Collaborative Research: Lithospheric Scale Dynamics of Active Mountain Building along the Himalayan-Tibetan Collision Zone

Project Hi-CLIMB, the study of the Himalayan-Tibetan Continental Lithosphere during Mountain Building, is an initiative lead by Oregon State University and University of Illinois of the United States to study the lithospheric structure of the Himalayas and Tibet. The project will result in the very first, complete seismic profile across the Himalayas. The centerpiece of the project is a closely spaced, linear array of broadband seismographs, extending from the Ganga lowland, across the Himalayas, and onto the central Tibetan plateau. The array passes several key structural units of the plateau. The overall goal is to understand the evolution of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau over the entire thickness of the continental lithosphere. This is an international project with participation from Nepal, China, United States, France, and Germany.