Invited by ITP Prof. ZHAO Junmeng, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Prof. Robert van der Hilst, also director of Earth Resources Laboratory, visited ITP on March 25, 2010, and shared with ITP geophysical staff his thoughts on the plateau uplift.

With a holistic understanding of the Tibetan plateau from the perspective of geology and geophysics, Prof. van der Hilst showed his audience sliding images, surface-wave stratigraphic imaging, and various heterogeneous techniques his research group used in studying the evolution of southeast Tibetan plateau and Sichuan-Yunnan areas.

He was supportive of the channel flow model proposed by Prof. Royden, confirming the wide-spread existence of mid- and low-crustal layers of low-velocity beneath the southeast Plateau, which formed the channels for mass flowing eastward.

“This is not like the way proposed by vertically coherent deformation.’ admitted Prof. van der Hilst. His comparison of various heterogeneous features in mid- and low-crusts with those in the upper-mantel showed different formation mechanisms of the crusts and upper mantel beneath the southeast Tibetan Plateau.

In academic exchange, Prof. Zhao also introduced his ANTELOPE project, which tended to map the geophysical profiles of the north-south and east-west transects across the Tibetan plateau. An initial intention of agreement was reached between the two sides.