First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First Published in 2004. Plate tectonic collision, climate oscillation, glacial fluctuation, severe wind and water erosion—all have wrought dramatic change on the landscape of the Western Himalaya, one of the most dynamic and spectacular landscapes on Earth. Study of the region—from the Western Himalaya foothills and lowlands to the Arabian Sea—is of particular value to geology and geomorphology because of the size and frequency of events. That much of South Asia is relatively inaccessible has enhanced the significance of research in Pakistan and adjacent areas. Himalaya to the Sea focuses on the general evolution of landforms in Pakistan but also represents an essential guide for predictive, protective and remedial measures to mitigate the natural hazards which plague the region and constrain development. The book describes regional erosion and sedimentation within the context of topographical evolution; more specifically, chapters deal with neotectonics, past and present glaciation, general mountain geomorphology and process mechanics, past and present fluvial processes and landforms, wind-blown loess deposits, age dates, soils, marine terraces and archaeology. This is the first integrated assessment of the geomorphology and Quaternary evolution of this region, from highlands to ocean. Presenting new research, methodologies and theory, this highly illustrated volume also provides the first comprehensive bibliography to the region.

Written For Those Who Are Not Familiar With Geological Jargon, But Still Want To Know About The Amazing And Spectacular Mountain That Towers Over Our Nation. It Provides A Broad But Brief And Updated Coverage Of The History Of The Birth And The Development Of The Himalayas. It Is A Simplified Synthesis Of Geomorphological, Geological And Geophysical Data, Leading To The Emergence And Rise Of The World S Highest But Youngest Mountain. Presented In The Context Of The Wider Panorama Of The Evolution Of The Indian Subcontinent, The Book Highlights The Crucial Developments That Overtook The Northward-Moving Land Mass Of India.

The crash of the Indian plate into Asia is the biggest known collision in geological history, and it continues today. The result is the Himalaya and Karakoram - one of the largest mountain ranges on Earth. The Karakoram has half of the world's highest mountains and a reputation as being one of the most remote and savage ranges of all. In this beautifully illustrated book, Mike Searle, a geologist at the University of Oxford and one of the most experienced field geologists of our time, presents a rich account of the geological forces that were involved in creating these mountain ranges. Using his personal accounts of extreme mountaineering and research in the region, he pieces together the geological processes that formed such impressive peaks.

Thoroughly researched, engagingly written, and lavishly illustrated, "Himalaya" provides a compelling account of the natural history and cultural diversity of the awe-inspiring mountain range. 73 photos & maps.

A magisterial history of the Himalaya: an epic story of peoples, cultures, and adventures among the world’s highest mountains. For centuries, the unique and astonishing geography of the Himalaya has attracted those in search of spiritual and literal elevation: pilgrims, adventurers, and mountaineers seeking to test themselves among the world’s most spectacular and challenging peaks. But far from being wild and barren, the Himalaya has been home to a diversity of indigenous and local cultures, a crucible of world religions, a crossroads for trade, and a meeting point and conflict zone for empires past and present. In this landmark work, nearly two decades in the making, Ed Douglas makes a thrilling case for the Himalaya’s importance in global history and offers a soaring account of life at the "roof of the world." Spanning millennia, from the earliest inhabitants to the present conflicts over Tibet and Everest, Himalaya explores history, culture, climate, geography, and politics. Douglas profiles the great kings of Kathmandu and Nepal; he describes the architects who built the towering white Stupas that distinguish Himalayan architecture; and he traces the flourishing evolution of Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism that brought Himalayan spirituality to the world. He also depicts with great drama the story of how the East India Company grappled for dominance with China’s emperors, how India fought Mao’s Communists, and how mass tourism and ecological transformation are obscuring the bloody legacy of the Cold War. Himalaya is history written on the grandest yet also the most human scale—encompassing geology and genetics, botany and art, and bursting with stories of courage and resourcefulness.

"Excellent ... packed with information and interesting anecdotes."--The Washington Post A groundbreaking new look at Himalaya and how climate change is re-casting one of the world's most unique geophysical, historical, environmental, and social regions. More rugged and elevated than any other zone on earth, Himalaya embraces all of Tibet, plus six of the world's eight major mountain ranges and nearly all its highest peaks. It contains around 50,000 glaciers and the most extensive permafrost outside the polar region. 35% of the global population depends on Himalaya's freshwater for crop-irrigation, protein, and, increasingly, hydro-power. Over an area nearly as big as Europe, the population is scattered, often nomadic and always sparse. Many languages are spoken, some are written, and few are related. Religious allegiances are equally diverse. The region is also politically fragmented, its borders belonging to multiple nations with no unity in how to address the risks posed by Himalaya's environment, including a volatile, near-tropical latitude in which temperatures climb from sub-zero at night to 80°F by day. Himalaya has drawn an illustrious succession of admirers, from explorers, surveyors, and sportsmen, to botanists and zoologists, ethnologists and geologists, missionaries and mountaineers. It now sits seismically unstable, as tectonic plates continue to shift and the region remains gridlocked in a global debate surrounding climate change. Himalaya is historian John Keay's striking case for this spectacular but endangered corner of the planet as one if its most essential wonders. Without an other-worldly ethos and respect for its confounding, utterly fascinating features, John argues, Himalaya will soon cease to exist.