Geodynamics of the Pamir-Tien Shan: Cenozoic continental subduction, crustal bucking and orocline formation

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Jonas Kley; Professor Dr. Lothar Ratschbacher; Professor Dr. Oliver Ritter
• Subject Area: Geophysics
• Term: from 2009 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 140474477

We aim to establish the Cenozoic deformation history of the Pamir–southern Tien Shan on a litho-spheric scale, i.e. geometry, kinematics, amount and rate of shortening/intra-continental subduction, crustal buckling, extension, lateral extrusion and orocline formation, and the modes of denudation. This part of the TIPAGE bundle executes structural geology, geo-thermochronology, and petrology (associated US-NSF project) to trace the pressure-temperature-time-deformation evolution of the middle-upper crust; it determines the electrical conductivity structure of the crust to outline major deformation zones and examine its thermal state; it integrates the Cenozoic evolution of the western India-Asia collision zone using numerical thermomechanical modeling constrained by all TIPAGE observations in 2D + time and 3D + time approaches.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Stephan V. Sobolev, Ph.D.