Cosmogenic radionuclide dating of glacial landforms in the Lahul Himalaya,northern India: defining the timing of Late Quaternary glaciation

The timing of glaciation in the Lahul Himalaya of northern India was ascertained using the concentrations of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al from boulders on moraines and drumlins, and from glacially polished bedrock surfaces. Five glacial stages were identified: Sonapani I and II, Kulti, Batal and Chandra. Of these, cosmogenic exposure ages were obtained on samples representative of the Batal and Kulti glacial cycles. Stratigraphical relationships indicate that the Sonapani I and II are younger. No age was obtained for the Chandra glacial advance. Batal Glacial Stage deposits are found throughout the valley, indicating the presence of an extensive valley glacial system. During the Kulti Stage, glaciers advanced ca. 10 km beyond their current positions. Moraines produced during the Batal Stage, ca. 12–15.5 ka, are coeval with the Northern Hemisphere Late‐glacial Interstadial (Bølling/Allerød). Deglaciation of the Batal Glacial Stage was completed by ca. 12 ka and was followed by the Kulti Glacial Stage during the early Holocene, at ca. 10–11.4 ka. On millennial time‐scales, glacier oscillations in the Lahul Himalaya apparently reflect periods of positive mass‐balance coincident with times of increased insolation. During these periods the South Asian summer monsoon strengthened and/or extended its influence further north and west, thereby enhancing high‐altitude summer snowfall. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The quaternary glacial history of the Lahul Himalaya,northern India

This paper presents the first glacial chronology for the Lahul Himalaya, Northern India. The oldest glaciation, the Chandra Glacial Stage, is represented by glacially eroded benches at altitudes greater than 4300 m above sea-level. This glaciation was probably of a broad valley type. The second glaciation, the Batal Glacial Stage, is represented by highly weathered and dissected lateral moraines, which are present along the Chandra valley and some of its tributaries. This was an extensive valley glaciation. The third major glaciation, the Kulti Glacial Stage, is represented by well-preserved moraines in the main tributary valleys of the Chandra valley. This represents a less extensive valley glaciation. Two minor glacial advances, the Sonapani I and II, are represented by small sharp-crested moraines, which are within a few hundred metres or few kilometres of the present-day glaciers. The change in style and extent of glaciation is attributed to an increase in aridity throughout the Quaternary, due either to global climatic change or uplift of the Pir Panjal mountains to the south of Lahul, which restricted the northward penetration of the south Asian summer monsoon. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Style and timing of glaciation in the Lahul Himalaya,northern India: a framework for reconstructing late Quaternary palaeoclimatic change in the western Himalayas

This paper presents a revised glacial chronology for the Lahul Himalaya and provides the most detailed reconstruction of former glacier extents in the western Himalayas published to date. On the basis of detailed geomorphological mapping, morphostratigraphy, and absolute and relative dating, three glaciations and two glacial advances are constrained. The oldest glaciation (Chandra glacial stage) is represented by glacially eroded benches and drumlins (the first to be described from the Himalaya) at altitudes of >4300 m and indicates glaciation on a landscape of broad valleys that had minimal fluvial incision. The second glaciation (Batal glacial stage) is represented by highly weathered and disssected lateral moraines and drumlins representing two phases of glaciation within the Batal glacial stage (Batal I and Batal II). The Batal stage was an extensive valley glaciation interrupted by a readvance that produced superimposed bedforms. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, indicates that glaciers probably started to retreat between 43400 ± 10300 and 36900 ± 8400 yr ago during the Batal stage. The Batal stage may be equivalent to marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 4 and early Oxygen Isotope Stage 3. The third glaciation (Kulti glacial stage), is represented by well-preserved moraines in the main tributary valleys that formed due to a less-extensive valley glaciation when ice advanced no more than 12 km from present ice margins. On the basis of an OSL age for deltaic sands and gravels that underlie tills of Kulti age, the Kulti glaciation is younger than 36900 ± 8400 yr ago. The development of peat bogs, having a basal age of 9160 ± 70 ¹⁴C yr BP possibly represents a phase of climatic amelioration coincident with post-Kulti deglaciation. The Kulti glaciation, therefore, is probably equivalent to all or parts of late Oxygen Isotope Stage 3, Stage 2 and early Stage 1. Two minor advances (Sonapani I and II) are represented by small sharp-crested moraines within a few kilometres of glacier termini. On the basis of relative weathering, the Sonapani advance is possibly of early mid-Holocene age, whereas the Sonapani II advance is historical. The change in style and extent of glaciation is attributed to topographic controls produced by fluvial incision and by increasing aridity during the Quaternary. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of spatial probability of landslides using bivariate and multivariate approaches in the Goriganga valley,Kumaun Himalaya,India

Natural Hazards - In this study, new hybrid artificial neural network (ANN) models were used for predicting the groundwater resource index. The salp swarm algorithm (SSA), particle swarm...     

