Geometrical analysis of mesoscopic shear zones in the crystalline rocks of MCT zone of Garhwal Higher Himalaya

The crystalline rocks of the MCT Zone of Garhwal Higher Himalaya exhibit well-preserved mesoscopic shear zones. Majority of these shear zones are of ductile and brittle ductile type with both sinistral and dextral sense of movement. Detailed analysis of mesoscopic shear zones reveals that sinistral shear zones exhibit a strike variation from NNE to ENE and dextral shear zones exhibit variation from NNW to WNW directions thus forming a conjugate pair. The bisectors of statistically preferred orientations of the two sets of the shears indicate that they generated due to NNE–SSW horizontal compression. These dextral and sinistral shear zones exhibit strike–slip geometry developed during progressive ductile shearing.