Tien Shan – Pamir Tectonics

As of 2018 we have started a research project on the Tectonics and kinematics of the convergence of the the Pamir mountain Range and the Southern Tien Shan Mountains. Our main work area is in the Alai valley and along the road from Alai (Sary Tash) to the city of Osh at the northern edge of the Southern Tien Shan. We mainly investigate thrust and fracture kinematics, combined with fold and thrust geometry to determine the kinematic evolution. Two main objective underly our research: [i] understand the south vs. north directed thrust geometries and kinematics of the north directed Pamir frontal trust and the meridional south-directed thrusting of the Tien Shan, and [ii] the geometries of the paleozoic structures vs. the geometries of structures developed since the Tertiary.

Meridional Alai Valley lokking to the South towards Peak Lenin (@ J Mosar 2018)

The project is a collaboration with Cholponbek Ormukov at the Central-Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAG) in Bishkek and will be done with a Kyrgyz partner Masterstudent.