Continental plateaux uplift by crustal melting, underplating and eclogitization

The processes causing the uplift of the world’s highest continental plateaux in Tibet, the Andes and East Anatolia are enigmatic. A number of tectonomagmatic processes are proposed, and it is generally believed that the crustal structure is the key to explaining their high topography. Key factors affecting the crustal structure include the metamorphic formation of eclogitic rocks from lower crustal material, underplating and partial melting of the crust.We show that the whole continental crust has low seismic velocity (