关键词: 亚洲, 大陆板块, 板内变形, 物理模拟, 塑性流动网络

Abstract: To model tectonic deformation of the central eastern Asian continent compressed along the plate boundaries, plasticized rosin and solidified talc powder slurry are used respectively as analog material of ductile lower layer (i.e. the lower crust and lithospheric mantle) and brittle upper layer (i.e. the upper crust) of the lithosphere. The preliminary results of the experiments indicate that two plastic flow network systems, i.e. those named “Central Eastern Asia” and “Southeast China”, are formed under the compression of the Indian and Philippine sea plates along the Himalayan and Taiwan driving boundaries, respectively. They control the tectonic deformation of the brittle upper layer and are coincident roughly in general pattern with the netlike distribution of earthquakes in this region. The third driving boundary with weaker action and smaller scale and a network system corresponding to it may exist in the northeastern part of this region, which may result in the tectonic and seismic belts to be kinked in the northern area of North China. The experiments also show that the origin of large scale compressional basins are associated with the existence of stable blocks in the lower lithosphere.

Key words: Asia, Continent plate, Intraplate deformation, Physical modelling, Plastic flow network