Taiwan represents an active arc-continent collision, and displays a number of mesoscale-to microscale structures, incre- mental strain histories and changes in rock volume within a slate belt that marks the transitional zone between the foreland and hinterland parts of the collision. The Taiwan collision zone propagates from north to south, providing a time-space equivalence that can be used to document the evolution of specific structural events. The approach of this collaborative project with 8903992 (Byrne at Brown Univ) is to examine meso- and micro-structures, strain indicators and rock volume changes along several cross-strike transects at different positions along the strike of the mountain belt. Results of these integrated studies of the transition zone are expected to improve understanding of collisional mountain belts, particularly the transition between foreland and hinterland parts of such orogens.
