A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults
Asymmetric deformation has been observed along the Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF), the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this asymmetry, including contrasts in crustal strength, lower crust/upper mantle rheology, deep fault dislocation shifts, and dip...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| author | Yi Luo Hongbo Jiang Wanpeng Feng Yunfeng Tian Wenliang Jiang |
| author_facet | Yi Luo Hongbo Jiang Wanpeng Feng Yunfeng Tian Wenliang Jiang |
| author_sort | Yi Luo |
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| description | Asymmetric deformation has been observed along the Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF), the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this asymmetry, including contrasts in crustal strength, lower crust/upper mantle rheology, deep fault dislocation shifts, and dipping fault geometry; however, the real scenario remains debated. This study utilizes a time series Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique to investigate spatially variable asymmetries across the western section of the ATF (83–89°E). We generated a high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) crustal velocity field from Sentinel-1 data for the northwestern Tibetan Plateau (~82–92°E; 33–40°N). Our results confirm that pronounced greater deformations within the Tibetan Plateau occur only along the westernmost section of the ATF (83–85.5°E). We propose this asymmetry is primarily driven by a splay fault system within a transition zone, bounded by the ATF in the north and the Margai Caka Fault (MCF)–Kunlun Fault (KLF) in the south, which accommodates an east–west extension in the central Tibetan Plateau while transferring sinistral shear to the KLF. The concentrated strain observed along the ATF and MCF–KLF lends more support to a block-style eastward extrusion model, rather than a continuously deforming model, for Tibetan crustal kinematics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0beef9a7b3a94c11b559c5a73bfa1613 |
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| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-0beef9a7b3a94c11b559c5a73bfa16132025-08-20T02:15:46ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-04-01177127710.3390/rs17071277A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple FaultsYi Luo0Hongbo Jiang1Wanpeng Feng2Yunfeng Tian3Wenliang Jiang4National Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, Beijing 100085, ChinaNational Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, Beijing 100085, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Geodynamics and Geological Hazards, School of Earth Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519080, ChinaNational Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, Beijing 100085, ChinaNational Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, Beijing 100085, ChinaAsymmetric deformation has been observed along the Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF), the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this asymmetry, including contrasts in crustal strength, lower crust/upper mantle rheology, deep fault dislocation shifts, and dipping fault geometry; however, the real scenario remains debated. This study utilizes a time series Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique to investigate spatially variable asymmetries across the western section of the ATF (83–89°E). We generated a high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) crustal velocity field from Sentinel-1 data for the northwestern Tibetan Plateau (~82–92°E; 33–40°N). Our results confirm that pronounced greater deformations within the Tibetan Plateau occur only along the westernmost section of the ATF (83–85.5°E). We propose this asymmetry is primarily driven by a splay fault system within a transition zone, bounded by the ATF in the north and the Margai Caka Fault (MCF)–Kunlun Fault (KLF) in the south, which accommodates an east–west extension in the central Tibetan Plateau while transferring sinistral shear to the KLF. The concentrated strain observed along the ATF and MCF–KLF lends more support to a block-style eastward extrusion model, rather than a continuously deforming model, for Tibetan crustal kinematics.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/7/1277Altyn Tagh FaultInSARasymmetric deformationTibetan PlateauSentinel-1slip rate |
| spellingShingle | Yi Luo Hongbo Jiang Wanpeng Feng Yunfeng Tian Wenliang Jiang A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults Remote Sensing Altyn Tagh Fault InSAR asymmetric deformation Tibetan Plateau Sentinel-1 slip rate |
| title | A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults |
| title_full | A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults |
| title_fullStr | A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults |
| title_short | A Simple Scenario for Explaining Asymmetric Deformation Across the Altyn Tagh Fault in the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Contributions from Multiple Faults |
| title_sort | simple scenario for explaining asymmetric deformation across the altyn tagh fault in the northern tibetan plateau contributions from multiple faults |
| topic | Altyn Tagh Fault InSAR asymmetric deformation Tibetan Plateau Sentinel-1 slip rate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/7/1277 |
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