East-west extension in the NW Indian Himalaya

Hintersberger, Esther; Thiede, Rasmus; Strecker, Manfred R.; Hacker, Bradley R.

doi:10.1130/b26589.1

Cited by 80 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…1a). Whereas large NW-SE shortening earthquakes at the Himalayan Front are related to the underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia, shallow (< 15 km) earthquakes in the Himalayan Crest and Tibetan Plateau regions mainly are documented with ongoing E-W extension (Hintersberger et al, 2010).…”

Section: Climatic and Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic and geologic controls on suspended sediment flux in the Sutlej River Valley, western Himalaya

Wulf

Bookhagen

Scherler

2012

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The sediment flux through Himalayan rivers directly impacts water quality and is important for sustaining agriculture as well as maintaining drinking-water and hydropower generation. Despite the recent increase in demand for these resources, little is known about the triggers and sources of extreme sediment flux events, which lower water quality and account for extensive hydropower reservoir filling and turbine abrasion. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal trends in suspended sediment flux based on daily data during the past decade (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)) from four sites along the Sutlej River and from four of its main tributaries. In conjunction with satellite data depicting rainfall and snow cover, air temperature and earthquake records, and field observations, we infer climatic and geologic controls of peak suspended sediment concentration (SSC) events. Our study identifies three key findings: First, peak SSC events (≥ 99th SSC percentile) coincide frequently (57-80 %) with heavy rainstorms and account for about 30 % of the suspended sediment flux in the semi-arid to arid interior of the orogen. Second, we observe an increase of suspended sediment flux from the Tibetan Plateau to the Himalayan Front at mean annual timescales. This sediment-flux gradient suggests that averaged, modern erosion in the western Himalaya is most pronounced at frontal regions, which are characterized by high monsoonal rainfall and thick soil cover. Third, in seven of eight catchments, we find an anticlockwise hysteresis loop of annual sediment flux variations with respect to river discharge, which appears to be related to enhanced glacial sediment evacuation during late summer. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of unconsolidated sediments in the high-elevation sector that can easily be mobilized by hydrometeorological events and higher glacialmeltwater contributions. In future climate change scenarios, including continuous glacial retreat and more frequent monsoonal rainstorms across the Himalaya, we expect an increase in peak SSC events, which will decrease the water quality and impact hydropower generation.

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Section: Climatic and Geologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic and geologic controls on suspended sediment flux in the Sutlej River Valley, western Himalaya

Wulf

Bookhagen

Scherler

2012

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…Intense damage was noted along the N-S-trending Kaurik-Chango fault indicating its genetic relationship with the earthquake (Singh et al, 1975). The fault plane solution of the earthquake provides evidence for the east-west extension of normal faults in Spiti valley (Hintersberger et al, 2010).…”

Section: Previous Evidence Of Neotectonic Activity From Spiti Valleymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The investigation of late Quaternary fluvial-lacustrine sediments from Spiti valley also yielded evidence of tectonic uplift and palaeoseismicity (Mohindra and Bagati, 1996;Singh and Jain, 2007;Phartiyal et al, 2009;Hintersberger et al, 2010). Thermoluminescence (TL) dating of the deformation structures in lake sediments near Sumdo village ( Fig.…”

Section: Previous Evidence Of Neotectonic Activity From Spiti Valleymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…For this we have (i) undertaken field mapping of geomorphic features and palaeo-lake sediments in the upper Spiti valley; (ii) analysed digital elevation models to evaluate geomorphic parameters for active deformation in the region; (iii) for the first time, compiled a detailed tectonic map of the upper Spiti valley based on previously published and new data from our study; (iv) examined the Mane palaeolake sediments for evidence of neotectonic activity; and (v) compared the timing of the Holocene (Mane) landslide with the newly available (Fleitmann et al, 2003), (b) Arabian sea core (Gupta et al, 2003), (c) paleoclimate records from central Asia (the area shown in red dotted line), (Herzschuh, 2006), (d) Western Tibetan lakes (Van Campo and Gasse, 1993), (e) Tsokar lake (Demske et al, 2009). (B) The geologic succession and tectonic map of the Spiti valley (compiled after Mohindra and Bagati, 1996;Bhargava and Bassi, 1998;Steck, 2003;Phartiyal et al, 2009;Hintersberger et al, 2010). The seismites and landslides reported from the region are also shown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Tectonic versus climate influence on landscape evolution: A case study from the upper Spiti valley, NW Himalaya

et al. 2012

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“…This confirms the view that NSTR is probably the result of N-S contraction [29] and provides unequivocal evidence for the transformation of tectonic regime. In order to accurately constrain the time of the transformation of tectonic regime from N-S extension to N-S contraction, we summarize and analyze the ages of STDS and NSTRs in Gyirong and other areas in Himalayan orogen ( Figure 7) [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][12][13][14][15][16][17]22,28,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]. The result shows that the STDS was active from ca.…”

Section: Middle-miocene Transformation Of Tectonic Regime In Himalayamentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle-Miocene transformation of tectonic regime in the Himalayan orogen

et al. 2012

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Understanding the multiple tectonic transformations during the Himalayan orogeny is significant in evaluating the evolution of Himalayan orogen. In the Gyirong area in south Tibet, deformed leucogranitic veins in the biotite-plagioclase gneisses of Greater Himalayan crystalline complex (GHC) constitute south-vergent asymmetric folds. The reconstruction of the veins shows that they experienced two generations of deformation under different tectonic regimes: an earlier top-to-north extension and a later top-to-south thrusting, implying a tectonic transformation from N-S extension to N-S shortening. Zircons LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of the leucogranite shows that it was emplaced during 21.03-18.7 Ma. The data suggest that the tectonic transformation occurred after 18.7 Ma. The chronological data of South Tibet detachment system (STDS) and North-South trending rift (NSTR) from Gyirong and other areas indicate that the Himalayan orogeny was in a period of tectonic transformation from N-S extension to N-S shortening during 19-13 Ma. The transformation of tectonic regime was probably controlled by the India-Asia convergence rate. An increase in the convergence rate resulted in N-S shortening of the orogen, thrusting and folding, with coeval formation of the NSTR in Tibet. A decrease in the convergence rate led to N-S extension and reactivation of the STDS.

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East-west extension in the NW Indian Himalaya

Cited by 80 publications

References 65 publications

Climatic and geologic controls on suspended sediment flux in the Sutlej River Valley, western Himalaya

Climatic and geologic controls on suspended sediment flux in the Sutlej River Valley, western Himalaya

Tectonic versus climate influence on landscape evolution: A case study from the upper Spiti valley, NW Himalaya

Middle-Miocene transformation of tectonic regime in the Himalayan orogen

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