Crustal-scale tectonic wedging in the central Longmen Shan: Constraints on the uplift mechanism in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

• The frontal monocline belt of the LMS is a key to reveal the basement structures.
• The crustal-scale tectonic wedge lead to the uplifting of the LMS by 3–4 km.
• We conducted a crustal-scale tectonic wedging model of the central LMS thrust belt.
• Two different tectonic stages of the central LMS are distinguished since the Cenozoic.

This study focuses on the upper–middle crust (UMC) deformation in the central Longmen Shan (LMS). The results of this study are constrained by the surface geology, typical seismic reflection profiles, previously available thermochronology, and deep geophysical data. Regional seismic profiles demonstrate a strata dip of about 2°, northwest trending, from the Sichuan Basin (SB) to LMS. The interpretation of shallow artificial seismic reflection data indicates that an unknown basement structure lead to the uplifting of the sedimentary cover by 3–4 km. A long and wide-angle reflection seismic profile presents evidence that the middle crustal-scale structure is involved in the deformation. Geophysical data support that there is an upper detachment (D1) at the depth of ∼20 km. The other lower detachment (D2) could be generated at approximately 30–40 km depth in the low velocity zone. The ductile middle crust between the D1 and D2, has shortening and forming a wedge tip beneath the transition zone of the LMS and the SB. The deformation of the LMS frontal monocline belt is related to this crustal-scale wedging. Two different tectonic stages are distinguished in the Cenozoic through the axial surface analysis and chronological data. During the first stage, the crustal-scale tectonic wedge was developed between the upper and lower detachment, resulting in the uplift of the UMC. During the second stage, the middle crust could hardly be extruding and uplifting. The brittle upper crust was rapidly uplifted and shortened by the shallow major thrusts, which were developed on the D1. The D1 and D2 controlled the uplifting and shortening in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The lower crust (LC) may be decoupled from the D2 and subducted due to the resistance by the stable craton underlying the SB. The structural model manifests the importance of multi-detachments and the superimposed deformation in the LMS thrust belt. However, we emphasize that this crustal-scale tectonic wedging only discovered in the central LMS. The tectonic wedge is an important uplifting pattern that should be not neglected.