Styles of post-subduction collisional orogeny: Influence of convergence velocity, crustal rheology and radiogenic heat production

A number of models of continental collision already exist, but the role of foregoing oceanic plate subduction or variable coupling between plates still remains to be explored. In addition, heat generation by radioactive decay may be quite variable. For example, our geochemical data from low-to-high grade metamorphic rocks of the Lesser and Higher Himalayan sequences reveal measured heat production values on the order 4 to 5 I?W/m3, which is considerably higher than normal inferred upper crustal values (<1.5 I?W/m3). Therefore, we performed 2D numerical experiments of oceanic-continental subduction followed by continental collision for varying continental lower crustal strength, convergence velocity and radiogenic heating rate.