Field Experiences and related research projects

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TDBNet seismological network 2023-2025

Deployment of the Tsetserleg Dungen Bolnai seismic network (TDBNet) in Mongolia, with the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics of Mongolia. Works in the framework of the PhD of L. Manceau.

POBNet seismological network 2022-2025

Deployment of the Proyecto Oroclino Boliviano seismic network (POBNet) in Cochabamba region in Bolivia, with the Observatorio San Calixto team. Works in the framework of the PhD of Gonzalo Fernandez, and the postdoc of B. Derode funded by CEA/DASE, OSC and Univ. Côtes d'Azur.

Early results in Fernandez M, G. A., Derode, B., Bollinger, L., Delouis, B., Nieto, M., Condori, F., Sarret, N., Letort, J., Godey, S., Wimez, M., Griffiths, T., & Arce, W. (2025). Unveiling midcrustal seismic activity at the front of the Bolivian altiplano, Cochabamba region. Seismica, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.26443/seismica.v4i1.1380

December 2017 -revisiting Sir Khola

Back to Sir Khola with S.N. Sapkota and D.R. Tiwari for a 3-days visit-and-sampling in order to date units recently exposed along the main rivercut. Despite the previous documenting, this amazing site reveals more information at every visit, the river swallowing and exposing new slices of the sedimentary archives.

10 years of remembrance of our first SirKhola rivercut refresh ...

Several researchers asked us for further informations on the sample SIR08-26, in the footwall of F1. Informations on this large detrital charcoal chunk (definitively not a root) including the report of the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre can be found here

HiKNet seismological network 2014-2016 -> 2019

Deployment of the Himalaya-Karnali temporary seismic network (HiKNet) in Far Western Nepal from Dullu-Dailekh to Jumla-Sinjha and Ghamgadi, with R. Hoste-Colomer, H. Lyon-Caen,

M. Bhattarai, R. Pandey, R.M. Gupta, B. Koirala in November-december 2014.

Revisits by R. Hoste-Colomer, J. Letort, R.Matrau, E. Jacques, K. Maharjan, RM Gupta, dismantlement in fall 2016.

Works in the framework of the PhD of R. Hoster-Colomer, MsC A. Benoit, MsC S. Subedi and Engineer internship of M. Laporte funded by ANR-BHUTANEPAL, CEA/DASE, LRC Yves Rocard ENS-CEA.

Results in

-Hoste-Colomer, R., Bollinger, L., Lyon-Caen, H., Adhikari, L.B., Baillard, C., Benoit, A., Bhattarai, M., Gupta, R.M., Jacques, E., Kandel, T., Koirala, B.P., Letort, J., Maharjan, K., Matrau, R., Pandey, R. and C. Timsina (2018). Lateral variations of the midcrustal seismicity in western Nepal: seismotectonic implications, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 504, 115-125, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.09.041

-Subedi, S., Hetényi, G., Vergne, J., Bollinger, L., Lyon‐Caen, H., Farra, V., Adhikari, L.B., Gupta, R. M., (2018) Imaging the Moho and the Main Himalayan Thrust in Western Nepal with receiver functions, Geophys. Res. Lett., https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080911

-Laporte, M., Bollinger, L., Lyon-Caen, H., Hoste-Colomer, R., Duverger, C., Letort, J., Riesner, M., Koirala, B.P., Bhattarai, M., Kandel, T., Timsina, C. & Adhikari, L.B. (2021). Seismicity in far western Nepal reveals flats and ramps along the Main Himalayan Thrust, Geophysical Journal International, ggab159, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab159

The seismicity catalogues are available as repository data material of the article at EPSL and GJInt. The seismic signals are available on the servers of the RESIF seismological data center. Distributed Under CC-BY License in 2020, following the french national research agency rules.

