This study of Cambrian System rock units in the eastern Himalaya and adjacent (present coordinates) southeast Asian areas assesses the similarities of various key regions in order to test tectonic models of the final assembly of the supercontinent Gondwanaland. Specifically, faunal similarity, paleoenvironmental analysis, paleocurrents, changes in sediment composition, and geochronological study of detrital zircons are integrated to test for the existence of an microcontinent outboard of the Gondwana at this time.
The arrangement and evolution of the outboard equatorial peri-Gondwanan terranes of 'Sibumasu' (western Yunnan, eastern Burma, Thailand and Malaysia), Indochina (Vietnam), western Burma, and the two southern terranes of Tibet (e.g., Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks) during the early Paleozoic is one of the most significant unresolved problems in Phanerozoic paleogeography. The boundaries, relative positions, and timing of accretion of these peri-Gondwanan blocks are very poorly constrained, and the identity of the 'hanging' margin to western Australia remains obscure. The project includes three month-long field seasons, two in the Himalaya (Kumaon and western Nepal) and one in northern Vietnam. Brief field visits are planned to Thailand and localities in South China. Detrital zircon analysis will be conducted at the Australian National University.
Undergraduates at Colorado College are collaborators in all components of this Research at Undergraduate Institutions project. The students are exposed to high-level collaborative scientific study, preparing them for graduate school. This provides a much-needed opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students (from UC) to experience scientific research in diverse geographical and cultural environments. A key aspect of this proposal is the close research collaboration with four prominent Indian, Chinese, Nepali, and Vietnamese scientists and their students. Research and publication with these colleagues raises awareness of their host institutions and of the geology of these regions.
