Chemical Mohometry: Assessing Crustal Thickness of Ancient Orogens Using Geochemical and Isotopic Data.

Convergent plate boundaries are key sites for continental crustal formation and recycling. Quantifying the evolution of crustal thickness and paleoelevation along ancient convergent margins represents a major goal in orogenic system analyses. Chemical and in some cases isotopic compositions of igneous rocks formed in modern supra-subduction arcs and collisional belts are sensitive to Moho depths at the location of magmatism, implying that igneous suites from fossil orogens carry information about crustal thickness from the time they formed.

Does Large-Scale Crustal Flow Shape the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau? Insights From Episodic Magmatism of Gongga-Zheduo Granitic Massif.

The mechanisms driving crustal deformation and uplift of orogenic plateaus are fundamental to continental tectonics. Large-scale crustal flow has been hypothesized to occur in eastern Tibet, but it remains controversial due to a lack of geologic evidence. Geochemical and isotopic data from Cenozoic igneous rocks in the eastern Tibet-Gongga-Zheduo intrusive massif, provide a way to test this model.