As the largest and highest plateau on the Earth,the Tibetan Pla-teau is the most important natural laboratory we have for under-standing continent-continent collision and mountain building;the Tibetan Plateau is characterized by conspicuous crustal thick-ening,considerable deformation,complex metamorphism,and sig-nificant uplift[1].Because of the resistance of the rigid Tarim lithosphere in the west,the eastern Tibetan Plateau has been the main region for the occurrence of lateral motions of escaped pla-teau materials caused by the continued penetration of India into Eurasia[2].To compensate for the compression of ongoing conver-gence,the eastward motion of crustal blocks is accommodated by a series of active strike-slip faults(e.g.,Xianshuihe,Kunlun,and AilaoShan-Red River).Based on geologic and geodetic observations,the hypothesis of lower crustal flow has been proposed to reconcile the paradox between limited young upper crustal shortening and anomalously high topography across the eastern plateau margin[3].This scenario argues that the weak lower crustal rocks gener-ated by the thickened crust can be separated from the overlying brittle upper crust and escape from the central plateau because of lateral pressure gradients on geologic time scales,causing the lateral expansion and isostatic surface uplift in the eastern Tibetan Plateau[3].

Xingpeng Dong;Dinghui Yang

Institute of Geology,China Earthquake Administration,Beijing 100029,China;Department of Mathematical Sciences,Tsinghua University,Beijing 100084,China

科学通报（英文版）

[1]Xingpeng Dong;Dinghui Yang-.Positions of large earthquakes revealed from velocity heterogeneities and radial anisotropy in the eastern Tibetan Plateau)[J].科学通报（英文版）,2022(20):2026-2029

Pla,teau,AilaoShan

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