Reviews on the anisotropy studies in the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas

Tibetan Plateau is known as the roof of the world. It is a young continental-continental collisional orogenic belt. The Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate collide there together. It is of significance for us to reveal the deep characteristics of each block in the Tibetan Plateau and to understand the interior mechanism of continental deformation. This paper briefly described the current four mainstream kinetic models of Tibetan Plateau, i.e., subduction model, collision model, extrusion model, and delamination-slab breakoff model. Followed by an overview of the research progress of anisotropy in the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas, this paper discussed the future trend of anisotropy studies. Several issues need to be paid attention to in anisotropy studies: ① a variety of sources resulting in anisotropy; ② relationship between anisotropy and deep structure; ③ application of the surface wave. In order to better explain the anisotropy, we have to understand the relationship between deep structure and anisotropy, finding more sophisticated research tools. For now, the surface wave and body wave inversion can be combined to better constrain the anisotropic resolution. Geodynamics simulation and seismic anisotropy may also be combined as one of the future trend.