Rhythms of the Nepal Himalaya: Earthquakes, Tectonics, and Environmental Issues in the Greater Himalaya and Tibet

Rhythms of the Nepal Himalaya describes the geological, environmental and human aspects of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in the Nepal Himalaya, the largest and most destructive Himalayan earthquake in living memory. Beginning with a description of the science behind the earthquake and how the Himalaya have been formed by numerous similar earthquakes since the collision of the Indian plate with Asia 50 million years ago, the book goes on to discuss the wider aspects of the geology, geomorphology, ecology, and environmental issues of the Himalaya. It covers all the mountain areas of Nepal, including Everest, and the Tibetan Plateau, as well as the scientific aspects explaining why earthquakes occur along the Himalaya. As well as the geological aspects of the earthquake the book describes the human angle through a detailed first-hand description of a village, Yarsa-Kashigaon, which was directly above the epicenter of the earthquake, which caused avalanches, landslides, and rockfalls that killed over 9000 people, left 3.5 million people homeless, and resulted in the collapse of numerous ancient Newari temples. Finally, the book explores the environmental challenges of the region in the aftermath of the earthquake, such as dam building along the major rivers, the melting of the Himalayan glaciers, forest fires, increasing levels of pollution, and seasonal flooding during increasingly less predictable monsoons. Including numerous high-quality colour photos of Himalayan peaks, maps, and figures illustrating descriptions in the text, this book combines geological explanations with human stories to provide a uniquely personal and wide-ranging overview of the Himalaya region.