Pliocene-pleisocene uplifts of continental crust as a consequence of infiltration of mantle fluids

The continents are drifting as parts of lithospheric plates for thousands of kilometers over the Earths sur face. Vertical crustal movements such as uplifts and subsidence occur on them as they drift. These movements are commonly explained by horizontal defor mations of the lithosphere. For example, major uplifts accompanied by the formation of high plateaus and mountain ranges are attributed to strong crustal short ening. As evidenced by plentiful data of geomorpho logical, geological, paleontological and other studies, uplifts ranging in magnitude from 100200 m to sev eral kilometers occurred over ~90% of the continental areas during the Pliocene and Pleistocene after a long period of relative stability [14 and many other works]. This has resulted in the formation of most of the present mountain ranges, high plateaus and other positive topographic features. Particularly strong uplifts occurred in the Central and Southern Asia, western areas of the North and South America, East ern and Southern Africa and Eastern Antarctica.