Lecture Schedule

  1. Introduction
    Organization meeting, course overview
    success of plate tectonics theory; scales of deformation; differences of continental and oceanic deformation, from seismicity and topography; definitions of lithosphere, differences of continental and oceanic lithosphere: structure, composition, temperatures, and strength
    Readings:
    • Molnar, P., Continental tectonics in the aftermath of plate tectonics, Nature, 335, 131-137, 1988.
    • Brace, W. F., and D. L. Kohlstedt, Limits on lithospheric stress imposed by laboratory experiments, JGR, 85, 6248-6252, 1980.
    • Chen, W.-P., and P. Molnar, Focal depths of intracontinental earthquakes and their implications for the thermal and mechanical properties of the lithosphere, JGR, 88, 4183-4214, 1983
    • Maggi, A. et al., A re-assessment of focal depth distributions in southern Iran, the Tien Shan and northern India: do earthquakes really occur in the continental mantle? GJI 143, 629-661, 2000.
  2. Observations of continental deformation
    description of continental deformation; velocity gradient tensor, strain rate tensor
    observations from triangulation, space geodesy and earthquakes; advantages and disadvantages
    Readings:
    • Molnar, P., Average regional strain due to slip on numerous faults of different orientations, JGR, 88, 6430-6432, 1983.
    • Molnar, P., and Q.-D. Deng, Faulting associated with large earthquakes and the average rate of deformation in central and eastern Asia, JGR, 89, 6203-6228, 1984.
    • Jackson, J., and D. McKenzie, The relationship between plate motions and seismic moment tensors, and the rates of active deformation in the Mediterranean and Middle East, GJRas, 93, 45-73, 1988.
    • Ekstrom and England, Seismic strain rates in regions of distributed continental deformation, JGR 94, 10231-10257, 1989.
    • Holt et al., The active tectonics of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis and surrounding regions, JGR, 96, 14,595-14,632, 1991.
  3. Mechanics of continental deformation
    stress balance equation; a 2-D mountain belt, thin sheet approximation,  vertical averaged stresses
    gravitational potential energy of the lithosphere; its relation to stress and geoid height.
    Readings:
    • Dalmayrac, B. and P. Molnar, Parallel thrust and normal faulting in Peru, and constraints on the state of stress. EPSL 37, 473-481, 1981
    • England, P. C., G. A. Houseman, and L. J. Sonder, Length scales for continental deformation in convergent, divergent and strike-slip environments: Analytical and approximate solutions for a thin viscous sheet model, JGR, 90, 3551-3557, 1985.
    • England, P., and J. Jackson, Active deformation of the continents, Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 17, 197-226, 1989.
    • Molnar, P., and H. Lyon-Caen, Some simple physical aspects of the support, structure and evolution of mountain belts, GSA special paper, 218, 179-207.
    • Flesch et al., Dynamics of the Pacific-North American plate boundary in the western U.S., Science 287, 834-836, 2000.
    • Flecsh et al., The dynamics of the Indian-Eurasia collision zone, JGR 106, 16435-16460, 2001.
  4. Continental collision, Tibetan Plateau
    • Dewey, J. F., et al, The tectonic evolution of the Tibetan plateau, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 327, 379-413, 1988.
    • Tapponier, P., et al, Propagating extrusion tectonics in Asia: New insights from simple plasticine experiments, Geology, 10, 611-616.
    • Tapponier, P., et al, Oblique stepwise Rise and Growth of the tibet plateau, Science, 294, 1671-1677, 2001.
    • Le Pichon, X., et al., Uplift of Tibet: from eclogites to granulites - implications for the Andean Plateau and the Variscan belt., Tectonophysics 273, 57-76, 1997.
  5. Final exam