Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Neotectonic activity of the Bomdila Fault in northeastern India from geomorphological evidences using remote sensing and GIS

  • Published:
Journal of Earth System Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One of the major geological structures across the Brahmaputra valley, which stretches from the Eastern Himalayas up to the Naga Hills, is the Bomdila Fault. Parts of the courses of the rivers – the Brahmaputra, Dhansiri (south-S), Bargang and many others – are aligned along this structure. The influence of this structure on the courses of these rivers has been studied in detail using topographic maps, satellite data and field evidences. The signatures obtained such as: (a) an unusually linear course of the lower part of the Dhansiri (S) river from Golaghat up to Dhansirimukh, (b) the abandonment of the westerly course of the earlier Dhansiri (S) river (flowing through Kaziranga) towards the present NW direction by avulsion, (c) knick bends in the MBT–MCT and Naga Thrust of Belt of Schuppen, (d) a linear 15 m high topographic scarp on the left bank of the Dhansiri (S) near Numaligarh and (e) an anomalous SE–NW trending course of the Brahmaputra from Dhansirimukh up to Hartamuli along with the parts of the rivers Buroi and Bargang on the north in the same trend infers the influence of a fault-type structure. Since all these linear segments of the rivers align along the NW–SE trending Bomdila Fault, it infers the influence of the later on the courses of these rivers. The neotectonic activity along this fault might have caused the linear high scarp and abandonment of earlier river courses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akhtar S M, Chakrabarti S, Singh R K, Moulik S R, Bhattacharya J and Singh H 2009 Structural style and deformation history of Assam & Assam Arakan Basin, India: From integrated seismic study; Adapted from oral presentation at AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, 7–10 June 2009.

  • Baruah S and Hazarika D 2008 A GIS based tectonic map of northeastern India; Curr. Sci. 95 176–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas S, Coutand I, Grujie D, Hager C, Stöckli D and Grasemann B 2007 Exhumation and uplift of the Shillong plateau and its influence on the eastern Himalayas: New constraints from apatite and zircon (U-Th-[Sm])/He and apatite fission track analyses; Tectonics 26 TC6013, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007TC002125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen W P and Molnar P 1990 Source parameters of earthquakes and intraplate deformation beneath the Shillong Plateau and northern Indo-Burma ranges; J. Geophys. Res. 95 12,527–12,552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra S 1982 Geological mapping and related studies of geomorphological and fluvial processes in the Lower Kopili Basin, District Nowgong, Assam; Geological Survey of India, Progress Report for 1974–75 F.S., 14p.

  • Chowksey V, Maurya D M, Joshi P, Khonde N, Das A and Chamyal L S 2011 Lithostratigraphic development and neotectonic significance of the Quaternary sediments along the Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF) zone, western India; J. Earth Syst. Sci. 120(6) 979–999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta A B 1977 Geology of Assam Arakan region; Mining Metall. Soc. India Q. J. 49 1–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta S, Mukhopadhyay M and Nandy D R 1987 Active transverse features in the central portion of the Himalaya; Tectonophys. 136 255–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta M K 2007 Dhansiri River Channel, Assam – A geomorphologic attribute; Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, submitted to Dept. of Applied Geology, Dibrugarh University, 197p.

  • Janardhan K and Gohain B N 1991 Quaternary geology and geomorphology of Brahmaputra valley in parts of Morigaon and Nowgong Districts, Geological Survey of India Progress Report of the Field Season 1989–1990, 19p.

  • Kayal J R 2008 Microearthquake seismology and seismotectonics of South Asia; Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, 503p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotoky P, Bezbaruah D, Baruah J and Sarma J N 2005 Nature of bank erosion along the Brahmaputra river channel, Assam, India; Curr. Sci. 88(4) 634–640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreemer C, Holt W E and Haines A J 2003 An integrated global model of present-day plate motions and plate boundary deformation; Geophys. J. Int. 154 8–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murthy M V N, Talukdar S C and Bhattacharya A C 1969 The Dauki fault of Assam; Bull. Oil Nat. Gas Comm. 6 57–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nandy D R 1981 Tectonic pattern in NE India – A discussion; Indian J. Earth Sci. 8(1) 82–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nandy D R 1986 Tectonics, seismicity and gravity of northeastern India and adjoining region; Geol. Surv. India Memoir 119 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nandy D R 2001 Geodynamics of Northeastern India and the adjoining region; ACB Publication, Kolkata, 209p.

  • Nandy D R and Dasgupta S 1991 Seismotectonic domain of northeastern India and adjacent areas; Phys. Chem. Earth 18 371–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narula P L, Acharyya S K and Banerjee J (eds) 2000 Seismotectonic atlas of India and its enviorns; Geological Survey of India, Special Publication 59 87.

  • Obruchev V A 1948 Osnovnye cherty kinetiki i plastiki neotektonik; Izv. Akad. Nauk. Ser. Geol. 5 13–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy G V, Saha T, Chowdhury B K, Sekhar N C, Das N G, Sharma V and Sivaramakrishnan T E 2008 Analysis of Kalyanpur Field Discovery in Low Resistivity Silty Reservoir in Dhansiri valley, A&AA Basin, Assam – A case study; In: 7th International conference & exposition on petroleum geophysics, Hyderabad, 170p.

  • Schubert C 1982 Geologia glacial del Páramo El Batallon, Estado Tachira Venezuela; Acta. Cient. Venezolana 33 66–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S and Baruah S 2017 Modelling of the Kopili fault based on slip rate, moment rate and seismic activity in Mikir hills plateau of northeastern India; Geomatics Nat. Hazards Risk, https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2017.1300609.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava H B, Srivastava V, Srivastava R K and Singh C K 2011 Structural analyses of the crystalline rocks between Dirang and Tawang, west Kameng District, Arunachal Himalaya; J. Geol. Soc. India 78 45–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Surendranath M and Sarmah G C 1992 Quaternary geology and geomorphology of parts of the Brahmaputra valley in parts of Nagaon and Golaghat Districts, Assam; Geological Survey of India Progress Report for F.S. 1989–1990, 50p.

Download references

Acknowledgements

One of the authors (SS) is grateful to the Director, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, for granting the permission to carry out the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Geology, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, 786 004, Assam, India

    Jogendra Nath Sarma

  2. Geoscience Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, 785 006, Assam, India

    Sangeeta Sharma

Authors
  1. Jogendra Nath Sarma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sangeeta Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sangeeta Sharma.

Additional information

Corresponding editor: N V Chalapathi Rao

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sarma, J.N., Sharma, S. Neotectonic activity of the Bomdila Fault in northeastern India from geomorphological evidences using remote sensing and GIS. J Earth Syst Sci 127, 113 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-018-1008-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-018-1008-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation