CONTINENTAL SUBDUCTIONS BENEATH TIBET AND THE HIMALAYAN OROGENY - A REVIEW

Argand (1924) and later Holmes (1965) proposed that the Himalayan orog eny and Tibet uplift were the result of large underthrusting of the In dian continental crust beneath Tibet. Since then, plate motion studies have yielded new constraints on the relative displacements of India a nd Asia and a large number of geological and geophysical investigation s have helped to determine the structure of the Himalayas and Tibet, t he best natural laboratory for understanding mountain belts. The aim o f this paper is to review briefly the various models of Himalayan moun tain building in light of recent geological and geophysical data and t o estimate the role of continental subductions.