The protracted role of India-Eurasia collision in the uplift of the Gangdese terrane revealed by machine learning

Abstract

The crustal thickening due to India-Asia collision was previously believed to play a key role in uplift of plateau. However, recent paleoaltimetry data indicates parts of the plateau reached high elevations earlier than previously thought. Accurate determination of crustal thickening history is critical to further constrain this issue. We applied machine learning to model crustal thickness using refined global geochemical datasets, addressing limitations in earlier approaches. The crustal thickness evolution history of Gangdese terrane in southern Tibet was recovered by the new machine learning model and compared with the paleoaltimetry data. Results show that at the initial stage of collision, the crust thickness was normal and decoupled with high paleoaltimetry, while the subsequent crustal thickening occurred after 41 Ma and kept the same path with the uplift of plateau. This challenges the notion of rapid uplift driven by crustal thickening and instead suggests a protracted uplift process, offering new perspectives on the geodynamics of southern Tibetan Plateau.