THE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YARLUNG ZANGBO FRACTURE ZONE
雅鲁藏布江断裂带的构造特征

The Yarlung Zangbo fracture zone is a key unit of the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone along which the oceanic lithosphere between Indian plate and Eurasian plate subducted and the two plates finally collided. In Tibet the fracture zone is very large with a length of 1500 km and a width more than 10 km. There exist a large-scale ophiolite zone of remainder of the oceanic crust, high P/T metamorphic belt and melanges along the frature zone. Through the studies of the structural deformation of rocks in the frature zone and the nearby area, and the geotectonic setting we may distinguish the history of development of the frature zone into the following four main stages; 1) The subduction stage before the ophiolite took its present position (before 90 Ma). 2) The subduction stage during the ophiolite took its present place (about 90 Ma to Eocene Epoch). 3) The collision stage of Indian plate and Eurasian plate(after Eocene). 4) Strike sliping, the present stage.