Two-phase intracontinental deformation mode in the context of India-Eurasia collision: Insights from a structural analysis of the West Kunlun-southern Junggar transect along the NW margin of the Tibetan Plateau

The India-Eurasia convergence since early Cenozoic has established the Tibetan Plateau and the Circum-Tibetan Plateau Basin and Orogen System (CTPBOS). When and how the convergence-driving strain has propagated into the CTPBOS is of significant importance in deciphering the growth process of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we conduct a structural analysis of the West Kunlun-southern Junggar transect along the NW margin of the Tibetan Plateau to establish the deformation propagation and through this to determine the plateau growth processes. The results suggest a two-phase deformation mode. The first stage features deformation confined in pre-existing weak zones like the West Kunlun orogen, Buchu Uplift and Tian Shan orogen during Paleogene, in which the intracontinental strain was speculated to be mainly consumed by shortening of these weak zones. The second stage is characterized by deformation propagating into foreland regions since early Miocene, in which shorting along foreland fold-and-thrust belts of a scale of tens of kilometers and decreasing basinwardly plays a key role in absorbing intracontinental strain. We suggest that this two-phase deformation mode possibly reflects a shift of governing mechanism of the expansion of the Tibetan Plateau from a rigid-block manner to a critical wedge taper style.Thematic collection: This article is part of the Fold-and-thrust belts collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/fold-and-thrust-belts

Structural and microtectonic analyses of Barpak of Gorkha district, west-central Nepal

Geological mapping was carried out in the Barpak-Bhachchek area of the Daraudi River valley, Gorkha district, West-Central Nepal for structural analysis. The area comprises rocks of the Higher Himalayan Crystalline and the Lesser Himalayan Sequence. Pelitic and psammitic schist, quartzite, calc-quartzite, dolomitic marble, graphitic schist, gneiss are the main rock types within the Lesser Himalayan Sequence, whereas banded gneiss and quartzite form a significant portion of the Higher Himalayan Crystalline in the study area. The area is affected by poly-phase deformation. Lesser Himalayan Sequence has suffered five deformational phases (DL1-DL2, D3-D5) whereas the Higher Himalayan Crystalline has suffered four deformational events (DH1, D3-D5). The Lesser Himalayan Sequence lying to the northern limb of the Gorkha-Kuncha Anticlinorium is contort into doubly plunging to dome-and-basin-like en echelon type of non-cylindrical folds as Baluwa Dome and Pokharatar Basin (DL2 and D4). The direction of shearing as indicated by shear sense indicators (C' Shear band and Mica fish) is top-to-south coinciding with regional sense of shear related to the MCT propagation. The dynamic recrystallization direction, obtained from rock dominant with phyllosilicate minerals is top-to-south and coincides with mineral lineation and indicate the mineral lineation is contemporary with dynamic recrystallization during the MCT propagation.

Dual-Axis Metasurface Strain Sensor Based on Polarization–Phase-Deformation Relationship

Herein, we propose an approach for sensitivity improvement of dual-axis strain sensing using the property of a metasurface (MS) that the phase response shifts sharply with the MS deformation. A feasible approach for phase measurement is first demonstrated by calculating multi-polarized reception when the incident electromagnetic (EM) wave has anisotropic phase values. A flexible MS consisting of periodically arranged lantern-shaped elements is designed and fabricated for dual-axis strain sensing and evaluation based on the proposed method. The simulation and measurement results demonstrated a high sensitivity of the proposed MS for strain sensing in the microwave band. The method can be used potentially in both pressure and tensile sensing. Moreover, the operational frequency can be extended to the THz range and even to the optical band.