My approach to this subject is natural-source, broadband seismology and tomography to do what is informally called structural seismology. That is, the estimation of the large-scale structure of the continental lithosphere, including crustal thickness, layering, bulk crustal properties, and upper mantle structure and properties. I have always had a great interest in taking the results from structural seismology the next step to interpret the tectonic history and the geodynamic processes in active tectonic regions.
Seismological data provides important but limited and nonunique constraints.
Thus, the next step requires an interactive, interdisciplinary approach that I find very rewarding. The Tibetan Plateau is part of the largest highlands on Earth created by the collision of two continents. How such a large part of the Earth's crust is uplifted and held at nearly 5 km elevation is still an outstanding question. The next highest mountain system on Earth are South America's Andes, produced by the convergence between an oceanic and continental plate. Unlike the Tibetan Plateau, the Andes are punctuated by outpourings from huge continental volcanic complexes.