HETEROGENEITY OF THE LITHOSPHERE IN TIBETAN PLATEAU ON THE CONSTRAINTS OF MAGMATISM

Many evidences including those from magmatism and igneous rocks strongly support the heterogeneity of lithosphere in Tibetan plateau.By estimation, volcanic and plutonic rocks occupy an area of 300000km\+2, equaling to 10% of total area of the Tibetan Plateau. Temporal and spatial distribution of igneous rocks in the Tibetan Plateau is very inhomogeneous (Mo et al., 1998). Temporarily, most of plutonic and volcanic rocks, which occurred in 60% of total area of igneous rocks in the plateau, formed in the period of 65～45Ma. Spatially, 80% of igneous rocks in the plateau concentrated in the Gangdise—Nyainqentanglha region formed a huge complex granite\|volcanic belt. Petrotectonic assemblage and type of igneous rocks also vary from district to district. While Himalayas (especially High\|Himalayan region) were characterized by well development of muscovite\|bearing granites with no high\|potassium volcanic rocks and other volcanic contemporaries, North Tibet (Qiangtang region) by highly potassic volcanic rock series without muscovite\|bearing granites. Besides wide\|spreading calc\|alkaline igneous rocks, however, both highly potassic volcanic rocks and muscovite\|bearing granites developed in the central portion of Gangdise\|Nyainqentanglha region. It was lack of igneous activities in the Pamirs. Mantle\|derived nodules and their hosted rocks have been found only on northern and eastern margins of the plateau so far. All mentioned above, combined with other evidences from geophysics, geochemistry and structural geology, give us a hint to understand the heterogeneity of the lithosphere in its structure, thermal state and evolution processes underneath Tibetan plateau.