Geology and Tectonics of the Karakoram Mountains

by M.P. Searle

Present knowledge of the geology and tectonics of the Karakoram Range lays a foundation for future geological studies of mountain-building processes in the high mountain ranges of Central Asia. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, constrained by field mapping and analysis, sets the scene for the great Karakoram-Himalayan Ranges by laying down the regional tectonic setting. Paleogeography of the Indian Ocean and south Asia and the geophysical constraints for the northward drift of India are examined as well as its collision with Asia and the evolution of crustal structures. The geology and tectonics of poorly known mountain ranges of central Asia--the Pamirs, Hind Kush, Alai and Vakhsh, Kun Lun and Tien Shan--are discussed. It then reviews geology and geological processes of the great Karakoram Range. Finally, the tectonics and evolution of the pre and post-collision orogenic processes involved in the construction of this, the highest and most spectacular mountain range on Earth, are examined.

376 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 1991