Home – Home – Jornals – Russian Geology and Geophysics 2001 number 10

This paper present results of a comprehensive analysis of the geophysical fields in High Asia, which show the peculiarites of the tectonic structure of the region and geodynamic processes occurring there. Comparison of maps of geophysical fields, namely, geoidal undulations, anomalous magnetic and gravity fields, heat flow, shear-wave attenuation, distributions of group velocities of Rayleigh waves for periods of 10-70 s, and distribution of Pn-wave velocities in the upper mantle of High Asia, shows that they are all caused by an anomalous body which might consist of deconsolidated and hot material and is called by us as the Tibetan plume. We suggest its III-level structure. Comparison of seismicity and geophysical fields shows a particular correlation between the occurrence of earthquakes and the structure of geophysical fields. Gradients of geophysical fields have been found to be indicators of possible zones of strong earthquakes. Dynamic processes in High Asia are governed by combination of collision between the Indostan and Euroasian litospheric plates and the ongoing development of the Tibet plume.