Late Triassic sedimentary records in the northern Tethyan Himalaya:Tectonic link with Greater India

The Upper Triassic flysch sediments(Nieru Formation and Langjiexue Group)exposed in the Eastern Tethyan Himalayan Sequence are crucial for unraveling the controversial paleogeography and paleotectonics of the Himalayan orogen.This work reports new detrital zircon U-Pb ages and whole-rock geochemical data for clastic rocks from flysch strata in the Shannan area.The mineral modal composition data suggest that these units were mainly sourced from recycled orogen provenances.The chemical compositions of the sandstones in the strata are similar to the chemical composition of upper continental crust.These rocks have relatively low Chemical Index of Alteration values(with an average of 62)and Index of Compositional Variability values(0.69),indicating that they experienced weak weathering and were mainly derived from a mature source.The geochemical compositions of the Upper Triassic strata are similar to those of graywackes from continental island arcs and are indicative of an acidicintermediate igneous source.Furthermore,hornblende and feldspar experienced decomposition in the provenance,and the sediment became enriched in zircon and monazite during sediment transport.The detrital zircons in the strata feature two main age peaks at 225-275 Ma and 500-600 Ma,nearly continuous Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic ages,and a broad inconspicuous cluster in the Tonian-Stenian(800-1200 Ma).The detrital zircons from the Upper Triassic sandstones in the study area lack peaks at 300-325 Ma(characteristic of the Lhasa block)and 1150-1200 Ma(characteristic of the Lhasa and West Australia blocks).Therefore,neither the Lhasa block nor the West Australia blocks likely acted as the main provenance of the Upper Triassic strata.Newly discovered Permian-Triassic basalt and mafic dikes in the Himalayas could have provided the 225-275 Ma detrital zircons.Therefore,Indian and Himalayan units were the main provenances of the flysch strata.The Tethyan Himalaya was part of the northern passive margin and was not an exotic terrane separated from India during the Permian to Early Cretaceous.This evidence suggests that the Neo-Tethyan ocean opened prior to the Late Triassic and that the Upper Triassic deposits were derived from continental crustal fragments adjacent to the northern passive continental margin of Greater India.     

Causes of large-scale landslides in the Lesser Himalaya of central Nepal

Geologically and tectonically active Himalayan Range is characterized by highly elevated mountains and deep river valleys. Because of steep mountain slopes, and dynamic geological conditions, large-scale landslides are very common in Lesser and Higher Himalayan zones of Nepal Himalaya. Slopes along the major highways of central Nepal namely Prithvi Highway, Narayangadh-Mugling Road and Tribhuvan Highway are considered in this study of large-scale landslides. Geologically, the highways in consideration pass through crushed and jointed Kathmandu Nappe affected by numerous faults and folds. The relict large-scale landslides have been contributing to debris flows and slides along the highways. Most of the slope failures are mainly bechanced in geological formations consisting phyllite, schist and gneiss. Laboratory test on the soil samples collected from the failure zones and field investigation suggested significant hydrothermal alteration in the area. The substantial hydrothermal alteration in the Lesser Himalaya during advancement of the Main Central Thrust (MCT) and thereby clay mineralization in sliding zones of large-scale landslide are the main causes of large-scale landslides in the highways of central Nepal. This research also suggests that large-scale landslides are the major cause of slope failure during monsoon in the Lesser Himalaya of Nepal. Similarly, hydrothermal alteration is also significant in failure zone of the large-scale landslides. For the sustainable road maintenance in Nepal, it is of utmost importance to study the nature of sliding zones of large-scale landslides along the highways and their role to cause debris flows and slides during monsoon period.     

Very large landslides in the Himalayas

Landslides are a major component of geomorphological processes on the steep slopes of the Himalayan mountains. Three slides in the Annapurna region demonstrate a sequence from large to very large failures.     

