Three-dimensional fold structure of the Tibetan Moho from GRACE gravity data

Although the prevailing wavelength of the Moho fold has been estimated from the spectral analysis of gravity and topography, there has not been a suggested method developed to reveal its structure. Here we present a three-dimensional (3D) Moho fold structure beneath Tibet which clearly reflects the continental collision. For the structure estimation a new method has been introduced based on the gravity inversion and flexural model. The estimated direction and wavelength of the Moho fold are consistent with the velocities calculated from Global Positioning System (GPS) and with an elastic plate model under horizontal compression. The prevailing wavelength of the Moho fold is estimated to be 300 to 420 km, which corresponds to an elastic plate with effective elastic thickness (EET) of about 35 km, and much smaller than the prior estimates of 500 to 700 km. Citation: Shin, Y. H., C.-K. Shum, C. Braitenberg, S. M. Lee, H. Xu, K. S. Choi, J. H. Baek, and J. U. Park ( 2009), Three-dimensional fold structure of the Tibetan Moho from GRACE gravity data, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L01302, doi: 10.1029/2008GL036068.