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Geomorphological Features of Active Tectonics and Ongoing Seismicity of Northeastern Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

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Geomorphological Features of Active Tectonics and Ongoing Seismicity of Northeastern Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India Geomorphological features of active tectonics and ongoing seismicity of northeastern Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India Vivekanand Pathak1,∗, Charu C Pant1 and Gopal Singh Darmwal2 1Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India. 2Geological Survey of India, Jaipur 302 004, India. ∗Corresponding author. e-mail: [email protected] The northeastern part of Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India, lying between the rupture zones of 1905, Kangra and 1934, Bihar–Nepal earthquakes and known as ‘central seismic gap’ is a segment of an active fault known to produce significant earthquakes and has not slipped in an unusually long time when compared to other segments. The studied section forms a part of this seismic gap and is seismically an active segment of the Himalayan arc, as compared to the remaining part of the Kumaun Lesser Himalaya and it is evident by active geomorphological features and seismicity data. The geomorphological features of various river valley transects suggest that the region had a history of tectonic rejuvenation which is testified by the deposition of various levels of terraces and their relative uplift, shifting and ponding of river channels, uplifted potholes, triangular facets on fault planes, fault scarps, etc. Further, the seismic data of five-station digital telemetered seismic network along with two stand alone systems show the distribution of earthquakes in or along the analyzed fault transects. It is observed that the microseismic earthquakes (magnitude 1.0–3.0) frequently occur in the region and hypocenters of these earthquakes are confined to shallow depths (10–20 km), with low stress drop values (1.0–10 bar) and higher peak ground velocity (PGV). The cluster of events is observed in the region, sandwiched between the Berinag Thrust (BT) in south and Main Central Thrust (MCT) in north. The occurrences of shallow focus earthquakes and the surface deformational features in the different river valley transect indicates that the region is undergoing neotectonic rejuvenation. In absence of chronology of the deposits it is difficult to relate it with extant seismicity, but from the geomorphic and seismic observations it may be concluded that the region is still tectonically active. The information would be very important in identifying the areas of hazard prone and also planning and designing of the socio-economic projects. 1. Introduction structure and earthquakes of the Himalaya and surrounding regions are a result of northward The Himalaya is the most prominent and active movement of Indian landmass and its collision with orogeny of the world. The seismotectonic aspects Eurasian Plate. Recent studies on plate motion of this structure are still poorly known, as the and Global Positioning System (GPS) measure- accurate rate of crustal shortening across the ments show that about 50% of the total 50– range and the distribution of this deformation 60 mm/yr of convergence is taken up by thrust over the orogenic domain also varies in different motion along the Himalayan arc, while the remain- provinces (Sridevi 2004). The topography, geologic ing is taken up farther north by a combination of Keywords. Northeastern Kumaun; central seismic gap; geomorphology; seismicity; telemetered seismic network. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 124, No. 6, August 2015, pp. 1143–1157 c Indian Academy of Sciences 1143 1144 Vivekanand Pathak et al. thrusting, crustal extension and strike-slip motion northeastern Kumaun. The area is bounded by within the Eurasian Plate (Avouac and Tapponnier two major thrusts namely Main Central Thrust 1993; Bilham et al. 1997, 1998; England and (MCT) in the north and North Almora Thrust Molnar 1997; Larson et al. 1999; Wesnousky et al. (NAT) in the south. The Main Central Thrust 1999; Senthil et al. 2001; Banerjee and Burgmann is moderately north dipping crustal shear zone, 2002; Parkash et al. 2011). The northward con- which has formed as a result of southward emplace- vergence of India resulted in crustal shortening of ment of a part of deeply rooted crust over the the northern margin of the Indian continent and less metamorphosed sedimentary units of the inner convergence accommodated by three south-verging thrust faults that strike the length of Himalayan Lesser Himalaya (Valdiya 1980; Bhattacharya and arc. The northern-most thrust is the Main Central Weber 2004). The NAT is also a north-dipping Thrust (MCT) which demarcates the lower bound- thrust that demarcates the southernmost limit ary of the Great Himalaya and separates the of the study area. The present study area com- massive, north dipping pile of metamorphic rocks prises of two major geotectonic domains each that constitute the Central Crystalline Zone of characterized by distinct lithological composi- the Greater Himalaya from the Lesser Himalaya. tion, structural pattern and magmatic element The Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), separates