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SINOPROBE in western Tibet: the Karakoram Fault

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We have partnered with SinoProbe, the Chinese national scientific program led by CAGS (Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences) to study the lithosphere.  We are helping to design experiments and analyze and interpret the resultant near-vertical and wide-angle seismic profiles across the Karakoram Fault (and elsewhere in Tibet). In complementary geochemical studies we are working with CAGS and NGRI (National Geophysical Research Institute of India) to sample thermal springs for mantle-sourced helium (3He), and analyzing these samples at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories.  High 3He/3He ratios along the Karakoram fault demonstrate that this fault accesses Tibetan mantle and marks the 'mantle suture' in western Tibet.