The Himalaya-Tibet System: A Natural laboratory for continental collision and seismogenesis

Abstract:

The Himalaya-Tibet system remains one of the best places to study continental dynamics, mountain building, and nucleation of great earthquakes. Over the past several decades, numerous research projects have used the Himalaya and Tibet as a natural laboratory to investigate the process of continental collision. Much has been learned about the orogen, including the remarkable along-strike continuity of many features: the orogen’s basic geology and structure, the morphology and drainages of the Himalayan arc, and the apparent symmetry of the syntaxes at either end. At the same time, numerous focused studies have also identified considerable spatial variability in the GPS field, seismicity, crust and mantle structure, magnitude and timing of exhumation, erosion, and strain. While much has been learned and many details revealed, significant questions about the Himalaya and Tibet remain and we lack integrated 4D models that explain observed complexity.

The time is right for a community initiative to systematically integrate the breadth of data available to test and refine geodynamic models to illuminate the structure and 4-D evolution of the India-Asia collision at scales that account for both first order observations and lateral heterogeneity, link deep earth and surface processes, and address the geohazards associated with the collisional zone and surrounding areas. Any such effort requires community consensus on science goals, setting priorities regarding what’s needed to make significant progress, and open access data. An effort of this scale needs to address the societal impacts of hazards associated with the India-Asia collisional system and engage international collaborations across the region. The April 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake serves as the most recent reminder that the Himalaya-Tibet system is capable of producing large magnitude events, impacting lives, livelihoods, and the built environment. The 1950 Mw 8.6 Assam and 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquakes provide additional examples of the size and destruction of earthquakes in the region. A broad based community initiative has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of the evolution of continents and complements integrative studies of the earthquake cycle emerging from oceanic subduction systems.