Here are the links toward the RESIF Datacenter https://www.resif.fr/spip.php?article26

As well as specifically to the network (declared as ZO at the FDSN) and data information http://seismology.resif.fr/#NetworkConsultPlace:ZO%5B2014-01-01T00:00:00.000000_2016-12-31T23:59:59.999999%5D

December 2013 -Surkhet-Gorahi fault

Mapping seismic scarps and terraces in Western Nepal along the Surkhet-Gorahi fault with T. Hossler, S.N. Sapkota, R.M. Gupta, J. Lavé (framework T. Hossler Msc Thesis). Sampling terraces and scarp refreshing/trenching with T. Hossler, S.N. Sapkota,T.P. Kandel. Preliminary results in Hossler, T., Bollinger, L., Sapkota, S.N., Lavé, J., Gupta, R.M., Kandel, T.P. (2016) Surface ruptures of large Himalayan earthquakes in Western Nepal : Evidence along a reactivated strand of the Main Boundary Thrust. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. (2016), 187-196, DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2015.11.042.

Complementary research and dating at a larger scale in

Riesner, M., Bollinger, L., Hubbard, J., Guérin, C., Lefèvre, M., Vallage, A., ... & Sapkota, S. N. (2021). Localized extension in megathrust hanging wall following great earthquakes in western Nepal. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-18.

November-December 2009 and 2012 - Charnath Khola

Excavation of a paleoseismological mega-trench across Charnath Khola seismic scarp (Eastern Nepal) with P. Tapponnier, Y. Klinger, S.N. Sapkota, D.R. Tiwari, I. Siwakoti.

Seismic survey along Sir Khola and Charnath Khola by A. Bitri and S. Bes de Berc.

In december, additional refreshment and charcoal sampling in Sir Khola river cut and in an auxiliary trench.

Revisit and terrace sampling with M. Rizza in November 2012.

Article by M. Rizza et al., 2019

2008- 2010 Thapatol-Bardibas and Sir Khola

In November 2008. Excavation of a paleoseismological trench across Sir Khola seismic scarp , with Y. Klinger, S.N. Sapkota and Y. Gaudemer.

November 2010 Back to Sir khola river-cut across the 1934 seismic scarp with P. Tapponnier, SN Sapkota and M. Goh for laser scanning, refreshing and additional sampling for detrital charcoal and cosmogenic dating.

November 2007

Hunting for the surface trace of the 1934 earthquake: Survey along strike the Main Frontal Thrust from Central to Eastern Nepal with P. Tapponnier, BN Upreti, F Perrier and SN Sapkota.

November 2006

Sampling from Betrawati to Somdang and Paldor's range, along the Tiru Danda and adjoining ridges with Emmanuel Bollinger and Romain Nicolas. Short field trip along the Trisuli-Bhote Kosi river with Arnaud Burtin, Jérôme Vergne and Gyorgyi Hetenyi.

March 2004

Initially planned for 20 Caltech's undergraduate students, this field trip has been fully reorganised after a late cancelling due to the political situation. We (most of us being Postdocs from the institute as well as grad students lead by JP Avouac) finally planned a field trip in Eastern Nepal along the Arun river and up to Lukla. Gweltaz Maheo and I planned further work on the Mahabarat range and Shivapuri lekh.

March 2001

Back to the field, for 3 weeks in the Lesser Himalayas! ... complementing a Far Western cross section near Chainpur-Bhajang (near the Saipal Himal) as well as around Damauli (Central Western Nepal) with Olivier Beyssac and Som Sapkota.

November-December 2000

A 3 weeks GPS campaign including a visit of several geodetic monuments and seismic stations in parallel with Mireille Flouzat (northern part) and Rodolphe Cattin (southern part). Remeasuring the position of reference and auxilliary points in Central Nepal, down to the Ganges basin (Simra ...) and up to the front of the high himalayan range (Gumba ...). Further sampling of the Lesser Himalayan (LH) black slates near Kodari and through an impressive LH sliver/cliff along the Marsyangdi river near Bensisahar with Som Sapkota.

February-April 2000

First field trip in Nepal. Introductions on a deep Magneto-Telluric sounding campaign with Frederic Perrier at Gongang, a remote village (remote for the hundred of kgs needed by MT sounding including the batteries ...) in northern Langtang. Geological field trips in western Nepal through the Main Central Thrust shear zone along the Annapurnas and instrumentation of a hot spring (tatopani) with JP. Avouac, B. Goffé, E. Pili and S. Sapkota. Remote and long (one month) Far Western Nepal cross sections and sampling of the Lesser Himalayas (mainly carbonaceous slates for thermometry) up to the Api Himal along the Mahakhali river and back along Chamliya's with M.C. Thakuri.

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