Insights on the uplift mechanism of the eastern Tibetan Plateau from the flexural isostasy study

Abstract

It is generally believed that the rapid uplift of the eastern Tibetan Plateau is due to the continuous continental collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. But the uplift mechanisms of the eastern Tibetan Plateau remain uncertain. The analysis of flexural isostasy can provide new insights into those uplifting mechanisms. In this study, the effective elastic thickness () and load ratio () of the lithosphere are estimated around the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The derived and are used to compute flexural isostatic anomalies (FIA) using the theoretical Bouguer admittance method. We find the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is dominated by low , high , and significant negative FIA. Our results suggest that this area has a weak lithosphere with heavy subsurface loadings and crustal mass surpluses. This supports that a middle‐lower crustal channel flow probably underlies this region.