DISCUSSIONS ON ACTIVE CONVERGENT MARGINS: REPORT FROM THE 2023-24 J.B. THOMPSON JR. DISTINGUISHED LECTURE TOUR IN THE HIMALAYA AND SOUTH ASIA

From the Himalaya through South Asia the landscape has been shaped by an active convergent margin. In planning presentations for the 2023-24 GSA Thompson Lecture Tour, I focused on institutions that either have active research in the Himalaya, or that are situated near the active margins of SE Asia. I also tried to include a number of institutions that do not typically have international speakers visit their campuses. The training of young geologists in these regions is perhaps the most important lesson one can share with local universities in order to sustainably prepare communities for the hazards that come with life on an active continental margin. My lecture tour included a trip in the fall of 2023 with lectures at two universities in Nepal and three universities in Bangladesh. In both countries the focus of the lecture was on the importance of international collaboration and on the geology of the Himalaya as it relates to the hazards of earthquakes, landslides, and related flooding. In addition to presenting an overview of Himalayan geology, I presented a summary of work in which I have been involved focusing on cross-faults in the Himalaya that may relate to a number of hazard types. At one of the Nepal campuses and one of the Bangladesh campuses the presentation and discussions also addressed the role of changing climate on hazards in these regions. In the spring of 2024, l visited 9 universities and institutes in Japan, Indonesia, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Amongst these visits there was a broad range of campus types from those that are very well known to those that are lesser known and off the beaten track! Regardless of the institution type, reputation, or location, the students were curious and interested in furthering their education and experience. Their generation is technologically savvy and their engagement is critical for leading their communities and countries in future approaches and solutions to potential hazards on an active convergent margin. I finished the lecture tour having learned about current research at each institution and the local challenges of natural hazards in the oceanic convergent settings of Japan and Indonesia as well as the continental settings of convergence in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.