Abstract
Kachchh possesses a fault-controlled first-order topography and several geomorphic features indicative of active tectonics. Though coseismic neotectonic activity is believed to be the major factor in the evolution of the landscape, detailed documentation and analysis of vital landscape features like drainage characteristics, bedrock gorges and terraces are lacking. The present study is a site-specific documentation of gorges developed in the central part of the mainland Kachchh. We analyzed and interpreted four gorges occurring on either side of Katrol Hill Fault (KHF). The Khari river gorge is endowed with six levels of bedrock terraces, some of which are studded with large potholes and flutings. Since no active development of potholes is observed along the rivers in the present day hyper-arid conditions, we infer an obvious linkage of gorges to the humid phases, which provided high energy runoff for the formation of gorges and distinct bedrock terraces and associated erosional features. Development of gorges within the miliolites and incision in the fluvial deposits to the south of the KHF indicates that the gorges were formed during Early Holocene. However, ubiquitous occurrence of gorges along the streams to the south of KHF, the uniformly N40‡ E trend of the gorges, their close association with transverse faults and the short length of the exceptionally well developed Khari river gorge in the low-relief rocky plain to the north of KHF suggests an important role of neotectonic movements
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen J R L 1976 Transverse erosional marks of mud and rock: their physical basis and geological significance;Sedim. Geol. 5 167–385.
Baskaran M, Deshpande S V, Rajaguru S N and Somayajulu B L K 1989 Geochronology of the miliolite rocks of Kutch;J. Geol. Soc. India 33 588–593.
Biswas S K 1974 Landscape of Kutch A Morphotectonic Analysis;Ind. J. Earth Sci. 1 77–190.
Biswas S K and Deshpande S V 1970 Geological and Tectonic maps of Kutch;Bull. O.N.G.C. 7 115–123.
Biswas S K and Khattri K N 2002 A geological study of earthquakes in Kutch, Gujarat, India;J. Geol. Soc. India 60 131–142.
Burbank D W, Leland J, Fielding E, Anderson R S, Brozovic N, Raid M R and Duncan C 1996 Bedrock incision, rock uplift, and threshold hillslopes in the northwestern Himalaya;Nature 379 505–510.
Chakrabarti A, Somayajulu B L K, Baskaran M and Kumar B 1993 Quaternary miliolites of Kutch and Saurashtra, western India: Depositional environments in the light of physical sedimentary structures, biogenic structures and geochronological setting of the rocks;Sencken. Maritima 23 7–28.
Howard A D, Seidl M A and Dietrich W E 1994 Modeling fluvial erosion on regional to continental scales;J. Geophys. Res. 99 13971–13986.
Lorenc M W and Saavedra J 1980 Remarks on the pothole erosion at the Tormes River (Salamanca Province, Spain);Acta Geol. Hisp. 15 91–93.
Lorenc M W, Barco M P and Saavedra J 1994 The evolution of potholes in granite bedrock, W Spain;Catena 22 265–274.
Maurya D M, Thakkar M G and Chamyal L S 2003 Implications of transverse fault system on tectonic evolution of Mainland Kachchh, Western India;Curr. Sci. 85 661–667.
Maurya D M, Patidar A K, Mulchandani N, Goyal B, Thakkar M G, Bhandari S, Vaid S I, Bhatt N P, Chamyal L S 2005 Need for initiating Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) studies along active faults in India: An example from Kachchh;Curr. Sci. 88 231–240.
Nemec W, Lorenc M W and Saavedra J 1982 Potholed granite terrace in the Rio Salor valley, western Spain: a study of bedrock erosion by floods;Tecniterrae 50 6–21.
Thakkar M G, Maurya D M, Rachna Raj and Chamyal L S 1999 Quaternary tectonic history and terrain evolution of the area around Bhuj, Mainland Kachchh, western India;J. Geol. Soc. India 53 601–610.
Whipple K, Hancock G S and Anderson R S 2000 River incision into bedrock: Mechanics and relative efficacy of plucking, abrasion and cavitation;Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 112 490–503.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thakkar, M.G., Goyal, B., Patidar, A.K. et al. Bedrock gorges in the central mainland Kachchh: Implications for landscape evolution. J Earth Syst Sci 115, 249–256 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02702039
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02702039