Influence of mantle dynamics on the topographic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau: results from numerical modeling

[1] We investigate numerically the evolution of crustal and lithospheric thickness, thermal structure, topography, and strain rate of the Tibetan Plateau through time, using the thin viscous sheet approach. We show that lithospheric mantle must have been removed from beneath Tibet to explain the present surface elevation and lack of regional surface slope. In the absence of this removal, the modeled topography reaches a maximum elevation of