摘要：本計畫乃延續原拔尖計畫『絲路計畫：從西藏到高加索–對比研究碰撞造山作用』、並配合總主持人目前正在國科會審核中的學術攻頂研究計畫『越過西藏：對比研究地球的兩大碰撞造山帶』(2011-2016五年期計畫，已通過構想書初審)而提出。本計畫將針對西藏-喜馬拉雅和高加索-伊朗這兩個當今地球上最重要的碰撞造山帶進行對比研究，利用岩漿作用與其他的板塊活動紀錄，深入探討碰撞造山作用在不同階段演化的過程。基於我們過去長期對青藏高原及鄰區的研究心得，加上近兩年多來在高加索-伊朗地區所推展的前期工作，本計畫若能獲得充分補助而對此兩大造山帶首次進行有系統的對比分析，特別是針對後者選定主要亮點加強推動深化研究，預期可對大陸碰撞前、後的岩漿成因、地殼變形和地震活動、碰撞過程中岩石圈結構的轉變、地體構造的時空演化、乃至巨型山脈高原隆升等大陸動力學的重大基本議題提供新的制約和解釋，具體促進台灣在國際地球科學相關研究領域的能見度和影響力。
本計畫將結合多種地質科學知識和相關技術，主要包括大地構造與岩漿演化、地質年代學與地球化學、活動構造與地震地質學、太空測地學、地震學等五個次領域以子計畫執行之，考慮其相互關連之緊密性，第一、二和第三、四領域在計畫書中將分別綜合為「岩漿作用」與「活動構造」兩項子題敘述說明。
Abstract: This project is proposed for conducting a comparative study of the Tibet/Himalaya and Caucasus/Iran orogens, two most important collision zones that take place in East and West Asia, respectively, along the Alpine-Zagros-Himalayan range or so-called Tethyan orogenic belt, i.e., the largest mountain range on the modern Earth. This study aims at a more comprehensive understanding of the magmatic and tectonic evolution in continent-continent collision zones, with the Tibet/Himalaya exemplifying a well-established or mature stage of collisional orogen and the Caucasus/Iran an initial to intermediate stage, to depict the whole spectrum of geodynamic processes through which collisional orogeny evolves.
Based on our successful experiences from the Tibet/Himalaya region performed in the past 10+ years and most recent results from the Caucasus/Iran belt obtained by the ongoing Silk Road Project, this newly proposed project has two main prospects, one is to maintain our leading position in the study of tectonomagmatic evolution in the Tibet/Himalaya orogen and neighboring regions, and the other is to create the competitive edge in the Caucasus/Iran belt by performing furthermore detailed work in specific areas. Key issues that we anticipate to better understand include the overall processes of collisional orogenesis, more specifically, the magmatism, the age, rate, style and depth of active deformation, and seismogenic structures (crustal and mantle). It is emphasized that these key targets involve several fundamental problems in continental dynamics and plate tectonics, and that the proposed project presents a rare opportunity for the NTU-Geosciences team to lead the research in the Caucasus/Iran orogen, i.e., an important frontier where keen international competition is yet to fully develop.
We have assembled a capable team “inherited” from the CREATE and ongoing Silk Road (I) projects, with expertise in geochronology, petrology, geochemistry, seismology, geodesy, structural geology and tectonics, to work together for a multidisciplinary investigation of some fundamental problems in continental dynamics. Therefore, if fully funded, this project will not only continue/extend our studies over the Tibet/Himalaya orogenic belt, but also start detailed fieldworks in specific areas in the Caucasus-Iran orogen, coupled with deploying new seismic and geodetic arrays in the latter region. The results are expected to be brand new and fundamental contribution to understanding how major continents assemble and evolve through collision. This project consists essentially of two parts, one is detailed field investigation c/w sampling in target areas and the other is high quality analyses of the collected samples in laboratories. While the latter can be done largely at NTU-Geosciences, where several state-of-the-art analytical facilities have recently been set up, the former involves numerous international collaborations that have been established in the past few years through the CREATE and Silk Road (I) projects.
