Rock uplift and erosion in Peninsula Malaysia constrained via thermochronometry
Michael Cottam and Azman Ghani
Southeast Asia’s landmasses are encircled by deep sedimentary basins filled with large sedimentary volumes comparable to those surrounding major mountain belts such as the Himalaya or European Alps. However, the large volumes of sediments cannot be explained by proximity to a major orogen.
This research aims to investigates the possibility that the Malay Peninsula has acted as a significant source for these sediments. This will be achieved through interpretation of the Peninsula’s thermal history in terms of thermal perturbance and causative processes, e.g. rock uplift and erosion (exhumation) or burial.
The project aims address the timing and magnitude of rock uplift and erosion (exhumation) in the region, the processes driving exhumation and, in-turn, the Cenozoic geological evolution of the regions. Has erosion of this region contributed significantly to Southeast Asia’s anomalously high Neogene sedimentary budget?