Mechanisms of large landslides

SummaryMechanisms of Large Landslides The moving components of many large landslides show a remarkable tendency to remain in more or less undisturbed sequential order. In the present study this lack of laminar or turbulent flow is mathematically analyzed and explained. The high energy concentration thus resulting for the zone near the gliding surfaces points to self-lubrication by transformed (fused or dissociated) rock as a fundamental tribological mechanism. The idea is backed by two important facts: the impossibility to explain the observed economy of locomotion (and especially its increase with size) by any of the mechanisms considered hitherto; and a calculation yielding an unexpectedly low amount of energy susceptible to be dissipated far away from the gliding surfaces. Further analysis demonstrates numerically the plausibility of the self-lubrication concept both for primitive and carbonate rock. The development of useful prediction algorithms is not impossible in the future.

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ZusammenfassungMechanismen groer Bergstürze Die Trümmerströme vieler großer Bergstürze zeigen eine bemerkenswerte Tendenz zum Verbleiben in mehr oder weniger undurchmischtem Verband. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird dieses Fehlen laminarer oder turbulenter Strömung auf Grund einer mathematischen Untersuchung erklärt. Die dabei resultierende hohe Energiedichte in der Nähe der Gleitflächen deutet auf Selbstschmierung durch transformiertes (geschmolzenes oder dissoziiertes) Gestein als entscheidenden tribologischen Mechanismus. Zwei wesentliche Tatsachen sprechen für diese Idee: das Versagen aller bisher vorgeschlagenen Mechanismen bei der Erklärung der beobachteten Bewegungsökonomie, speziell im Hinblick auf deren Steigerung in Funktion der Größe; und der rechnerisch ermittelte überraschend niedrige Energieanteil, der in größerer Entfernung von den Gleitflächen umgesetzt werden kann. Eine weitere Rechnung demonstriert zahlenmäßig die Plausibilität der Selbstschmierung sowohl für Urgesteine wie für Kalke. Die Entwicklung brauchbarer Vorhersage-Algorithmen rückt damit in den Bereich des Möglichen.

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RésuméLes mécanismes de gros éboulements Les composantes de gros éboulements montrent une tendance remarquable à se déplacer dans un ordre plus ou moins invariable. L'étude explique mathématiquement cette absence d'écoulements laminaire ou turbulant. La haute concentration d'énergie aux environs immédiats des surfaces de glissement implique la possibilité d'une auto-lubrification par le rocher métamorphosé (soit fondu, soit dissocié) en tant que mécanisme tribologique fondamental. Deux faits importants appuient cette hypothèse: d'une part l'impossibilité jusqu'à maintenant d'expliquer l'économie d'énergie observée (et spécialement en corrélation avec la grandeur de l'évènement) par un mécanisme quelconque; d'autre part la fraction d'énergie déterminée par calcul, étonnament basse, susceptible d'être métamorphosée à grande distance des surfaces de glissement. En outre le calcul démontre la possibilité du mécanisme d'auto-lubrification pour les plus importants types de rochers (primitifs et sédimentaires). Le développement futur d'algorithmes de prédiction utilisables entre de ce fait dans le domaine du possible.

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Notation a acceleration (m/s²) - A area (m²) - c specific heat (J/kg °C) - C transformation heat (J/kg) - d distance between two narrow passages (m) - e base of natural logarithms = 2.72 - e thickness of layer (m) - g gravitational acceleration = 9.81 m/s² - h thickness of mass (m) - k resistance coefficient - L global coefficient describing tribological quality (m/s⁴) - m mass (kg) - M lubrication quality factor - p pressure (Pa) - P power (W) - r wave amplitude (m) - s air cushion or gap thickness (m) - t time (s) - v velocity, speed (m/s) - V volume (m³) - W specific energy (J/kg) - x distance travelled (m) - z height (m) - Z height of center of gravity (m) - slope angle - relative portion of volume occupied by voids - dissipation coefficient - difference - relative fraction of A acting as narrow passage - depth (m) - viscosity (kg/ms) - temperature (°C) - adiabatic constant of air = 1.4 - wavelength (m) - µ coefficient of friction (solid state) - average coefficient of friction - Ludolf's number = 3.14 - density (kg/m³) - fidelity coefficient - jet contraction factor Indices a primitive rock - A air cushion - b feldspar - c quartz - d lubricant generated from primitive rock - d dissipation - e sedimentary rock - E air escape gap - f CaO - g CO₂ - h lubricant generated from sedimentary rock - i ordinal number - L lubricant - M total area - R rock - o initial, basic, 30 = after 30 s With 12 Figures     

Comparative analysis of contributing parameters for rainfall-triggered landslides in the Lesser Himalaya of Nepal

