The ongoing collision and continuous compression between the Indian and Eurasian plates began 55 Ma ago[1-3];this process created the magnificent Tibetan Plateau,the highest-elevation landform on the Earth today.Studies have shown that a conti-nent-continent collision occurred not only south of the Tibetan Plateau but also north of the plateau[4].However,compared with the evident subduction mode in the south(where the Indian Plate clearly subducts northward under the Tibetan Plateau)[5,6],the mode of the continent-continent collision in the north is still con-troversial:whether the Indian Plate subducts northward under the Tarim Block or the Tarim Block subducts southward under the Tibetan Plateau,or the Tarim Block played only a blocking role[4,7-9].A key to solving this problem is to establish a 3D geometric model of lithosphere structure.Considering that the fault zone of the West Kunlun Mountains on the northwestern edge of the Tibe-tan Plateau(Fig.1a)is an ideal place for detecting and revealing the continent-continent collisional processse in the northwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau[10],we applied a recently developed multi-scale imaging method[11]and 3D visualization technology to pro-cess the gravity data(Fig.1 b)covering the West Kunlun Mountains and its adjacent regions,and a 3D gravity model was constructed to understand the deep dynamics,collision mode,and contact rela-tionship between the Tibetan Terrane and Tarim Block in north-western Tibet.

Hongyan Shen;Qingchun Li;Chengqian Tan;Xuliang Feng;Meng Li;Xinxin Li;Jing Zhao;Han Che

School of Earth Sciences and Engineering,Xi'an Shiyou University,Xi'an 710065,China;Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Petroleum Accumulation Geology,Xi'an 710065,China;College of Geology Engineering and Geometics,Chang'an University,Xi'an 710054,China

科学通报（英文版）

[1]Hongyan Shen;Qingchun Li;Chengqian Tan;Xuliang Feng;Meng Li;Xinxin Li;Jing Zhao;Han Che-.Collision between the northern Tibet and Tarim Block as revealed by the gravity data)[J].科学通报（英文版）,2022(10):1007-1009

subducts,troversial,Tibe,processse

Collision,between,northern,Tarim,Block,revealed,by,gravity,data,ongoing,continuous,compression,Indian,Eurasian,plates,began,Ma,ago,this,created,magnificent,Tibetan,Plateau,highest,elevation,landform,Earth,today,Studies,have,shown,that,continent,occurred,not,only,but,also,plateau,However,compared,evident,subduction,where,clearly,northward,still,whether,southward,played,blocking,role,key,solving,problem,establish,geometric,model,lithosphere,structure,Considering,fault,zone,West,Kunlun,Mountains,northwestern,edge,Fig,1a,ideal,place,detecting,revealing,collisional,part,applied,recently,developed,multi,scale,imaging,method,visualization,technology,covering,its,adjacent,regions,was,constructed,understand,deep,dynamics,contact,rela,tionship,Terrane

0.453434