Introduction:

Founded in May 2004, the Laboratory of Continental Collision and Plateau Uplift (LCPU), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was ratified as the CAS key laboratory by the end of Year 2009. The Lab focuses on the Indian-Eurasian plates’ collision and associated uplift processes and mechanisms for the Tibetan plateau. It is thus engaged in the following research area:

• The structure of the Tibetan plateau;
• Evolution and mechanisms of collisional tectonics;
• The processes associated with the uplift and collapse of the Tibetan Plateau;
• Metallogenic deposits; and
• Tibet plateau growth and its influence on climate.

LCPU currently hosts 42 work staff, including 29 research fellows, 6 technicians, and 7 administrative staff. Among them, there are two Distinguished Young Scholars of NSFC (Profs. DING Lin and FANG Xiaomin), and seven recipients of the Hundred-Talent Program of the CAS.

With ten professors qualified as graduate supervisors of Ph.D. candidates, LCPU has the authority to confer Ph.D. and M.Sc. Degrees in Structural Geology, and M.Sc. in Solid Earth Geophysics. It also offers post-doctoral research programs in Geology.  

Facilities:

The LCPU consists of two branches, Beijing and Lhasa, respectively, and is equipped with many state-of-the-art facilities for geology and geodynamic study. Among them, there is a Helix Nobel-gas mass-spectrometer for 40Ar/39Ar and U-Th-He dating, LA-ICP-MS for U-Pb geochronology, SEM+EDS+EBSD for high resolution micro-imaging and micro-structural analysis, together with broadband seismic arrays and GPS observation networks (for field monitoring).

Other facilities include magnetotelluric instruments, a thin-section and mineral separation lab, portable X-Ray fluorescence spectrometers, and paleomagnetic drills, all accommodated at Lhasa.

In addition, its branch at Beijing accommodates such equipment as ICP-OES, multi frequency magnetic susceptibility kappameter, Agilent 7890A gas chromatography, uv-vis spectrophotometer, microscopes, and laser particle size analyzer. 

Faculty:

Chairmen of the Academic Advisory Board:

Academician Dr. SUN Shu & Dr. ZHONG Dalai

Director: Dr. DING Lin　　

Deputy Directors: Dr. FANG Xiaomin & Dr. ZHAO Junmeng