Unroofing of the Himalayas: A view from apatite fission-track analysis of Bengal Fan sediments

Journal Article · Wed Dec 02 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92GL02743· OSTI ID:6819721

Corrigan, J D ^[1]; Crowley, K D ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin (United States)
2. Miami Univ., FL (United States)

Apatite fission-track analysis of Early Miocene to Quaternary distal Bengal Fan sediments from ODP Leg 116 provides a unique perspective on denudation processes associated with the Tertiary Himalayan orogeny. These sediments yield pooled apatite fission-track ages that are 0- to 10-m.y. older than depositional ages. Mean track lengths range from 13.2 to 14.8 [mu]m. These young ages and long track lengths indicate that rocks in the upper crust of Bengal Fan source areas cooled rapidly ([ge]15[degrees]C/m.y.), implying denudation rates of several hundreds of meters per million years. These observations support the hypothesis that nearly continuous unroofing of a large source area, similar to the dimensions of the present Himalayan and southern Tibetan Plateau deformation front, and an efficient transport system, similar to the present Himalaya-Ganges-Brahmaputra system, supplied sediment to the Bengal Fan since the Early Miocene.

• OSTI ID: 6819721
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 19:23; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
AGE ESTIMATION
APATITES
CENOZOIC ERA
FISSION TRACKS
GEOLOGIC AGES
HIMALAYAS
MINERALS
MIOCENE EPOCH
MOUNTAINS
PARTICLE TRACKS
PHOSPHATE MINERALS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
SEDIMENTS
TERTIARY PERIOD