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Major unconformity between two juxtaposed sedimentary belts of the Lesser Himalaya, as revealed from the U–Pb zircon geochronology

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Abstract

Available U–Pb zircon detrital geochronology (DZ) data from the Lesser Himalaya reveals that the sediments within the Inner Lesser Himalaya (iLH) were deposited ~1850 Ma. The Outer Lesser Himalaya (oLH) sedimentary succession was much younger between 950 and 525 Ma; this belt also witnessed younger marine transgressions during the Permian, Jurassic–Cretaceous and Eocene. Thus, the Lesser Himalaya is characterized by two distinct sedimentary belts, which are juxtaposed against each other along the Tons–Daling–Shumar Thrust (TDST), at present. Further, these belts also represent two distinct terranes, delimited by major tectonic boundaries: (i) the Late Paleoproterozoic iLH Terrane bounded by the Vaikrita Thrust (VT)/Main Central Thrust (MCT) in the north and TDST in the south, and (ii) the Neoproterozoic oLH Terrane delimited by the TDST and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT). The iLH Terrane represents the main magmatic arc and back-arc basin of the Columbia Supercontinental Assembly. The oLH Terrane also indicates the back-arc basin of the Rodinia Supercontinental Assembly during the Neoproterozoic. These terranes record a major stratigraphic break around 1000–800 myr, when the depocenter for sedimentation shifted southwards during the Tonian to the outer parts of the Lesser Himalaya (oLH).

Research Highlights

  • Lesser Himalayan U-Pb DZ ages compiled from the NW, Nepal and Eastern Himalaya.

  • Maximum depositional age of the Inner Lesser Himalayan (iLH) belt is around 1850 Ma.

  • Sediments of the oLH belt are much younger between 950 and 525 Ma, and still younger in east.

  • Two LH sedimentary belts are juxtaposed along the Tons–Daling–Shumar Thrust (TDST).

  • Major stratigraphic break between these basins spans around 1000 to 800 myr.

  • Depocenter for sedimentation shifted southwards in outer parts of the Lesser Himalaya.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is a part of the research project ‘Terrane characterization across NW Himalaya, Ladakh and Karakoram’ (MoES/P.O.(Geo)/101(g)/2016)/30.01.2020), sanctioned to AKJ by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi. The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) awarded the Honorary Scientist position to AKJ, which facilitated this research. Facilities by the CSIR-Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee to AKJ and Inter-University Accelerator Center, New Delhi to PKM are highly appreciated. Discussions with O N Bhargava, D M Banerjee and Sandeep Singh were extremely useful in clarifying sedimentary distribution patterns in the Himalaya. Comments from the Associate Editor and five anonymous Reviewers were helpful in improving the text. This paper is dedicated to Late I B Singh with whom AKJ had very long discussions on the evolution of the Lesser Himalayan basins over the years.

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  1. CSIR-Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, 247 667, India

    Arvind K Jain

  2. Inter-University Accelerator Center, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    Pulok K Mukherjee

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  1. Arvind K Jain
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AKJ conceived the problem statement and project ideas. AKJ and PKM compiled the U–Pb zircon data and interpreted the available results. Together, they wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Arvind K Jain.

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Communicated by Joydip Mukhopadhyay

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Jain, A.K., Mukherjee, P.K. Major unconformity between two juxtaposed sedimentary belts of the Lesser Himalaya, as revealed from the U–Pb zircon geochronology. J Earth Syst Sci 132, 72 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-023-02080-7

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