data was acquired from over 13,000 measurements from 172 stations covering the western region of the plateau encompassing the Qiangtang Terrane, the Lhasa Terrane, and the Himalayan Orogenic Zone. A shear-wave splitting (SWS) method was utilized in order to analyze the seismic anisotropy beneath the plateau.

We present individual measurements here in order to examine spatial variations in splitting time and orientation. After careful analysis, the resulting data set consists of 426 measurements which demonstrate that the study area is characterized by significant anisotropy. All measurements of sufficient quality were used, providing azimuthal coverage surpassing those of the previous study which used station averaged measurements. An E-W orientation is visible in the orogenic zone that rotates to a NE-SW direction north of the Indus-Yalu suture and then rotates to an E-W orientation at approximately 32⁰N. The Indian plate is subducting the plateau from the south to 33⁰N, while the Eurasian plate is subducting from the north to 30⁰N, overlapping between these two points and causing the uplift of the plateau"--Abstract, page iii.

Advisor(s)

Liu, Kelly H.

Committee Member(s)

Gao, Stephen S.
Oboh-Ikuenobe, Francisca

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Degree Name

M.S. in Geology and Geophysics

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Fall 2014

Pagination

viii, 57 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 53-56).

Geographic Coverage

Tibet, Plateau of

Rights

© 2014 Melissa Ann Ray, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Geology, Structural -- Tibet, Plateau ofShear waves -- MeasurementAnisotropy

Thesis Number

T 10594

Electronic OCLC #

902736407

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Thesis Location

 
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