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Magnetotelluric Studies of Active Continent–Continent Collisions

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Abstract

Continent–continent collisions are an important tectonic process and have played a fundamental role in the evolution of the modern continents. A combination of geological and geophysical data has provided new constraints on the structure and temporal evolution of these orogens. Magnetotelluric (MT) studies have been an important part of these studies since they can constrain the fluid content and thermal structure which are key parameters for defining the rheology of the crust and upper mantle. MT studies of the Himalaya have defined the geometry of active faults associated with continued plateau growth. Orogen scale MT studies have shown that both the India–Asia collision (Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya) and the Arabia–Eurasia collision (Eastern Anatolia) have developed a low resistivity mid-crustal layer with upper surface at 10–20 km that is likely due to a combination of partial melt and associated aqueous fluids. The properties of this layer are consistent with a strength contrast that permits crustal flow over geological timescales. The upper mantle from the Moho to at least 100 km beneath both Northern Tibet and the Anatolian Plateau is characterized by low resistivity values (10–30 Ωm) indicating the presence of shallow asthenosphere. Future integrated seismic and MT studies of collision zones are needed fully to explore the 3D structures associated with deformation and further constrain geodynamic models.

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Acknowledgments

This manuscript has benefited greatly from reviews by Henri Brasse, Ted Bertrand, Mike Edwards and two anonymous reviewers. I thank the editors Toivo Korja and Zhao Guoze for their insightful comments and patience. Dennis Rippe, Ersan Turkoglu and Henri Brasse contributed figures. Finally I thank the many people who have sent me reprints, MT data and models from their studies. This is a rapidly advancing field and I am already aware of new MT studies following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake that have not been included in this review.

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  1. Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 0B9, Canada

    Martyn Unsworth

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Unsworth, M. Magnetotelluric Studies of Active Continent–Continent Collisions. Surv Geophys 31, 137–161 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-009-9086-y

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