Himalayan Geology

This book addresses the geology of the entire Himalayan range in Nepal, i.e., from the Gangetic plain in the south to the Tethyan zone in the north. Without a comprehensive look at the various Himalayan zones, it is practically impossible to fully grasp the processes at work behind the formation and development of the spectacular Himalaya. However, the goal is not merely to document all the scientific ontology but rather to reveal a sound basis for the prevailing concepts. Both the early literature on Himalayan geology and contemporary trends are fully covered. For the first time, the origin, use, and abuse of common Himalayan geological terms such as the Siwaliks, Lesser Himalaya, Main Boundary Thrust, Main Central Thrust, and Tethys are discussed. The book will help readers to progress from a cognitive approach to a constructive one by linking various types of knowledge, such as seeking relations between various geological structures as well as between earlier thoughts or views and contemporary approaches.

Geology of the Himalayan Belt: Deformation, Metamorphism, Stratigraphy presents sophisticated metamorphic and igneous rock data across various Himalayan geographic sectors, capturing their petrography, metamorphism, structure, mineralization, and regional tectonic research. With an east-west extension of about 3000 kilometers and numerous 8000 meter peaks, the Himalayas are the most spectacular mountain ranges on earth. Since the 19th century, they have provided a testing ground of global importance for the development of geodynamic concepts, from isostasy over continental collision, to more recently, feedback mechanisms between tectonics and climate. This book collects the broad range of data that’s been gathered on the Himalayas over the past 50 years, providing a comprehensive analysis and interpretation on the available data that brings the scientific community a better understanding of the geological diversity and structure of the Himalayan belt, along with new techniques that have applications in a host of global geological settings. Features a vast amount of geological research data collected in the Himalayas over the past half century Authored by a recognized global expert on the geology of the Himalayan belt Presents analysis and interpretation techniques to aid scientists in conducting fieldwork and research Provides the latest information on geodynamic concepts, from isostasy over continental collision, to more recently, feedback mechanisms between tectonics and climate

Explains how these mountain ranges were formed and describes the expeditions through which the author, a geologist and mountaineer, gained the evidence he needed to support his theories about the process of their formation.

Focuses on the evolution of landforms in the Western Himalaya, providing an essential guide for predictive, protective and remedial measures to mitigate the natural hazards which plague the region and constrain development.

The Himalaya–Karakoram–Tibet mountain belt resulted from Cenozoic collision of India and Asia and is frequently used as the type example of a continental collision orogenic belt. The last quarter of a century has seen the publication of a remarkably detailed dataset relevant to the evolution of this belt. Detailed fieldwork backed up by state-of-the-art structural analysis, geochemistry, mineral chemistry, igneous and metamorphic petrology, isotope chemistry, sedimentology and geophysics produced a wide-ranging archive of data-rich scientific papers. The rationale for this book is to provide a coherent overview of these datasets in addressing the evolution of the mountain ranges we see today. This volume comprises 21 specially invited review papers on the Himalaya, Kohistan arc, Tibet, the Karakoram and Pamir ranges. These papers span the history of Himalayan research, chronology of the collision, stratigraphy, magmatic and metamorphic processes, structural geology and tectonics, seismicity, geophysics, and the evolution of the Indian monsoon. This landmark set of papers should underpin the next 25 years of Himalayan research.