Geodynamic Processes in the Baikal-Mongolian Region
Summary
The Baikal–Mongolian region occupies a unique setting at the interior of the Eurasian continent, characterised by widespread rifting, diffuse deformation and long-lived intraplate activity. The Baikal Rift Zone marks one of the world’s most prominent examples of continental extension far from oceanic margins, driven by far-field stresses related to the India–Asia collision. Within Mongolia, the interplay of crustal thinning, lithospheric delamination and mantle upwelling has shaped elevated plateaux and dispersed volcanic fields since the Mesozoic. Active fault systems accommodate both normal and strike-slip motions, producing recurrent moderate to large earthquakes. High-resolution seismic tomography reveals heterogeneities in crustal and upper-mantle structure, including annular high-velocity zones that correlate with clusters of seismicity. Thermo-mechanical models suggest that density contrasts in a thickened crust can trigger removal of dense lower lithosphere, leading to dome-shaped uplift and enhanced magmatism. The cumulative research underscores the region’s role as a natural laboratory for studying intraplate rifting, lithospheric processes and seismic hazard in continental interiors.
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Geodynamic Processes in the Baikal-Mongolian Region publication trend
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Technical terms
Continental rifting: Extension and thinning of continental crust leading to rift valleys and faulting.
Lithospheric delamination: Detachment and sinking of dense lower lithosphere into the mantle, causing uplift and magmatism.
Intraplate volcanism: Volcanic activity occurring within a tectonic plate, often linked to mantle upwelling.
Seismic tomography: Imaging of subsurface velocity variations using seismic wave data to infer temperature and composition.
Asthenosphere: The mechanically weak, ductile layer of the upper mantle that underlies the lithosphere and facilitates plate motions.
References
- Evidence for long-lived (>100 Myr) continental intraplate volcanism: Mongolia since the last ocean closure. Gondwana Research (2024).
- Geodynamic Modeling of Lithospheric Removal and Surface Deformation: Application to Intraplate Uplift in Central Mongolia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (2021).
- Seismotectonics of Mongolia and Baikal Rift Zone Controlled by Lithospheric Structures. Geophysical Research Letters (2022).
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