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Gwladys Govin

Formerly at Lancaster University

Research overview

My research is focused on provenance studies in Eastern Himalaya, in particular applied to the Siwalik Fm of the Himalayan foothills, in order to better understand the interactions between erosion, tectonic and climate in the Himalayan range.
Firstly, I am analyzing Miocene-Pliocene erosion products of the Eastern Syntaxis preserved in the palaeo-Brahmaputra deposits in Arunachal Pradesh, India. I look for indices these rocks retain which will provide information about the range's recent history. Detrital thermochonology (Mica Ar/Ar, Zircon Fission Tracks and Rutile U/Pb) applied to minerals in these rocks and paleomagnetism will help to better constrain the recent rapid exhumation of the Namche Barwa massif (Eastern Syntaxis).
Secondly, I am studying the Siwalik Formation in Bhutan. Using zircon U/Pb dating, I will determine if these rocks were deposited by the Paleobrahmaputra, and in this way track its palaeodrainage from which the timing of uplift of the Shillong Plateau can be inferred.
Both the timing of exhumation of the Namche Barwa Massif, and the uplift of the Shillong Plateau have been related to models which couple erosion, climate and tectonics, and by constraining the timing of these exhumation and uplift events more precisely, these models can be tested ,and the inter-relations investigated.

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