| Abstract |
The westernmost part of southwest China, where many Cenozoic volcanoes and geothermal areas exist, lies, on geological and geophysical evidence, at the margin of two active plates: the Indian and Eurasian plates. Volcanism, depending on chemical composition and mineral assemblage of the volcanic rocks, can be divided into two distinct belts: one belt starts in Kashmir, runs through southern Tibet, and bends southward to the Tengchonq-Burma arc; the other belt runs from Qiangtang Plateau to the Hengduan Mountains. These belts constitute an outer volcanic belt with calc-alkaline magmas and aninner belt with alkaline magmas, respectively. |