the which have been recognized in the northeastern Lesser Himalaya (a thick pile of highly folded upper Kumaun Himalaya between Ramganga and Kali Precambrian sedimentary units with a few out- rivers. These tectonic domains are central crys- crops of crystalline rocks) from the Tertiary Siwa- talline in the north and sedimentary terrain in lik Supergroup in the south. The MBT is expressed south. in the bedrock along the arc, and is locally The sedimentary terrain of inner Lesser observed to displace Quaternary deposits (Nakata Himalaya constitutes the autochthonous unit of 1989; Goswami and Pant 2007). The southern- Precambrian sediments. It is exposed in the win- most thrust is the Himalayan Frontal Fault (HFF) dows and involved in complex tight folding. The that separates the youthful Siwalik Hills made sedimentary unit shows little or no metamorphism up of late Tertiary to early Quaternary molasses as some sedimentary structures are preserved from the Indo-Gangetic plain in the extreme south. in these rocks (Valdiya 1980). The sedimentary All of the three principal thrusts show progres- sequence is represented by Damtha and Tejam sively younger ages and shallower depths from groups. The ‘Central Crystalline’ or ‘Central Crys- north–south, indicating southward migration of talline Zone’ which makes up a major part the main deformation front (Thakur 2004). Due of Great Himalaya is a distinct tectonic unit, to the northward push of the Indian Plate into thrusted over the sedimentary rocks of Lesser the Eurasian Plate, the entire Himalayan moun- Himalaya along the MCT. Thus, the central crys- tain system is under stress and rocked by the talline (hanging wall) and sedimentary rock of several large-to-great magnitude earthquakes. Four the Lesser Himalaya (footwall) have been affected earthquakes of magnitude ≥8 have been experienced by strong ductile deformation as a consequence at the foothills of Himalaya, namely the 1897 (Shillong of the thrusting along the MCT (Bhattacharya earthquake, Ms 8.7), 1905 (Kangra earthquake, Ms and Weber 2004) and compression of the whole 8.6), 1934 (Bihar–Nepal border earthquake, Ms 8.4), of the Himalayan province resulted in folding of and 1950 (Assam earthquake, Ms 8.7). Hence, the nappes as well as their root at the foot of the Uttarakhand Himalaya and part of western Nepal, Great Himalaya. This is seen in the Kali–Gori val- lying between the rupture zones of 1905 (Kangra) leys in the east. The Central Crystalline Zone in and 1934 (Bihar–Nepal) are identified as the cen- the Kumaun Himalaya comprises of two major tral seismic gap (Khattri and Tyagi 1983) region. thrust bound lithotectonic units characterized by In the present investigation, an attempt has been two distinct suites of metamorphics showing dis- made to understand the neotectonics and seismo- tinct metamorphic characters, petrological com- tectonic activities in the vicinity of the MCT, along position and structural patterns (Valdiya 1980). Kali, Dhauliganga, Gori Ganga and Ramganga The lower one designated as the Munsiari Forma- east river valleys, in Kumaun Himalaya which tion, consists of Middle Proterozoic granites and also forms a part of the central seismic gap. its mylonitized variants. The upper unit called the The study area is enclosed between the latitudes ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Vaikrita Group (figure 1a) comprises of medium to 29 49’–30 20’N and longitudes 80 –80 36’E. high grade metamorphic and intrusive porphyritic gneissic granites. The tectonic boundary which 2. Geological and tectonic settings separates the two aforesaid units has been called as the Vaikrita Thrust (Valdiya 1979). The gen- The area covers the major part of inner Lesser eralized tectonic map of the area is shown in Himalaya and a portion of Greater Himalaya in figure 1(b). Active tectonics and ongoing seismicity of northeastern Kumaun Himalaya 1145 Figure 1. (a) General geological map (after Valdiya 1980) of the region and (b) structural map of the area (after Paul 1985), respectively. 1146 Vivekanand Pathak et al. 3. Methodology changes. Although climate change alone cannot provide a mechanism for progressive incision (Bull River valleys are very sensitive indicators of neo- and Knuepfer 1987; Bull 1991; Maddy et al. 2000). tectonic activities, therefore some of the biggest Therefore, the present investigation focusses on dif- rivers, i.e., Kali, Dhauliganga (east), Gori Ganga ferent features of active tectonics, viz., unpaired and Ramganga (east) of the Kumaun were con- terraces, paleochannels, springs, waterfalls, fault sidered in this investigation. On the basis of the facets, fault scarps, etc., along the transect. The detailed study of recorded geomorphic features, spatial distribution pattern of such features has tectonically active faults/lineaments were identi- been used as a reliable tool of documenting the fied and an attempt was made to evaluate the effect active tectonics of the Lesser Himalayan terrain of tectonic activity and geomorphic development of (e.g., Valdiya 1986, 2001; Goswami and Pant 2008; the area. Pathak et al. 2013). Details of these are shown The seismic data of the region were acquired in figures (2, 5, 7), which were delineated on from the five station short period (L4-3D) digi- the basis of the observed features.
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