In the Himalaya, people live in widely spread settlements and suffer more from landslides than from any other type of natural disaster. The intense summer monsoons are the main factor in triggering landslides. However, the relations between landslides and slope hydrology have not been a focal topic in Himalayan landslide research. This paper deals with the contributing parameters for the rainfall-triggered landslides which occurred during an extreme monsoon rainfall event on 23 July 2002, in the south-western hills of Kathmandu valley, in the Lesser Himalaya, Nepal. Parameters such as bedrock geology, geomorphology, geotechnical properties of soil, and clay mineralogy are described in this paper. Landslide modeling was performed in SEEP/W and SLOPE/W to understand the relationship of pore water pressure variations in soil layers and to determine the spatial variation of landslide occurrence. Soil characteristics, low angle of internal friction of fines in soil, medium range of soil permeability, presence of clay minerals in soil, bedrock hydrogeology, and human intervention were found to be the main contributing parameters for slope failures in the region.     

Normal faults in Panjal Thrust Zone in Lesser Himalaya and between the Higher Himalaya Crystallines and Chamba sequence in Kashmir Himalaya,India

Normal faults on mesoscopic scale are observed in the Panjal Thrust Zone in the Dalhousie area of western Htmachal. The boundary between the southern margin of the Higher Himalaya Crystalline (HHC) of Zanskar and the Chamba syncline sequence is also described as a normal fault, referred to as Bhadarwah Normal Fault in the Bhadarwah area of Doda district on the basis of field mapping and shear sense criteria using S-C fabric and porphyroblast rotation. The occurrence of these normal faults suggests that the extensional tectonic regime was not restricted only to the Zanskar shear zone area but that it also occurs south of the Higher Himalayan range. This suggests NE-directed subhorizontal extension and exhumation of deeper level rocks of Higher Himalaya Crystallines.     

北喜马拉雅恰芒巴二云母花岗岩的年龄及形成机制

恰芒巴二云母花岗岩体位于特提斯喜马拉雅的西部, 岩石发育片麻状构造, 主要矿物组成为石英、钾长石、白云母和黑云母。LA-MC-ICP-MS U-Pb定年显示, 锆石年龄分布范围为35.1~17.3 Ma, 暗示较长时间的深熔作用过程, 其中最年轻的年龄(18.1±0.4 Ma)代表了花岗岩的最终结晶年龄。地球化学分析表明, 岩石具有高的SiO₂(73.06%~73.79%)、Al₂O₃(14.73%~15.06%)和CaO(1.18%~1.24%)含量, 以及高的K₂O/Na₂O值(1.16~1.25)和A/CNK值(1.16~1.20), 属于高钾钙碱性过铝质花岗岩。岩石强烈富集Rb、Th、U和K, 而亏损Ba、Nb、Sr和Zr, 轻重稀土分馏较强(La/Yb)_N=9.98~11.35, 并显示较弱的负Eu异常(δEu=0.70~0.74)。(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i和ε_Nd(t)值分别为0.742 298~0.743 092和-14.1~-14.0, 可与大喜马拉雅结晶杂岩(GHC)中变质沉积岩对比, 推测源岩为GHC变质沉积岩或与之成分相当的岩石。岩石(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i值较低而Sr浓度较高, 随着Ba浓度的增加, Rb/Sr值基本不变, 与水致白云母部分熔融的趋势一致, 推测恰芒巴二云母花岗岩可能是水致白云母部分熔融的产物, 部分熔融作用可能与藏南拆离系的活动密切相关。     

库车新生代构造性质和变形时间

库车构造位于南天山古生代碰撞造山带之南,为塔里木盆地最北的一个构造带。它自北而南可分为边缘逆冲（ 隐伏构造楔） 、斯的克背斜带、北部线性背斜带、拜城盆地、南部背斜带。每个背斜带又包含有若干逆冲断层相关褶皱,它们是断层转折褶皱、断层传播褶皱、滑脱褶皱、断层传播 滑脱混生褶皱、双重逆冲构造、突发构造、三角带构造。底部逆冲断层向南变浅,堆叠逆冲岩席向南变薄,总体上形成一个向南的逆冲构造楔。逆冲断层在斯的克背斜带侵位最早（２５ Ｍａ） ,在北部线性背斜带为１６９ Ｍａ,拜城盆地中的大宛其背斜为３６ Ｍａ,南部背斜带为５３ Ｍａ（ 北部） 和１８ Ｍａ（ 南部） ,变形作用向南变新。库车构造是印 藏板块碰撞的内陆构造响应,是二叠纪前陆盆地复活而成的再生前陆盆地变形带     

Structural set up in northern part of Kumaun Himalaya

The Main Central Thrust (MCT) and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) are the two major thrusts in Kumaun, the MCT forming the boundary between highly sheared, deformed and mylonitized rocks of the Great Himalayan Central Crystallines and the Lesser Himalayan metasedimentaries. While in the Central Crystallines four-folding episodes are observed of which two are of the Precambrian age, the Lesser Himalayan rocks show only two phases of folding. MCT has its own distinctive structural history and the crystalline mass comprises an integral part of peninsular India.     

