Finding the lesser himalayan duplex in the himalayan thrust belt of far western Nepal amidst forests, villages, farming and leeches

Much of the evidence for the Miocene to Pliocene evolution of the Himalayan thrust belt resides in the Lesser Himalayan rocks along the Himalayan arc. These rocks are thrust one top of one another in imbricated thrust sheets called the Lesser Himalayan duplex. The rocks and the structures crop out poorly south of the high peaks of the Himalaya; thus, the timing and sequence of thrusting in the Lesser Himalayan rocks are difficult to unravel. The field evidence, both stratigraphic and structural, dictates the location and composition of the thrust sheets; however, thermochronology and modeling aids in determining the evolution. This virtual field trip documents important locations in remote far western Nepal that help to understand and unraveling the geologic history in the Lesser Himalayan rocks.