Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet Workshop at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, June 2-9, 2019

Montana State University, Bozeman MT

Investigators

Abstract

This award will support the 34th annual Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet (HKT) workshop, which will be held in June 2019 at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. The workshop will bring together a diverse group of international researchers focused on various aspects of the collisional mountain belt comprised of the Himalayas, Karakoram Range, and the Tibetan Plateau. The meeting/workshop will consist of three days of oral and poster technical sessions. The workshop will be organized to maximize the exchange of ideas between participants in open discussions that focus on themes such as the crustal deformation, paleoelevation, the sedimentary record of collisional processes, neotectonics, climate and tectonic feedbacks, and future directions of research. Daily sessions will provide opportunities to query presenters, assess the current state of knowledge of Himalayan geology and tectonics, and consider productive areas for future research. Each theme session will begin with oral presentations, followed by a related poster session and informal discussions. The open structure of the meeting is designed to enhance opportunities for the exchange of ideas, including opportunities for continued discussions during breaks, meals, and evening gatherings. In addition to the technical sessions, the PI and co-PIs plan to host pre- and post-meeting field trips to view the geology of Glacier National Park, the Sawtooth Range, Yellowstone, and the Jackson region The Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet workshop is designed to facilitate community building and personal interaction within the tectonics community by developing and growing the international community of researchers working on the Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet system, by broadening participation from underrepresented groups, students, early-career scientists, and scientists from developing nations, and by communicating research between fields and to the general public. It will bring together faculty from research universities, liberal arts colleges, community and two-year colleges, and minority-serving institutions. Importantly, there will be group discussions on critical developments in Himalayan tectonics, and on potential future research directions. The workshop will create a welcoming environment for scientists from all backgrounds and implement strategies to increase accessibility and inclusion. Keynote talks will be open to the public free of charge and will be filmed and made available on YouTube. Abstracts submitted to the workshop will be published, and conference updates and the final abstract volume will be publicized on list-serves and by social media. Support for the Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet workshop contributes to the long-term health, vitality, and infrastructure of the Earth Science community. The workshop benefits society and advances desired societal outcomes by its emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and educator development at a variety of levels, by contributing to the training of the next generation of scientists, by contributing to the broadening of underrepresented groups in STEM, and by contributing to the advancement of scientific literacy of the public. These activities contribute to the increased economic and scientific competitiveness of the United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.