北喜马拉雅及藏南伸展构造综述

印度与欧亚大陆碰撞发生于65Ma左右,造山作用则开始于中新世初期,该造山运动形成南喜马拉雅的逆冲推覆体系,导致喜马拉雅山脉的隆起。然而,与造山作用的同时,北喜马拉雅及藏南地区却经历了广泛的伸展作用,所形成的伸展构造包括:①北喜马拉雅地区,开始于24Ma左右的藏南拆离系(STDS);②北喜马拉雅及藏南地区,开始于14Ma左右的南北向裂谷;③北喜马拉雅穹隆带,形成时间大致与南北向裂谷相同;④广布于青藏高原、开始于中新世末期、随机分布的高角度正断层。上述不同阶段的伸展构造形成于不同机制,并在喜马拉雅造山带的发展过程中起着不同的地质作用。其中,北喜马拉雅穹隆是一种特殊的伸展构造,并可能形成于多种机制。     

Fault rupture directivity of large earthquakes in Himalaya

The paper examines the predominant fault rupture directivity during large earthquakes in different sectors of the Himalaya which influences strong ground motion and damage scenario. The nature of the faulting of earthquakes vis-à-vis their rupture directivity has been discussed. It is found that the rupture directivity near the Indo-Eurasian plate boundary varies from place to place i.e. either along the strike direction of the faults or at right angles to it. The secondary meizoseismal areas as observed for 1505 Dharchula, 1803 Uttarakhand, 1905 Kangra earthquakes in the Himalaya and 2001 Bhuj earthquake in stable continental region suggest that they are a fairly good indicator of predominant rupture directivity since the latter accentuates the site response up to a longer distance. The resulting larger ground motions, therefore, need to be incorporated in the design of engineering structures by suitable modifications in the BIS code.     

Siwalik sedimentation in a part of the Kumaun Himalaya,India

The Siwalik Group in a part of the Kumaun Himalaya has been studied with respect to its sedimentologic properties. Size-based environmental data indicate a fluviatile environment for the Middle and Upper Siwalik sediments. The Lower Siwalik samples indicate a border-line environment, possibly a fluvial-deltaic complex. Petrologically, the Siwalik samples are essentially sublitharenites and litharenites. Variation in petrological character in successive Siwalik units is not very marked, although the heavy-mineral assemblages serve the purpose of stratigraphic identification.Sedimentary structures, though not profuse, show a well-developed cyclic development corresponding to the idealised fining-upward sequence of alluvial sediments. They indicate deposition by laterally shifting braided streams. A major portion of the Siwalik detritus may be considered to have its provenance in the Himalayan metamorphic areas.     

Some aspects of the Krol formation of the Himalaya,India

The Lower Krol sediments consist of intercalations of dolomite with shales in the marginal areas (Solan and Nainital), while limestones are interbedded with marls in the central part of the basin (Massoorie). The Upper Krols are largely composed of dolomites with subordinate limestones and shales.The non-carbonate detrital fraction is dominated by quartz with minor amounts of orthoclase, microcline and plagioclase feldspars. Illite and chlorite constitute the dominant clay minerals, lesser amounts of corrensite and kaolinite are sometimes present. An eastward increase in illite and decrease in chlorite has been ascribed to the supply and distribution of the terrigenum.Zirconium, rubidium, strontium, zinc, nickel and manganese were determined by X-ray fluorescence. Early diagenetic dolomites contain Sr, Zn, Ni and Mn in trace amounts, while the late diagenetic dolomites are characterized by an absence of these elements. The posttectonic dolomites are unusually rich in iron, manganese and sometimes in zinc.Authigenic formation of alkali feldspars, chlorite, illite, quartz and pyrite is not uncommon. The feldspars appear to have formed at early and late diagenetic stages. Potash feldspars dominate over albite in association with dolomite, whereas albite tends to be more common in the limestones.The Krol sedimentation seems to have started in a shallow coastal lagoon behind a barrier beach, upwards changing into tidal-flat deposits.